I have a fingering system which makes it easy to play all scales 3 octaves. It's probably just a curiosity, but it's satisying to be able to do. The final octave on the E string is always, except in G major, fingered 21212344. Every scale from Bb upwards starts on 2nd finger on the G string then shifts up two positions on the A string, so it's not a system for those who want to base their playing around one or two positions (which my teacher seems to be doing and which is possibly best).

If a rare scale comes up in an orchestral piece, it won't necessarily fit the above pattern, due to context, so I'll choose the position and fingering according to which position I need to end up in for what follows (a scale might often be just an introduction to a more interesting passage). Twice I've had the keys of B major and G#minor crop up, for example, probably both Brahms, lol!

During my 14 months of lessons, my teacher has drilled me in G, A and D [added: D beginning in 1st posn and beginning in 3rd posn], two octaves, then G, A and C, three octaves.

When you practise scales, everything gets practised, not just "scales". We begin by playing one note per bow, so that we look at tone (at the frog and in the middle and at the tip), parallel bowing, RH hold, relaxed right shoulder, slow shifting, left elbow and finger placement, etc. We avoid vibrato - intonation must always be done by the LH fingers, never by adjusting the hand position. When we get back down we go up and down again, this time two notes per bow. This changes the emphasis on the shifts somewhat, it also begins the effort to minimise the effect of the shift on the bowing speed (slow bows can inadvertently become jerky when the left hand shifts, especially if it shifts too fast). Third run through is 4 notes per bow, then 8 then 16, or 12 and 24 depending on rhythm preferred. Finally we do all 48 notes up and down on one bow both slow staccato and legato, first down bow then up bow. I have tippexed the centre of my bow so that I know I have used the correct amount of bow each time.

The fingering system she prefers, I have noticed, favours third position (and 5th, 7th, 9th). The final octave tends to be 12121234. That puts me in 9th position in C major, which is the limit of my comfort. She warns against removing the thumb from the heel of the violin (and summer, the season of sweat, is coming, lol!)

I am wondering how she will do D major. 9th position in C major is settled when I reach the G with my first finger. Staying in 9th position, D could then easily be finished 12344 from the G (as in paragraph 1). Failing that, we'd go to 10th position, which I doubt would be her style. Otoh, one does develop the ability to stretch - e.g. when I was learning CG.

Both teachers have tended to prefer coming down from the highest positions to first position ASAP on the E string (whereas the system in paragraph 1 comes down gradually via the A string). In that way shifting technique is improved - I used to get friction burns on the E string, but that was my fault. Finger pressure must be released when shifting. These are all things you do wrong when you don't have a teacher! (Warning!)

I haven't timed myself playing one of these scales, but if it takes 15 minutes, it's worth it because so many different elements of technique get practised during that time. And it's a perfectly valid warm-up exercise, as long as it's treated seriously, and not flippantly.

We haven't done any minor scales - I don't think she thinks they are a problem. What would get practised? The occasional semitone interval and the occasional piece of odd fingering, all done ad hoc already anyway (when I suggested doing Sitt 2nd position exercises, she said there's no point since we're already playing Bach anyway). The harmonic minors might be worth looking at for the augmented seconds (theory refresher - C to Db is a minor second, C to D is a major second, C to D# is an augmented second). We do the occasional three-octave arpeggio - G, A, D (2 octaves), but not obsessively. Done the same way - 1 note per bow, 3 notes, etc, they are over in no time, as they contain fewer notes, and the rate is trebled.

Those of us, self included, who know they don't play their violas enough should probably spend 15 minutes a day playing a scale as above on them, e.g. C over 3 octaves.

ELCBK said
 

  

Don't forget the Japanese pentatonic (part of the Phrygian family)

BCEFABCEF etc. I bought a flute with a B-foot so I could play Sakura on it (beginning on A)

ELCBK said
 shakuhachi music,  

I thought about buying a shakuhachi a while back. There are nice-looking ones on Amazon, plastic or bamboo, but it's a dangerous gamble - even for $500 you get a "Japanese shakuhachi 1.8" "region of origin China", and the cost and the possibly inauthentic intonation meant I preferred to buy a flute. A Japanese instrument will probably cost twice as much. I think I've got a CD of shakuhachi music somewhere - problem is I'm decluttering, so I'm putting all my CDs in storage boxes, apart from the classical ones. One day if I feel I'm $350 richer than I should be, I'll get a plastic shakuhachi 1.8. But apparently they risk import-duty, even on Amazon, beware!