Ex. 1 Up A Bit, Down A Bit. Up the Major Scale to the fifth, back to the first, then repeat the pattern starting on the second. Helps develop agility and accuracy with the intervals of this most common of scales.
Ex. 2 Halfway Up Slowly. Major Scale again, this time leaping increasing intervals. 1, 2, 1, 3 etc. Up to five and back down again, then continue the pattern a tone higher.
Ex. 3 Halfway Up Quickly. Good for agility but make sure you don't do it 'on the throat'. Quite long and fast... quite a challenge!
Ex. 4 Going Down Slowly.. Dropping down the Major Scale, trying not to hold the 'tension' of the first and highest note in the lower notes. Free and easy - we hope.
Ex. 5 All The Way Up. Staying with the Major Scale and similar to exercise 2 but this time going all the way up to the octave. Be sure to maintain support for the intervals up near the octave.
Ex. 6 Jumping & Sliding. An octave leap with a slur back down. Looking for accuracy and comfort on the leap and smoothness and freedom from constriction on the slur down.
Ex. 7 Little By Little. Introducing the Chromatic Scale. This one is quite fast and fine. Make sure that your semitones are semitones. Keep the air flowing, don't control in the throat.
Ex. 8 Happy Sad Blues. Arpeggios on Major and Minor triads being careful to make that semitone distinction. This one in harder than it at first appears.
Ex. 9 Sad Happy Blues. The reverse of exercise 8. This one starting with a Minor triad.
Ex. 10 Tritone Blues. Practise that - seemingly - most awkward of intervals. The tri-tone or flattened fifth.
Ex. 11 Whole Tone Blues. Utilising the Whole-Tone Scale. This one uses very long phrases so you'll need to make sure your breathing is in shape.
Ex. 12 Diminished Blues. The Diminished Scale that alternates semitone and tone intervals - in this case starting with a semitone. You'll need to get your ear in gear and again, long phrases so breathe properly!
