Smart Scales for Strings

Smart Scales for Strings makes playing scales on the Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass look easy!  Laid out in a clear and natural progression, it is the only comprehensive scale book for the beginner to intermediate player. It is perfect for both the classroom and private teaching and is all you need before advancing to three-octave scale methods. Click to browse through the pages above to see how Smart Scales makes scales look easy!

 

SMART SCALES – $10 – Student/Individual

Violin    Viola    Cello    Bass

 

SMART SCALES Score – $50

Score Only

 

SMART SCALES – PARTS – $120 each – School/Group License

 

Violin    Viola    Cello    Bass

 

SMART SCALES Complete Set – $360 – School/Group License

– includes the score, all four parts

Complete Set

 

*If you buy a personal license and decide to upgrade to a School/Group License, contact me and I will provide you with a coupon to deduct your original cost.

 

 

Features:

Here are a few things that you are going to love about Smart Scales for Strings:

• Introduces simple and easy-to-learn finger patterns to simplify the teaching of scales. The patterns are the same for violin, viola, cello and bass and create a common terminology for all string players.
• Easy to read fingering charts are included with every key, and in the teacher’s score.
• Encourages students to visualize and memorize the finger patterns and names of the notes rather than relying on excessive fingerings.
• Scales are presented in a natural, easy-to-learn sequence, beginning with two separate one-octave scales and arpeggios.
• First position is clearly marked on fingering charts, and fingerings for shifts are included.
• Positions for shifting are clearly marked in the music.
• One octave minor scales are introduced after two octave major scales.
• Semi-tones and augmented 2^nds are marked in minor scales to help with the second tetrachord.
• Easily adaptable to any string method, style, bowing or rhythm variations.

And remember, if there are any corrections or the addition of new material, you get the update FREE!  (Feel free to contact me with any corrections or suggestions!)

 

 

 

10 Great Reasons Why You Need Smart Scales for Strings!

 

REASON #1 – Smart Scales is ALL YOU NEED

Smart Scales is the only scale book you will need before moving on to advanced 3-octave scale methods.  Smart Scales has one and two-octave scales and arpeggios, in keys up to 5 sharps and 5 flats, and one and two-octave minor scales, including the natural minor.  That’s something that you won’t find in many scale books, but it’s’ a smart thing to include!

 

REASON #2 – Smart Scales LOOK EASY!

Tired of scale books that look serious, boring and downright intimidating?  How scales are presented on the page can either make you feel like, yes, this is easy to do, or ugh, I don’t want to practice this!

Smart Scales is laid out to make scales look very clear and doable.  It doesn’t look serious, and you can tell at a glance how the progression works.  Also, it’s not cluttered with bowings and excessive fingerings.  It actually makes scales look easy to play!

 

REASON #3 –  Smart Scales HAS GREAT FINGERING CHARTS!

Visualizing the fingerboard is one of THE most important skills needed in playing a stringed instrument.  So shouldn’t fingering charts used more often?  (If you agree, check out Smart String Teacher’s Advanced Fingering Charts for Strings!)

Not only does each key in Smart Scales have easy-to-read fingering charts that give students a lot of information, including:

1. Clearly marked 1st position notes.
2. The octaves of the key are shown in bold.
3. The sharp and flat notes are clearly highlighted.
4. Fingerings for shifts to higher positions.

The fingering charts are a smart visual reference for everything students need to know in order to play their scales – it practically teaches itself!

 

REASON #4 – Smart Scales is EASY TO READ

Smart Scales has many markings to help makes the scales easy to read, including:

1. An ‘x’ to remind students when an extension is needed.
2. A dash to tell students when to shift.
3. Roman numerals I, II, III, and IV to tell students which string to play on.
4. Roman numerals in parenthesis to show students which position to shift to,
5. Pointed brackets for semi-tones and square brackets for augmented 2nds to help students with minor scales.

 

REASON #5   – Smart Scales HAS A NATURAL PROGRESSION

Smart Scales has a more natural and easy progression that sets it apart form other scale books.

In Smart Scales, each one-octave scale is presented separately.  This allows students to focus on new skills in the 2nd octave, such as shifting or extensions, before playing an entire two-octave scale. Such an easy thing to do, but so hard to find.  It’s one of the many things that makes Smart Scales so smart!

 

REASON #6 – Smart Scales MAKES MINOR SCALES LOOK EASY!

Smart Scales makes minor scales look easy by waiting until after two-octave major scales to introduce them.  This way students are still playing the notes they already know how to play, and all they have to learn are the accidentals.  It also means they have spent enough time listening to and playing the major tonality before going on to discern the many minor tonalities.  This makes teaching minor scales so simple and smart!

 

REASON #7 – Smart Scales HELPS STUDENTS VISUALIZE THEIR FINGERBOARD

Smart Scales helps students visualize their fingerboard by using finger patterns.  Visualizing the fingerboard is so important, yet there is very little teaching material to support this.  (Don’t forget to check out Smart String Teacher’s Advanced Fingering Charts for Strings!)

The Smart Scale Finger Patterns on the front cover are terms you can use to help students see their fingerboard in patterns. Also, teaching students to recognize semi-tones and whole-tones right away will help them when learning to shift and when working in higher positions.

Subscribe to the blog to learn more about using finger patterns.  You can also check out the SMT Youtube channel.

 

REASON #8 – Smart Scales SIMPLIFIES GROUP AND CLASSROOM TEACHING

Not only does Smart Scales have a great score you can use for your classroom, using the Smart Scale Finger Patterns can simplify and transform how you teach.  Teaching by finger patterns is awesome because the patterns are the same for all the instruments!  Once you show the students how to play each pattern on their own instruments, no matter if they play violin, viola, cello or bass, you can use patterns instead of individual fingerings when you teach.  The possible ways you can use finger patterns are endless.

Remember to subscribe to SmartMusicTeacher.com so you can keep up to date with the many tips on using finger patterns in the classroom.

 

REASON #9 – Smart Scales IS EASILY ADAPTABLE

Smart Scales is easily adaptable and can complement any method or any style you are teaching without having to change anything you are doing.  You can also use any rhythm variations and bowings, and there is plenty of room to add your own fingerings.

You don’t even have to teach by finger pattern if you really don’t want (why wouldn’t you???) because Smart Scales is a great scale book all on its own.

 

REASON #10 – Cost Effective!

Because SMT’s publications are sold in digital format, if you buy a school/group license, you can copy as many as you need for the students in your classes!  No more buying new books when old books get worn out or lost.  Just print another copy for your students – all for the cost of buying only one class set of physical books!

 

Those are just 10 of the many great reasons why you need to use Smart Scales for Strings.  I know you are so excited to teach scales now because your students will understand them so much faster, and it will simplify everything you teach down the line.

So don’t delay because the school year is here.  Get your copy of Smart Scales, and let me know how Smart Scales works for you!