Scales again!

[Megan]

Help with B♭ major scale.
What is the fingering for left and right hands please?
I have looked on youtube , but some start with 2nd finger on B♭ and some start with 3rd finger.
I have to practice two octaves both hands together.

[Peter]

Good to hear you're still practicing your scales Megan!
L.H start with 3 (4th goes on Eb) - R.H start with 2

[Megan]

Good to hear you're still practicing your scales Megan!
L.H start with 3 (4th goes on Eb) - R.H start with 2

Thank you Peter, I shall get on with practicing it now. Yes, I am still slaving away at practicing scales , arpeggios , etc. I might be slower than the younger student, but I work towards keeping it all evenly flowing with no hesitations. I quite like the contrary motion scales.
How long do you think I should spend on scales a day Peter, half an hour or less?

Incidentally, in the new ABRSM Syllabus, I find grade 3 pieces more exciting than grade 2. For Grade 3 pieces I find my particular choices of manageable pieces would be , A1. Sonata in G, Handel. A2. Romanze K525, Mozart, which I like very much. B1. Tom Bowling, by Charles Dibdin.
and C2. Der Tag ist vergangen, (The day has ended) I think. by Rakov.

Beethoven's German dance in B♭, Wo0 13. I tried but found it trickier than other pieces.

[Peter]

At grade 3 I would suggest 10 or 15 minutes is enough for scales and arpeggios. What is important is to keep your practice varied and interesting so I suggest splitting the scales into two or three groups and doing different ones on different days aiming to repeat each group two or three times a week. Always hands separately as well as together. Once they're known try practicing in different ways, sometimes from top down, sometimes with different rhythms, sometimes with varying dynamics - there is a lot you can do to make them more interesting!

[Megan]

Can a scale have flats and sharps occurring ?

[Chris]

Yes, the most obvious examples being the harmonic and melodic minor scales. The harmonic G minor scale has two flats in the key signature (B and E), but the seventh note of the scale is raised by a half step, making it an F sharp. This would be written as an accidental instead of being in the key signature, however.

[Megan]

Yes, the most obvious examples being the harmonic and melodic minor scales. The harmonic G minor scale has two flats in the key signature (B and E), but the seventh note of the scale is raised by a half step, making it an F sharp. This would be written as an accidental instead of being in the key signature, however.

Thanks again Chris, that was the reason I was asking. I noticed that G harmonic minor has two flats , and wasn't sure about the F sharp as it isn't in the key signature. so good, now I know.

[Megan]

C harmonic minor scale,
Why do we miss out the B flat playing this scale?

Thanks.

[Peter]

C harmonic minor scale,
Why do we miss out the B flat playing this scale?

Thanks.

Because you have to raise the 7th note a semitone (sharpen) in minor scales - in C minor this is a Bb in the key signature which when sharpened becomes B natural.

[Megan]

Because you have to raise the 7th note a semitone (sharpen) in minor scales - in C minor this is a Bb in the key signature which when sharpened becomes B natural.

Oh thank you, Peter. makes sense now.

[Sorrano]

That is called the leading tone as it leads to the home key of C. That is why it's a semitone, so that it resolves up to the home position in the key.