This method will get you playing scales and arpeggios fast and within a very short time.
Two-octave scales are played four times as fast as the starting tempo in less than a minute.
Two-octave arpeggios are played four times as fast as the starting tempo within about thirty seconds.
Select a scale or arpeggio you want to work with.
Try a two-octave scale or arpeggio. This will get you out of one position and moving up and down the fingerboard fluently.
Work out the left-hand fingering pattern. Try to avoid left-hand finger repeats.
Try to avoid right-hand finger repeats. This is particularly important for fast tempos.
Pick a tempo, e.g. 80 bpm, subdivide into sixteenths and play each note of the selected scale or arpeggio four times. Ascend and descend non-stop.
Upon reaching the starting note go straight on to playing each note only three times while maintaining the same note speed.
Upon reaching the starting note the next time go straight on to playing each note only twice while maintaining the note speed.
Upon reaching the starting note again, play each note only once while maintaining the note speed.
You will have played the scale or arpeggio four times ascending and descending.
For each ascent and descent each new note is played four times, three times, twice and then once. What this means is that although the right hand is playing at the same tempo throughout, the left hand is working progressively harder.
This is because the left hand is changing notes more frequently.
When starting at 80 bpm the tempo for each ascent and descent is as follows: 80, ca. 107, 160, 320bpm. When starting at 80 bpm it takes exactly 50 seconds to get through the exercise with a two-octave, seven-note scale.
If you use this method it is possible to get through any seven-note scale in all twelve keys in ten minutes.
