So if a scale is a set of notes arranged in a particular order, how do we know how close together to put the notes? All western music is built on steps. Although these passages can look intimidating, they are usually based on some sort of scale, so practice scales diligently in order to play these runs with ease.
There is no jumping around or changing directions.Ĭomplete scales, as they are written in exercise books, typically begin and end on the same letter name, but if you look at any sheet music, you will often see little runs of anything from four to twenty-four notes. For example, if you want to start a scale on the note C, all the other notes must be played going up or down from C. A musical scale is any set of notes arranged in ascending or descending order.