Congratulations to all the winners who are now being sent their Amazon Echo Show 5 or Echo Dot devices. Thank you to everyone who entered - all your practice tips were terrific it was so hard to choose the top ten.
#1
You can be your own teacher by recording yourself playing every so often to hear what you may be doing wrong! - Christine
#2
Mix up the order! Write each scale on a piece of paper and pull them out of a hat or use a flashcard app. - Alvin
#3
Start slowly and don't be afraid to make mistakes! Listen carefully to the sound and think about correct fingering from the beginning. - Alice
#4
If you are finding a scale challenging, try practicing it in little segments. You can perfect the scale one bar at a time! - Emma
#5
My number one tip is to critically listen to the sound of scales. Ears are a musician's best tool and all scales are intervallic patterns. - Kane
#6
Make them interesting! Mix them up, create songs, jam with them, sing with them, use the notes in a different order, have fun! - Katie
#7
Practicing scales is like brushing your teeth – it’s better to do a little every day than lots only once a week! - Paul
#8
Make them into songs or melodies. Add words and rhythms so that they become memorable, singable and you are motivated to practice them! - Rachel
#9
You know the notes, you know the fingering, now try to play the scales as musically as you can, not just note to note. - Robyn
#10
Practise scales before and after your music session. Treat it as a warm-up and cool-down exercise for the mind, and whole body. - Samuel
Bonus Tip
Try using our new Scale Helper skill for Amazon Alexa. It can help you play scales and arpeggios in one or two octaves at four different speeds. Simply ask 'Alexa, open Scale Helper' and play along.
