Simply Scales and Arpeggios for Viola: Viola Book

Latham's pedagogical approach respects what viola students actually need: clear progressions without arbitrary bowings imposed on them. The open staff space at the back shifts ownership to teachers, letting you document your own priorities for each student rather than working around someone else's choices. Few scale books acknowledge blues scales, which opens up repertoire conversations beyond classical audition requirements.

Moving through these scales feels like building architecture: you start with the simplest one-octave patterns and construct larger structures, then explore the chromatic color of blues scales as a stylistic detour. The progression is methodical and satisfying, with no extraneous material to distract from the core work.

Viola students preparing for auditions, orchestra placement tests, or chair placements at any level from high school through pre-college training. Teachers building systematic scale curricula will find the incremental difficulty levels and customizable format particularly efficient for group lessons and private studios alike.

• Use the introduction's scale construction lesson before assigning scales. Students who understand the interval pattern (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half) practice with intention rather than rote memorization.
• Add bowings and fingerings gradually. Latham's blank-page design means you can introduce a scale with one bowing pattern, then revisit it with an alternate pattern weeks later for deeper facility.
• Anchor two-octave and three-octave scales to specific audition requirements. If a student needs them for a particular ensemble, name the goal and work backward from the deadline.
• Treat the blues scales as an ear-training tool, not just bonus material. Play them alongside blues recordings to connect academic work to listening and style.

Integrate this into your private studio or section warm-ups during orchestra rehearsals when focused scale work is needed before moving to repertoire. The three-octave scales prepare students for repertoire spanning the viola's full range, making it a natural bridge between audition prep and performance challenges they'll encounter in concertos and chamber music.

• Reading scales from one to three octaves in treble clef
• Playing major and minor scales to five sharps and flats
• Understanding scale construction and interval relationships
• Building facility across the viola's full range
• Blues scale vocabulary and chromatic variation
• Consistent intonation across extended range