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Miraculous Scale Fingerings arrange the twelve key centers in ascending chromatic order from E to E-flat. Each key includes major, natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, chromatic, whole-tone, diminished, and what I call major pentatonic, and minor pentatonic scales. Many of these scales can be a particular interest to jazz players. Because there are three complete octaves in every key available on double basses with a fingerboard of average length, each scale type is presented in three one-octave, two two-octave, (the middle octave is included in two-octave scales), and one three-octave scale.
Miraculous Scale Fingerings includes three fingerings for each scale: two "slow" fingerings and one "fast" fingering. "Slow" fingerings, (notated with white note heads,) have a shift on every other note and include no open strings, regardless of the key. The first slow fingering shifts on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. degrees of the scale, while the second slow fingering shifts on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, etc. degrees of the scale, affording practice shifting to every note in a scale.
This is obviously a very inefficient way to finger a scale with any speed, so the fast fingering, (notated with black note heads,) is devised to be as efficient as possible. Fast fingerings use open strings where practical, have as few shifts as possible, and frequently use extension (four-finger) position. For those who feel that their hands are not large enough to play extensions, pivot shifts, or a rolling of the hand works well.
Every note in Miraculous Scale Fingerings has a fingering indication. Those notes that require a shift are notated with a large, bold number, while those notes that are in position are notated with a small, fine number. The preface includes a suggested manner of execution regarding rhythm, and bowing, but the player is free to play these scales at any speed, any octave or octaves, any rhythm or any bowing.
The flexibility, and resultant range of difficulty of these scales make them useful to players of almost any playing level - almost cradle-to-grave scales. However, these scale fingerings may be too difficult for novice players, mostly due to the frequency of shifts. So Dr. Morton's Primer Scale and Apreggio Fingerings was written to prepare inexperienced players for the more "professional" fingerings of the Miraculous fingering books.
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