Any woodwind teachers about?

[Butternutissquashed]

Do you have any tips as to how I can help my DS (Grade 4) learn scales/arpeggios off by heart? Is it simply a case of playing them repeatedly? Should he keep repeating the same one or play them all one after each other? How often would you suggest and for how long? Sorry for all the questions. He has lessons in school and so I’ve never met his teacher. He has conveniently forgotten to ask these questions. Thanks...

Repitition is key. Drives you mad but it is really the only way...

Different rhythms.
Slurring them in triplets e.g. ABC,CDE,EFG,GAB all the way up and down. Concentrate on one or two keys a week.

I like my pupils to play the scale followed immediately by the arpeggio of the same key as this helps to cement the relationship between them.

Some learners like to have the notes in front of them until they've learned them. You can get printouts of scales online.

If scales are proving to be a sticking point, Rather than playing every scale in every practice session I'd say spend 5 minutes playing the same scale. You can start slowly then build up speed, or play them in different rhythms to maintain interest. Before they start playing the scale they need to know what notes are in it and ideally understand the theory behind it.

Then go on to playing pieces and at the end of that practice session go over the scale again.

DD only dropped one mark on her grade 6 flute scales (has previously dropped most of the marks here) . I've just asked her and she did them 10 minutes a day and added a new one in every couple of days. Revised the ones she knew to warm up then played the new one in different rhthyms and slurring patterns. It helps to know where the tones and semitones are, particularly for the minors.

My DD just repeats and repeats and repeats. Does them slowly till the notes are secure, then tons of tedious repetition. Currently G7.

I find two closed doors help my tolerance...

Thank you. I like the tip about playing the scale followed by the arpeggio and also the one about the two closed doors!!
He’s fine when he’s got the book in front of him but seems to forget them when he hasn’t. Although I think the lack of concentration is probably part of that!!

Every single major scale (or minor melodic/ harmonic respectively) has the same tune. EXACTLY the same tune. But in a different key

Once you realise this, you should be able to start on any note and play any scale because the tune is the same - listening to the tune should tell you whether the next note is a tone away or semi-tone (or whether it’s a sharp or a flat etc.)

Once you begin to think this way, it gets more than it sounds on paper!

More logical

He can hear when he’s playing the wrong note (as do I and the rest of the house!!) He just needs to play the right ones consistently!!!

Absolutely, but he needs to think about what note is coming next before playing it wrong. As he’s learning, he won’t be able to remember the correct notes/ sharps and flats, but the 'tune' should tell him.

Get him to do them really slowly, thinking ahead which note he should play (listening to the tune). When he can do this, only then build up speed.

Thank you to everyone who offered advice. He’s now able to play them all and it was fairly painless!

Well done! We kept them going by using scale cards to test random selections. And we flipped a coin to choose between "slung or turd".