Definition: A series of tones ordered by pitch (usually rising or falling) according to a specific scheme of intervals (e.g., Major, Minor, Chromatic).
The Savvy Take: Scales aren’t punishment; they are vocabulary. 90% of classical music is just chunks of scales. If you know your scales by heart, you aren’t reading “C-D-E-F-G,” you’re just recognizing “C Major Scale chunk” and playing it on autopilot.