Are scales necessary when learning to play piano?

To make a piece sound pretty, you can use scales to climb between notes, while bringing out the distinct sound of the piano (or guitar, harp, violin etc.). They are impressive. If you look up people playing scales at 240 rpm or greater, that's all they really need. read more

It depends on what you want to play the piano for. If you want to play solo as perhaps a jazz performer or in a major concert hall then you need to learn to play your scales. Not just for technique but also because learning the scales make pieces easier to learn. read more

When learning a new piece, practice scales for the keys within that piece. You'll catch your own mistakes more often since you'll be accustomed to tonal qualities of the keys in that piece. It also trains you to play smoothly in time. read more