Jazz pianist here, I also strongly disagree that scales are useless. I had 90 minute classical piano lessons once a week from 6 years old to 16, 30 minutes of t

Jazz pianist here, I also strongly disagree that scales are useless. I had 90 minute classical piano lessons once a week from 6 years old to 16, 30 minutes of that learning scales, which in later years includes contrary motion, arpeggios etc. I'm so grateful my teacher put in the time! I practised them every day until my 30s. There's nothing better for feeling where in your hand you're rusty, always trying to make them sound as musical and even as possible. Also when you do them regularly, you can feel when certain hand movements are more difficult or rougher than usual - they're the best way of knowing exactly where you're at physically. Not sure what you mean "you can just 'hear' scales". "You don't need to practice them any more"...except for the main reason you play them, for "warmups and physical training"? i.e. you do need to practice them. Or at least, they're the best thing to practise, I've found. The first few years, they're so your fingers naturally play good fingerings on most things without having to think about it, and finger muscle training. After that, they're for, I guess, warming up and what I'd call more maintaining and recovering peak muscle condition than "training". 5 minutes of very fast, musical-as-possible scales and unless in peak form, your arms are falling off with muscle fatigue hehe. Also I went through Liszt's book once and wrote down the exercises I found the most difficult, and practiced them for years. Also learnt Ravel's LH Concerto to strengthen my left hand.. But scales always.