In scalping, traders usually prefer shorter time frames like 1-minute, 5-minutes.
Less typical time frames
Recently, less typical time frames such as 2-minutes, 3-minutes have become quite popular.
They remove some noise from the 1-minute time frame, hence traders’ preference.
You will find them in Metatrader 5, TradingView and other platforms.
Remember, scalping is also possible on higher time frames. For example, on 10-minutes, 15-minutes, 20-minutes, 30-minutes, 1-hour, 2-hours.
In this case, you will, of course, have fewer potential entry signals.
But that is also an advantage.
On higher time frames, the quality of signals should be better.
Choosing a time frame for scalping
There is no one answer to which time frame will be the best as it largely depends on the strategy, and whether you have the ability to execute entries correctly.
For example, scalping on a 1-minute time frame requires constant attention.
You must be at your monitor at all times or have suitable expert advisors to help you with opening and closing positions.
Even on M2 time frame, there is still a lot of action:
Therefore, when choosing a time frame, you must realistically consider – at what hours you can trade, how much time you can dedicate to the charts.
It may turn out that scalping on higher time frames like 30-minute, 1-hour is a better solution for you.
In such cases (trading on higher time frames), you can always try to slightly increase the take profit range.
For example, if on lower time frames you aimed for a 2-3 pips profit, on higher ones you can try to catch 5, 10 pips or even 20.
I know traders who successfully aim for 1-2 good trades per day, scalp on M30-H1 time frames and pull an average of 10-20 pips.
If you are unsure which time frame will be the best for you, you must test several of them over a longer period.
Two important things
Remember two important things:
- Just because you read that a 2-minute time frame is best for someone for scalping, it does not mean it will work for you.
- Multitimeframe analysis is important in trading.
So even if you decide on scalping, for example, on a 5-minute time frame, it doesn’t mean that you will not have to look at other time frames.
Summary
- Scalpers usually prefer shorter time frames like 1-minute or 5-minutes, but recently, less typical time frames like 2-minute, 3-minute have gained popularity due to their ability to remove unnecessary information.
- Scalping is also feasible on higher time frames such as 10-minute, 15-minute, 20-minute, 30-minute, 1-hour, and 2-hour.
- Choosing a time frame should be realistic, considering your available trading hours and the time you can dedicate to chart analysis. For some traders, higher time frames may be a better option.
- In trading on higher time frames, traders could aim to increase their take profit range, for instance, from 2-3 pips on lower time frames to 5-10, or even 20 pips on higher ones.
- It’s advised to test various time frames over a longer period if unsure about the best time frame for your trading strategy.
- Finally, remember that trading is not one-size-fits-all: what works for one trader might not work for another.
