• Scales

    • A scale is an ordering of pitches used consistently in musical composition written in ascending or descending order. All twelve pitches together form the chromatic scale. Each scale is defined by a certain pattern of halfsteps and wholesteps and can be translated to any key. The note name of the first degree of a scale is the key that scale is in, it is also referred to as the tonic note. A scale consists, usually, of seven scale degrees - one for each note name - the eigth step ascending returns to the first degree one octave higher. The scale degrees are named, ascending, the tonic (I), the supertonic (II), the mediant (III), the subdominant (IV), the dominant (V), the submediant (VI), and the subtonic (VII). The fourth (IV) and (V), subdominant and dominant scale degrees, along with the tonic note, are most important in defining a scale, this will come up again later in chord progressions. The most familiar scales are the major and minor. The halfstep/wholestep organization of each of these scales are displayed below along with the scale degree of each step and an example of each scale in the key of C. The tonic of the scales, C, is shown in red.

    The Major Scale
    W W H W W W H
    I II III IV V VI VII I
    C D E F G A B C

    Play - Stop

    The Minor Scale
    W H W W H W W
    I II III IV V VI VII I
    C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

    Play - Stop

    In the notation for the C minor scale there are three flat accidentals drawn immediatly after the treble clef symbol. These signs make up the key signature. Key signatures tell the musician which notes need to be either flattened or sharped when playing the piece. The key signature of a piece is derived from the key that it is in. A musician is able to recognize a key signature to determine the key of the composition. The C major scale has no accidentals. The circle of fifths is a guide to the number of sharps or flats each key has in its key signature.

    For each major scale there is a minor scale that shares the same notes but has a different tonic. This is called the relative minor. The relative minor for C (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) is A minor, Am (A, B, C, D, E, F, G), both scales share the same notes but take on a different sound. Below is a list of the major scales and the corresponding relative minor. The relative minor tonic note is always three steps below the major scale tonic note.

    Relative Minors
    Scale I II III IV V VI VII
    C C D E F G A B
    Am A B C D E F G
    Db Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C
    Bbm Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab
    D D E F# G A B C#
    Bm B C# D E F# G A
    Eb Eb F G Ab Bb C D
    Cm C D Eb F G Ab Bb
    E E F# G# A B C# D#
    C#m C# D# E F# G# A B
    F F G A Bb C D E
    Dm D E F G A Bb C
    F# F# G# A# B C# D# E#
    D#m D# E# F# G# A# B C#
    G G A B C D E F#
    Em E F# G A B C D
    Ab Ab Bb C Db Eb F G
    Fm F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
    A A B C# D E F# G#
    F#m F# G# A B C# D E
    Bb Bb C D Eb F G A
    Gm G A Bb C D Eb F
    B B C# D# E F# G# A#
    G#m G# A# B C# D# E F#

    There are an enourmous number of scales, or modes, available to a musician. Listed below are the seven Greek modes. The names of these modes Greek or church modes - Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian - come from geographic or ethnic regians in ancient Greece. They became more regularly used in the 4th century BC and were discussed in the writings of both Plato and Aristotle (around 350 BC). Below is a quote from Aristotle's "Politics":

    The musical modes differ essentialy from one another, and those who hear them are differently effected by each. Some of them make men sad and grave, like the so called Mixolydian; others enfeeble the mind, like relaxed modes; another, again, produces a moderate or settled temper, which appears to be the peculiar effect of the Dorian; and the Phrygian inspires enthusiasm.

    The Greek modes are the major scale notes played from differet starting points on the scale. For example, the Ionian mode is the major scale starting at I, it is the exact same as the major scale. The Dorian mode is the same major scale starting with the second scale degree, II, making for a shift in the arrangement of halfsteps and wholesteps you'll notice in the table below. The Phrygian mode is the major scale starting with the third scale degree, III, it's arrangement of halfsteps and wholesteps appears as an additional shift from the Dorian mode etc.. Which ever scale degree you start on all the notes to follow will be diatonic to the key of the major scale you began with - meaning they will be the same notes as in the original major (Ionian) scale. Below are two tables. The first shows the arrangement of wholesteps and halfsteps in each of the Greek Modes. The second displays these arrangements, starting on their corresponding scale degree, in relation to the major scale. Next to the name of each mode is the major scale degree it starts on and a description of its nature.

    The Greek Modes - Halfstep/Wholestep Sequence
    Ionian I (regular major) W W H W W W H Play C Ionian (C-C) Stop
    Dorian II (blues minor) W H W W W H W Play C Dorian (D-D)
    Phrygian III (spanish minor) H W W W H W W Play C Phrygian (E-E)
    Lydian IV (jazz major) W W W H W W H Play C Lydian (F-F)
    Mixolydian V (dominant major) W W H W W H W Play C Mixolydian (G-G)
    Aeolian VI (pure minor) W H W W H W W Play C Aeolian (A-A)
    Locrian VII (diminished) H W W H W W W Play C Locrian (B-B)

    The Greek Modes - Compared to the Major Scale
    Ionian I (regular major) I II III IV V VI VII
    Dorian II (blues minor) I II bIII IV V VI bVII
    Phrygian III (spanish minor) I bII bIII IV V bVI bVII
    Lydian IV (jazz major) I II III #IV V VI VII
    Mixolydian V (dominant major) I II III IV V VI bVII
    Aeolian VI (pure minor) I II bIII IV V bVI bVII
    Locrian VII (diminished) I bII bIII IV bV bVI bVII

    Two examples of scales used more commonly in popular music, along with the major scale, are the pentatonic, five notes to the tonic, and the harmonic minor, the minor scale with a #VII (normally flattened in the minor scale) used commonly to form chords, are shown below in terms of the major scale.

    Pentatonic I bIII IV V bVII Play in G (repeated) Stop
    Harmonic Minor I II bIII IV V bVI VII Play in G

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