A sequence of musical notes in ascending or descending order of pitch belonging to a single key within the compass of one octave.
56
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9answers
3k views
Why do minor keys sound “sad”?
Oftentimes major keys are called "happy" and minor keys are "sad". Why is this? Is it universal across cultures that use these scales? Do similar connotations exist in other scale systems?
(If this ...
33
votes
11answers
761 views
I need help getting out of my scalar rut.
I'm a well versed and experienced guitarist. I have a decent sense for rhythm and melody, but I have a VERY hard time with soloing. I know you've heard it all before.. I'm one of those guys that got ...
29
votes
4answers
1k views
Why are there twelve notes in an octave?
I know that one scale consists of 12 half-tones. But my question is still: Why? Why not 13 or 11?
23
votes
8answers
1k views
Key signature for writing in modes other than major and minor
I have trouble deciding what accidentals to put in the key signature for pieces in dorian, phrygian, lydian or mixolydian modes. There seem to be tradeoffs associated with each choice.
For example, ...
18
votes
3answers
782 views
What's so special about minor and major scales?
background: I'm an amateur and self-learner pianist. What I know, I know from books or google, so I'll start with summarising what I already know - please don't hesitate to correct me if I have ...
16
votes
5answers
4k views
What does it mean to write a song in a certain key?
I have been searching for a while to try to correctly understand this.
What exactly does it mean if for example a song is written in C Major? Does it mean the song's notes cannot contain any sharps ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
Is it possible to write a song without a key?
"This song is in F Major", "That song is in A Minor", "This song is in D Minor, but modulates to F Major in the middle", etc.
Can we say "This song has no key"? Are there songs that have/follow no ...
14
votes
9answers
6k views
Why learn scales? What are they for?
I tried Googling but it seems there is no answer for this one. So the internet assumes everyone knows what scales are for? Why should I learn them? Are they important to be a good guitarist?
14
votes
7answers
415 views
Where should I go to learn about non-Western scales (particularly Turkish & Greek)
Apart from Turkey and Greece, I mean.
I'm looking for fairly abstract musicological and comparative descriptions, not "how to play"-style information. Particularly interested in departures from the ...
13
votes
5answers
366 views
The major scale - why and how?
background: I am an amateur guitarist. I was trained in Indian classical music as a kid. Most of what I know in music theory is from books or Google. So please feel free to correct me or tell me if ...
13
votes
1answer
207 views
Is this piece of renaissance music really in the locrian mode?
A fifteenth-century dance manual contains this piece of music:
which appears to be (uncharacteristically) in the locrian mode. Is it really, or am I mis-reading? Does anybody know of other music ...
13
votes
1answer
1k views
Differences between the concept of Scales , Raagas, and Thaaths?
Western music has Scales (major, minor, etc.) while Eastern Music primarily has a large number of Raagas derived from some basic Taaths. Both these groups represent sets of notes on which actual song ...
12
votes
2answers
992 views
What scale is this? [closed]
This is a very minor question, but I'm trying to learn a piece (a Bach Concerto in D minor) that has the following sequence of notes played in order:
A B C# D E F G A
My piano teacher said it was a ...
12
votes
4answers
195 views
What are modes and how are they useful?
I'm a self-taught guitarist with zero to little experience in music theory. After marrying a violinist I found that there's a lot to music theory that I know tribally but don't understand the ...
12
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the importance of practicing scales on piano, and the proper fingering of them?
First of all I want to point out that I practice scales a lot and even enjoy it.
I just don't know why they are so important, as this site says for example:
"Proper fingering of the scales on the ...
11
votes
5answers
8k views
What is the first scale one should learn on guitar
The title really sums it all up but I'll try expand it slightly. Lets say I'm learning guitar and would like to improve my guitar work. Which of the scales should I learn first and why?
11
votes
4answers
447 views
Algorithms for music composition
I'm a beginner in music but I also like to fool around with simple computer programs . So I found a little python library to generate MIDI files . So what I do now is that I have a few rhythm ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
Why are the white and black keys on the piano placed the way they are?
I am pretty convinced it is not just for historical reasons.
I have found a mathematically-sound explanation of the twelve-tone musical scale, thanks to this question. Does anyone know a similar, ...
10
votes
7answers
402 views
How to figure out what key a piece is in?
I am trying to write a guitar accompaniment to the piece "Fair and Tender Ladies".
But I have no clue what I need to do to figure out what key that piece is in.
Also, the instrument playing the ...
10
votes
4answers
763 views
What are the characteristic scales, keys, intervals, progressions, etc. of pirate / sailing / nautical music?
Title pretty much says it. I am barely an armchair composer, but I would like to try my hand at some game music that requires some nautical theming. It seems to me that penny whistles and a celtic ...
10
votes
4answers
597 views
With sheet music, how do you determine whether the song is in the major key or the minor key?
For example, if the key signature on the left doesn't have any sharps or flats then it could theoretically be in either the C Major scale or the A Minor scale. How do you determine which one?
9
votes
8answers
1k views
What is the difference between a mode and a scale?
I can't seem to find a straight definition for both.
8
votes
2answers
185 views
The differences between natural, harmonic and melodic minors
I'm studying scales and came across the natural, harmonic, and melodic minors. I understand the patterns for each scale but what other important differences exist between the three?
8
votes
2answers
406 views
Scale modification in sus2 and sus4 chords
I've recently been looking at what makes chords what, and hence my first target for this was looking at major, minor, sus2, and sus4 chords. I know major chords are made up of the first, the third, ...
8
votes
4answers
449 views
What is an atonal mode?
I got an album by Ornette Coleman and Pat Methany, "X", and on the linear notes it talks about atonal experiments within the song structures. Are there scales and chord progressions that go along with ...
8
votes
2answers
175 views
Can I play `A scale` song on a `C scale` harmonica?
Here is how to play a C scale on a harmonica. But I found a song which is in the A scale. So, is this possible: to play the A scale song on the same harmonica? If so, What would the table look like? ...
8
votes
2answers
162 views
Was the pitch A given that letter because the minor key was originally the “basic” mode?
It's something that's puzzled me; The key that has no sharps and no flats, in essence the "basic" key, is C Major. Well, fine, but why C? Why not label that key and note A, if it's the foundation of ...
7
votes
4answers
417 views
Is G sharp major a real key?
I'm mostly self-taught, so I don't know much in the way of theory beyond the basics. I have heard of G sharp Major a few times. I believe a scale in the key goes as such: G♯, A♯, B♯, C♯, D♯, E♯, Fx, ...
7
votes
4answers
339 views
Singing notes while playing scales
I've heard, that singing or humming notes while playing scales or arpeggios is good for you. Is that so? In what way? If I am not a singer, why should I be singing the notes?
7
votes
5answers
164 views
Resources for learning the Blues
Can anyone recommend any good resources (books or online) for learning the Blues on the guitar? Scales and theory is what I am looking for.
7
votes
5answers
519 views
What is the proper way to play A-Flat scales on piano?
Consider four cases:
A-flat major
A-flat (natural) minor
A-flat melodic minor
A-flat harmonic minor
I start them with the third finger on the A-flat key (both hands), but I have no idea how a ...
7
votes
5answers
447 views
Guitar scales further up the fret board.
I'm hoping someone can help me, i've been playing guitar for a while and mostly kept myself confined to chords/rythm, but now I want to explore some lead styles to add to my skills.
So I began with ...
7
votes
3answers
436 views
What is a chromatic scale?
I notice that the blues scale usues notes that don't fit into the regular pentatonic scale, is there an entire scale that icorporates this method?
7
votes
1answer
804 views
Where can I find jazz piano scales to practice?
I played the piano for years classically when I was younger, but eventually left it alone in my late teens and twenties. I probably wouldn't have if I'd been allowed to do more Jazz as I always wanted ...
7
votes
3answers
445 views
Why does this key change work?
In the song 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin which is a fairly simple progression in Bb major the saxophone solo part of the song seems to make a key change to the key of Em. I don't understand why this ...
6
votes
3answers
209 views
On a piano scale what is considered “middle C”?
I'm learning to play the piano and I'm slightly confused after reading this:
http://pianoscale.org/scales/root/c/major/
Is the 1st note in the treble clef the same as the 8th notes in the bass ...
6
votes
2answers
130 views
Converting to harmonic and melodic minor
Is this correct?
In converting from major to harmonic minor of the same root (not the relative minor (with the same key signature)), flatten the 3rd and 6th.
In converting from major to ...
6
votes
2answers
163 views
Scale from Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
In Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 by Liszt from John Thompson's Grade 3 (the key singanture is Cm) there is the following scale + 2 following notes:
D E F# G A Bb C D Eb F#
Is there a name for this ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Logical way to learn movable scales on guitar?
After learning the CAGED 'open string' scales, what scales to do next? In what order or what way? When I learn a new scale, it seems to have the effect of displacing my ability to play other scales ...
5
votes
4answers
3k views
What scales are suitable for funk? Is there a funk scale?
I hope this question isn't too "noob"-ish for you guys (but hey I've gotta start somewhere).
What scales are suitable for funk?
Is there a funk scale, akin to the blues scale?
I'm pretty sure the ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
How do you compose using the chromatic scale?
Writting a piece of music using the chromatic scale would be interesting, but I can't think of a way to start it? What kind of structure would a piece have? Is it all subjective and up to the composer ...
5
votes
3answers
572 views
Scales, modes, techniques for writing “Super Mario” style music
I'm looking for a push in the right direction as to how to go about writing Super Mario type video game themes. What scales/modes work best, time signatures, etc...
Examples of where I'm trying to ...
5
votes
4answers
740 views
Why does the Dorian mode on C have two flats?
I'm studying scale modes and I just found on Wikipedia that the Dorian mode on C has two flats...
Why is this? Because the Dorian mode is just the major scale (Ionian) starting from the second ...
5
votes
3answers
976 views
What is a good solo to learn in the Dorian mode?
I understand that Dorian is a commonly used mode in rock. I am starting to play / improvise in the mode and would like to learn some guitar solos that are good examples of this scale so that I see how ...
5
votes
1answer
171 views
What are the names of these scales? [closed]
I noticed recently that quite a few Jewish songs (e.g. Havah Nagila) tended to use certain scales. I thought they were normal minor scales, but then I played them on the piano and noticed that the ...
5
votes
3answers
464 views
Is it acceptable to move hand position while practicing scales on guitar?
I was reading through the answers posted here, and I liked the idea of playing with the "finger per fret" method, but it's not always applicable. For instance I was practicing the Fmaj scale last ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
What is a good guitar solo to learn in the minor scale?
I am starting to play and improvise in the minor scale, and I would like to learn some guitar solos that are good examples of this scale so that I see how other people use it. What are some famous ...
5
votes
3answers
78 views
Permuations or scales for building up speed
I'm currently trying to build up some speed and accuracy in my technique, and I was told a while back that a great way to do this was to play fingering permutations to a metrenome. Has anyone had any ...
5
votes
1answer
119 views
Why does the minor pentatonic scale sounds “oriental” to me?
I've been training my minor pentatonic scale on guitar for a while (mostly playing it in A with the first position) and it always sounded somewhat oriental to me, in the sense of the musical airs ...
5
votes
2answers
444 views
Why do the notes of a blues scale sound good with the I, IV, and V chords?
If you are playing the blues in the key of C, any note in the blues key of C should sound good in the melody with either of the C, F or G (I, IV or V) major chords in the bass.
Why is this and how do ...
