Questions tagged [scales]
For questions about playing, understanding, or studying scales.
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Do added-tone chords change depending on the key?
I'm so confused. I have three questions.
1. Is the added tone (or note) counted from the tonic of a key or the root note of the chord?
2. Since, with the same scale degree, a note changes depending on ...
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What is between a Major Key and a Minor Key? (keys with a neutral third)
I know the 2 main types of keys are major and minor, but is there a 3rd type of key? (Diminished keys would be extra-minor keys; so, that is not what I am searching for.)
I’m looking for keys with a ...
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Why is it the C Major scale that is played without accidentals, instead of A [duplicate]
Why is it C's Major scale that comes without accidentals instead of A?
The C Major scale is played C D E F G A B C
The C chromatic scale is played C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C
Why was it decided ...
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Brahms Concerto Piano 1 Rondo : Hungarian Gypsy scale?
Piano part, Measures 136-139 (in Breitkopf's) - Pollini playing
A/ Can I understand the right hand part as based on an Hungarian Gypsy scale ?
B/ Are there any functional ? harmonic ? logical ? ...
CommunityBot
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Intervals or scale degrees?
A couple people were saying in a previous post, how for ear training one should think in scale degrees and not intervals. So if I'm on the note E and I want to get to the note G, then I shouldn't ...
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Two categories of scales
There are scales like C-Major or Eb harmonic Minor or A-octatonic or G# Mixo(#11) or E-acoustic. Heck, what not, a plenty of scales actually, more you could imagine to be listed here.
And there are ...
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Why are all legato practices about 3 notes per string?
Is it normal if I practice legato on 5 positions major, minor scale?
The thing I notice practicing legato with 5 positions scale is harder to keep tracking on metronome, since some string only has two ...
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How to find the parent scale (prime form?) for a group of sibling modes?
Reminder: I know just enough theory to be really annoying. this is everything I know about it. so far.
I've calculated all the possible modes and recently learned they all have names but what eludes ...
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What are the modes derived from the C major scale?
I'd like for someone to explain the 7 modes derived from the C major scale.
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When to use Blues scales in jazz
I looked it up and found that the key shows you what blues to use during solos. But I find songs with a key of C but using A blues. Does this mean the key doesn't show when to use specific blues ...
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How do I use moveable solfege to play songs by ear? [duplicate]
I've been told solfege will help me play a melody by ear and have been learning about it.
One thing that really confuses me, is do I approach it by using intervals to remake the song? For example when ...
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When was the term "scale degree" coined? Or where did it originate?
Today is the first time I've heard the term "scale degree". When was the term coined? Or where did it originate?
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Why does F# minor chord fit A minor key
Playing the guitar I noticed a really cool sounding, kind of mysterious progression, which looks like this
A minor -> C major -> F# minor -> F major
The F# minor creates some tension which ...
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How to know what scale to use for filler licks in a chord progression?
I learned about secondary dominants recently, and I found that this particular progression in the key of C major sounds quite nice:
C - E7 - Am
I - V/vi - vi
I am playing it in the following voicings:
...
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Different meanings of "third"?
Third can refer to:
an interval (major or minor third)
the pitch class that is one third away from the tonic
the third scale degree
In case of the meaning 2., the pitch class that is one third away ...
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How do I make different sounds using modes when I'm using the same chords that I'm building the modes off? [duplicate]
People keep saying use modes to get a different sound. How can you get a different sound from modes when they use the same chords from whichever you built the modes off, doesn't really matter if it's ...
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What are the differences between natural major, harmonic major and melodic major scales?
The natural major scale on C has the notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B. What is the difference between natural major, harmonic major, and melodic major scales. What notes of the natural major are changed in ...
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What would using only one Solmization(Solfège) syllable to sing the lyrics to a song be called?
For example, if one were to sing la or al (or other 1 consonant and 1 syllable combinations) to replace every morpheme of the words in a song. Is there a name for that idea, or is the closest thing ...
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A minor scale definition: am I missing something?
I've recently had a discussion with a woman, let's call her Jane, who maintained that the A minor scale features G# rather than a natural G. According to her, the scale goes A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A. ...
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Does changing the music's key change the feeling? [duplicate]
If I write a major scale in the key of A, is there any difference if I write that major scale but change the key to F or G or B or F♯? In other words, are there any differences between different keys ...
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Is a minor key based on the natural minor scale or all 3 minor scales?
I am finding very different answers from various sources online regarding this topic.
Some say that the minor key is based on the natural minor scale, but harmonic and melodic minor can be used too.
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Confused about the natural symbol (♮) and the omnipresence of the C major scale in music theory
Something is confusing me in our use of accidentals in modern music theory, and more particularly about the use of the natural symbol ♮.
It is not always easy to formulate accurately a mess of ...
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Minor third interval in minor scales: From tonic to?
Major scales have a major third interval from the tonic of the scale to the 3rd scale degree.
I would expect the same to be true in minor with a minor third interval but, for example, in the ...
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What is the name of this musical scale: E, F, G, G#, B, C#, D?
What is the name of this scale? As far as a root note goes, I think these three arrangements of it sound like they have a root.
E, F, G, G#, B, C#, D...
D, E, F, G, G#, B, C#...
B, C#, D, E, F, G, G#....
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How should I comprehend Modal Mixture?
I’m studying the concept of modal mixture and there’s one thing that I immediately got curious about.
Supposedly, the majority of POP music (rock, hip hop, r&b, country, etc) is a mixture of Major ...
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How to notate altered diatonic scales (in this case Mixolydian ♭6)? [duplicate]
If I am notating a piece that's in [mostly] a C Mixolydian ♭6 scale (B♭ and A♭), what approach to notation would be most easily read?
Notate everything in a non-standard key signature, B♭, E♮, and A♭...
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Fumbling scales in spite of practice and experience
I am about a month and a half away from the grade 8 piano exam. I am 43 and have been playing since I was 16. I practice the scales every day in all of the ways recommended by my teacher and online ...
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Why does a guitar scale shape have more than 7 notes?
As the title suggests, I wonder the number of notes in a scale shape on guitar.
Let's take the G major scale in 2 octaves: G A B C D E F# G A B C D E F# G, there are 15 notes. I found that in many ...
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Does Major and Minor only apply to Diatonic Scales or any Scale?
We all know that when we say major or minor scale that we are referring to the diatonic major and minor scale.
But I recently found out that there's also a pentatonic major and minor scale.
I was ...
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How many notes does it take to state the key? To Have "Tonality"?
I'm referring to "tonal dominant function" as this gentleman is talking about in this video.
How many notes in a "melody" do you need to state the ...
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Purpose of ascending and descending scales?
I understand that ascending scales go from a lower pitch class up to the next pitch class with the same letter name. For example, C to C'. For descending scales it is the reverse.
What I don't get is ...
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Help in Understanding Modes
Just wanted some clarification and guidance in my attempt to understand the use of modes. I am a bass player involved in playing pop, rock, alt and indie genres; I am not a Jazz/Bebop bassist. My ...
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Why is there no fourth minor scale with a natural 6 and a flat 7?
These scales are considered the minor scales:
natural: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
harmonic: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
melodic: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 (ascending)
However, this scale:
4th min: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 ...
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Do the notes in a scale project a specific feeling, or personality? [closed]
Has anyone tried to describe the "feel" that the various notes in a scale have? For instance, in any scale, the tonic, root, or 1st degree, could be described as something like calm, ...
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Hexachordal solmization and the melodic minor scale
How does one sign an ascending melodic minor scale using hexachordal solmization?
Here is an example, it's the famous Bourreé by Bach, from the Suite in E minor, BWV 996:
We know that Bach used this ...
Dom♦
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Can accidentals be seen as a temporary change in scale?
Just wondering if accidentals in music can be seen as a temporary change in scale. There's a lot of scales that have just one note difference, so they sound good when they're interchanged temporarily. ...
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Why is minor blues called "minor" when it has notes from the major scale?
I have actually been tuning a Bangla language song strictly on B Minor Blues notes so far both the melody and the chords are concerned. I'm done with the tune now. All the minor blues songs I listen ...
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Automatic note splitting - missed stems
Why are some stems missing?
\version "2.22.1"
\include "changePitch.ly"
nl = \break
chord_a = \relative c''' {<e gis c>}
chord_b = \relative c'' {<fis b d>}
root = {...
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History of Tetrachords [duplicate]
I posted a similar question not too long ago and it was suggested that I look into tetrachords and I quickly understood why, but now I have questions about tetrachords.
For what reason are diatonic ...
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How did tetrachords become whole and half steps?
How did the ancient Greek concept of tetrachords evolve into the whole- and half-step model familiar today?
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Why did the ancient Greeks choose tetrachords?
Why did the ancient Greeks choose tetrachords as the basis for their musical theory rather than some other structure?
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I’m looking for information/references on how we developed the Major Mode (Scale/Key) [closed]
As the title says, I’m looking for some information on the history of how the Major Mode (Scale,Key) was developed/designed. I already know a little bit, that is, I am not completely new to the topic, ...
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Do scales need to be in alphabetical order?
If we take out the sharps and flats, I'm wondering if all scales need to be in alphabetical order in terms of their letters: A,B,C,D,E,F,G where 'A' comes after 'G'.
also..
no repeating notes: A,A#,B,...
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What is the name of a scale starting on D and containing D, F, G and Ab
What is the name of a scale starting on D and containing D, F, G and Ab? Only these four notes are used in the melody.
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What are the greek modes, and how do they differ from modern modes?
This Question might be TwoFold, based on an uncertainty I have
I understand the construction of traditional Ionian-Locrian modes, and I have read that various notes in the modes have traditionally ...
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Barry Harris missing ninth tone in the (right) major scale
In this talk, starting from 55:35, Barry starts talking about his way of playing the major scale which makes the most sense to him (with the added #5)... He says "the major scale is actually 8th ...
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One tick lower than B flat minor on 48 Bass accordion
I like the B flat minor chord on my 48 Bass accordion.
I play F minor to go up one "tick" (don't know the proper word), but what could I play to go down a tick? There's no A flat minor.
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Parallel heptatonic modes ordered by changing one pitch at a time by half step in circle of fifths order [closed]
The major scale has a property, where we can arrange all of its modes in such a way where consecutive modes differ by only one note which itself only differs by one half step
Locrian
Phrygian
Aeolian
...
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How to use sus2/sus4/add9 in minor key to stay within the key
I understand how to use sus2/sus4 and add9 inn major to keep all notes within the chosen major scale, but how can I use the same chords in a minor key and still stay in key?
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What is this scale: (Bb, C#, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb)
I merged Bb major and D major to see what comes up. The scale has the notes: Bb, C#, D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb.
What scale is this?
Can I have chords in this scale?
Let me know!
Notation for the scale:
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