Questions tagged [scales]
For questions about playing, understanding, or studying scales.
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Understanding minor key harmony
A comment discussion under this question from me, clued me in to the fact that I don't really understand how minor keys work very well. So here is what I think I know
The natural minor comes from the ...
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Why do notes have multiple names?
I've seen the same note called different names for example the note F# can also be written as Gb. Why is this the case and are there times to use one name over another?
Dom♦
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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?
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When is a piece in A minor versus C major?
When would you say a piece, or a movement in a symphony, is in A minor versus C major? They both use the same notes on the scale... what would indicate that the piece is in A minor?
Let's take an ...
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Difference between keys and scales?
I am a Tabla (a North Indian percussion instrument) player and I am trying to learn the western music theory. My study was going well until I stumbled upon keys and scales. Now though I know what ...
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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 ...
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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 I'...
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What is the difference between a mode and a scale?
I can't seem to find a straight definition for both.
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Why do minor keys sound “sad”? [closed]
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 ...
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Do modes exist in the harmonic / melodic minor scales?
I'm trying to get my head around modes and the tonal center.
In my understanding the natural minor scale is the same as the Aeolian mode.
However, when considering the mix-up that happens in the ...
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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 ...
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What fingerings are used for the minor and major blues scales?
It's my understanding that for the diatonic scales, there's a consensus of which fingerings are optimal for most people. They are not a hard rule, some pianists use other fingerings, but they are ...
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Why does the scale have seven (or five) notes? Why not six?
I'm a programmer by trade, and I have always felt that music was arbitrarily difficult. Please forgive my inexperience with musical notation. I had a little thought experiment with my wife today, and ...
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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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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 note, ...
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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, G♯...
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Why do modes sound so different, although they are basically the same as a mode of another scale?
I know my question sounds a little bit confusing, hence I don't have any idea how I could google that.
Soo for example: a G Major Mixolydian scale has the exact same notes as the C Major Ionian scale....
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Ways to get out of a 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 ...
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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?
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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?
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Exactly what does "diatonic" mean?
Is the meaning very context dependent, or can it be defined in general terms? Does the meaning change by author or period?
Sometimes it's used to refer to anything that stays within a specific tonal ...
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Exact pitch of blues scale notes
Wikipedia gives multiple candidate definitions for the blues scale.
A musician showed me how to play blues e.g. in C by smudging say Eb and E.
The actual note lies somewhere between. But where? ...
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How to make a song with chords and scales?
I play acoustic guitar and have been learning a bunch of chords and scales. I can play many progressions already, and I am starting to write music.
I am wondering how you would bridge chord ...
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Does this progression through the modes have a name?
I discovered that if I play a major scale, i.e. Ionian mode, then move through the modes with the same root note in the following order:
Ionian
Mixolydian
Dorian
Aolian
Phrygian
Locrian
At this ...
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What is the theory behind scales?
My question is the following:
Scales are The backbone of quite everything in western music.
Does anybody know if there is some sort of backbone behind scales?
A number, something like that?
Or do some ...
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How to make melodies effectively?
Are there any tricks that help make melodies besides just experimenting until you find something that sounds nice?
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Is there a name for a minor scale with a raised 3rd or a major scale with a lowered 6th and 7th?
I've noticed a pattern in chord progressions and melodies where I like to use the b7 and b6 chords with a major tonic and there are several modern songs that like to use this pattern as seen in a ...
Dom♦
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Why are the harmonic and melodic minor scales called what they are?
Does the harmonic minor have something to do with harmony, and does the melodic minor have something to do with melody? I searched this question on Google and nothing came up.
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What are the degrees of a pentatonic scale called?
Given the ideas that:
Diatonic Scales have the scale degree names tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, & leading. These correspond to the 1st through the 7th degree ...
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Cadences for Modes
For each of the modes, is there a certain chord that goes before the targeted I or i chord? For instance, it seems in the Phrygian mode that II to i is a quite strong progression. In Ionian, obviously ...
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Are intervals like major 3rd, minor 3rd, and major 2nd all based on the scales, or are they based on how many semitones they have?
Are intervals like major 3rd, minor 3rd, and major 2nd all based on the scales, or are they based on how many semitones they have?
I ask this question because if I play the C major scale, and I ...
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Why is a C7 chord named a dominant seventh chord?
I understand that a C7 chord contains a flattened 7th note in the C major scale, but what specifically makes this a dominant 7th chord? To me there is nothing 'dominant' about taking a note out of ...
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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 trade-offs associated with each choice.
For example, ...
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Are sharp keys "bright" and flat keys "dark"?
I was reading this book and on the "Circle of Fifths" chapter, it claims that keys with sharp key signatures (C, G, D, ...) are "often thought by musicians" to be "bright"...
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Is F Lydian mode in the "key" of C Major?
In most cases (if not all), a piece of music without sharps or flats in the key signature, would be considered in the key of C major or A minor. This question assumes the context of Western Music ...
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How come songs in a certain key play notes not in that key
I just started trying to learn about music theory as I'm learning to play the guitar. So as beginner's do I looked up a list of easy songs to play and I start learning away. Since I'm also trying to ...
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What is this scale? [Root , +1 , +3 , +1 , +2 , +1 , +3 , +1]
Intervals (relative to previous note):
Root , +1 , +3 , +1 , +2 , +1 , +3 , +1 (Root again)
Example:
A, Bb, C#, D, E, F, G#
This scale is used often in Turkish Music. But I don't know if it has a ...
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What are the pentatonic scale fingerings for piano?
What is the most common fingering for the pentatonic scale? Minor and major. All of them. I don't know about standards; there are lots of different fingerings you could use. I would like to know what ...
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Is there a simple way to transpose a song from one key to another? What is the methodology?
What is a simple way to accomplish transposing a song from one key to another key?
In other words if I am looking at a song written in the key of C and can't sing it in that key and I want to ...
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Scale, Heptatonic Scale, Diatonic Scale, Major Scale
A scale with 7 notes, in an octave, is called a Heptatonic Scales.
Heptatonic scales are further divided based on tone and semitones arrangements.
If a Heptatonic scale have five tones and two ...
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Solfege - Fixed Do versus Movable Do
Having used movable do for a long time, I'm now in a country where fixed do is the norm. I'm looking for advantages/disadvantages of one over the other.
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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 ...
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What is the difference between equivalent Flat and Sharp keys as far as musical notation? Are there any reasons to prefer one over the other?
I wrote a song in Db Major, but I could also notated that it would be equivalent to say C# Major as well. I am not well versed in musical theory and I think both are equivalent to each other and ...
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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?
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Why do the notes of Melodic-Minor Scale change when you play it in descending order?
Okay I'll admit, I don't know everything about music theory but I was pretty sure that any given diatonic (7 note) scale contained particular notes that defined the scale and were unique to the scale ...
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What can I do about my problems with piano scales which manifest in just one direction?
I've been practicing scales for some time now, and I found them mostly easy and fun to play. The problems begin when I have to play them faster, but oddly enough my problem manifests only when playing ...
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Can a scale contain both a sharp and a flat note?
So, the question should say it all, but for example:
The G minor scale (G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G)
To change this into the G harmonic minor scale, I would need to raise the seventh note a ...
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Expand Bass Guitar Playing Beyond Root Notes
I am fairly new to the bass guitar and I'm in a band. So far, I almost always just play the root note of the chord. I sometimes hold it until a new chord and sometimes repeatedly play this same note....
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How would you describe F G A chord progression?
I like the sound of F G A chords progression on a guitar, three major bar chords.
Do these chords fit any scale? Am with an added 3 in it? Does it make it a 6-7-1 progression?
When I solo over this ...
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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 ...
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