Questions tagged [scales]
For questions about playing, understanding, or studying scales.
890
questions
2
votes
1answer
263 views
Fingering for Eb Major in double thirds (piano)
I have seen a fingering for the Eb Major scale in double thirds where, in the RH, 35 is used for Ab,C is followed by 24 for Bb,D, but only when going upwards. At first it seems better than using 13 ...
5
votes
1answer
265 views
What are the notes on this instrument? [duplicate]
I happen to have what I believe is called a bansuri. It seems to be of Chinese or Indian origin from what I can find out on Google, but I don't seem to be able to find note equivalents for it in a ...
-3
votes
1answer
114 views
Is the “sad” side of a major scale the relative or parallel minor? [closed]
I know that whenever anybody talks about happy/sad it gets downvoted. But please hear me out.
I think that major/minor is so prevalent because as humans we tend to always be in a shifting state of ...
6
votes
3answers
172 views
Mikrokosmos, BB 105, Vol. 1: No. 17 Contrary Motion (1) - Can't understand the structure
Can somebody explain how the harmony works in this piece?
It seems that the right hand plays on C key and the left hand alternates between G and D.
Why when played in opposite direction do the ...
0
votes
1answer
75 views
How to Achieve This Guitar Tone in Guitar Rig [closed]
I found Gorgeous cover song on youtube . i just really like to achieve this tone . in fact i like this tone better than the original one.
Thanks , Much Appreciated.
1
vote
3answers
179 views
Is the ♭VII chord still a dominant chord in the natural minor scale? [duplicate]
If I have the progression Cm > Ab > Bb > Cm from the C natural minor scale, does the Bb chord still work as a dominant chord as it would in Eb major? I know that in the minor scale, ...
2
votes
2answers
264 views
why is it harder to solo using a diatonic scale than a pentatonic scale? [closed]
I learned my pentatonic shapes and I can do some solos with them, not so good yet, but improving. I now learned the major diatonic shapes and I find it harder to solo with them, is it because of the ...
3
votes
2answers
290 views
“Scale in thirds” vs “scales a third apart” - what is the difference?
I was just browsing through ABRSM syllabus and found two different things, as mentioned in the title.
What is the difference?
The syllabus is here: https://in.abrsm.org/fileadmin/user_upload/PDFs/...
0
votes
4answers
107 views
Why when playing 12 bar blues why does the min7th note seem to set up the change to the 4th chord
When playing a 12 bar blues progression, playing a min7th note over the I chord seems to naturally set up the change to the IV chord. Why is this?
For example: in the key of A, it sounds good to ...
1
vote
0answers
142 views
Clichéd Chinese Pentascale?
Oftentimes when a movie is expressing Asian culture, the first five notes of a pentatonic scale (usually in CM) plays in the background, sometimes preceded by a gong. I am wondering why this is and as ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
Audio Tracks and Scales [closed]
I am writing, because I would like to know if you might be in a position to help me with the following: I am trying to find audio recordings of things like the major and minor guitar scales that I may ...
4
votes
5answers
3k views
Why is C# in the D Major Scale?
So far in my music learning journey I've been quite happy with the Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half tone construction of major scales. That is until I came across the D Major Scale. D E F#...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Is Nirvana's 'Aero Zeppelin' intro in Locrian mode?
The song 'Aero Zeppelin' by Nirvana (see here for Youtube video link) begins with a calmer introduction that has a 'creepy' feeling, due to the occurrence of the tritone. I have tried to analyse the ...
6
votes
3answers
263 views
Pentatonic, hexatonic, heptatonic, octatonic… what is a 12 tone scale called?
Pentatonic, hexatonic, heptatonic, octatonic... what is a 12 tone scale called?
This seems like a dumb question. I know it's just called the chromatic scale, but isn't there a ______-tonic name?
I ...
0
votes
3answers
176 views
What is the scale of A # Minor / B flat minor? What does it look like in tab? [closed]
What is the Guitar chord - lead scale of A# Minor / B flat minor? I'd like to see what this scale looks like in tablature.
How do I play it?
2
votes
1answer
182 views
Play D Scale Tune on A Scale Bansuri
Please confirm if it is possible to play D scale tune on A scale Bansuri, i.e convert
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni
to
Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa Re Ga
According to this, it will work for Chinese bamboo flute, ...
4
votes
1answer
157 views
When did the aeolian mode change to the harmonic minor?
Looking for explaining the "transformation" of the minor 7th to a major seventh I found this question by Bart Brush in a Choral net forum.
He asks about the modality of folk songs in the oral ...
1
vote
2answers
73 views
Does this song use melodic minor or harmonic minor?
The song below was on a past IB Music Diploma Programme listening paper. The markscheme says that it uses melodic minor. I hear a raised 7th, particularly in the vocal, but I don't hear a raised 6th......
2
votes
3answers
179 views
Whole-step technique for figuring out jazz scales?
I was watching a tutorial on how this guy finds scales to play on top of jazz chords. And I was wondering if this a good method to use, and if not how do I know which scales to improvise on chords. Do ...
1
vote
3answers
196 views
Can I borrow chords from Harmonic minor?(Modal Interchange)
I know when using modal interchange I can borrow chords from any of the 7 parallel modes of the major scale. But I'm wondering if it's okay to use chords from scales other than the standard 7 modes.
...
15
votes
4answers
3k views
Why are both D and D# fitting into my E minor key?
I tried to look around for an answer to this problem but don't know how to ask the proper question in a search engine. I've been working on a song and realized recently that while I had been working ...
20
votes
2answers
1k views
How did the audience guess the pentatonic scale in Bobby McFerrin's presentation?
The video below is entitled "The Power of the Pentatonic Scale". And from the video you'd think that people are inherently tuned to the pentatonic scale. But I was wondering if they're really ...
2
votes
4answers
363 views
Can each chord in a progression create its own key?
Say I have a chord progression in C major:
I V vi
C G Am
When I play each of these chords can I potentially play the scale of each chord over it? So for C I'd play C major, for G I'd play G major, ...
8
votes
7answers
5k views
Is the CAGED system the main way for learning the guitar's fretboard?
Just curious if there's alternatives to the CAGED system? I've googled but most alternatives aren't nearly as popular, 3NPS is one of them. So is CAGED the main way to go about learning fretboard ...
2
votes
1answer
177 views
I’m learning Oscar Peterson’s Jazz Exercise #2 in G and would like to know the scales used across the last 12 bars?
What is the theory behind cord and harmony relationship? For the bars at the top of the page?
5
votes
1answer
930 views
Is it true that “The augmented fourth (A4) and the diminished fifth (d5) are the only aug and dim intervals that appear in diatonic scales”
According to a source that I found, A4 & d5 are 2 types of tritones, and there are 1 or 2 tritones in a diatonic scale, depending on the definition. I cannot see how A4 and d5 are the only 2 ...
3
votes
1answer
62 views
What Key And Scale Is This? [closed]
In relation to the final statement of the principal theme in Kodaly's Dance Of Galanta below, can anyone tell me?
What key is this? The 2 naturals seem to cancel out the previous key signature of D ...
3
votes
6answers
1k views
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,...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
confused by pitch sources/scales [closed]
I am hoping someone can unpack some ideas for me, which I have never encountered. Or, if you could point me in the direction of some background reading, that would be helpful as well.
I am confused ...
2
votes
3answers
280 views
Analysis: How to determine what scale/mode a score uses
I'm learning music theory with the hopes of being able to analyze sheet music.
My question is -- What if the piece I am analyzing is in some other mode than major or minor? Or even stranger, like ...
5
votes
3answers
382 views
Different harmonic changes implied by a simple descending scale
This is a question that readers may find confusing. It is a bit confusing to me too, but I'll try to explain and illustrate it as best as I can.
What are the harmonic functions (in terms of Roman-...
1
vote
3answers
88 views
Are these notes with accidentals chromatic?
I'm having some difficulty deciding which notes with accidentals are considered as chromatic, and was wondering if someone could confirm/deny my assumptions about notes in the attached notation of ...
13
votes
1answer
174 views
How accurate are 12TET approximations of Japanese scales?
Is it possible on normal European instruments to play Japanese scales like the Hirajōshi, Insen, In, Ryo, etc, without retuning? If I do have to retune, where can I find out which exact intervals are ...
2
votes
2answers
66 views
Is there a theory of scale origin based on “filling in” tones between the tones of the “chord of nature?”
From Wikipedia: Chord of Nature
Generating a scale from "filling in" the chord of nature would visually look like...
CHORD OF NATURE C E G C
| | | ...
3
votes
1answer
113 views
What is a whole tone scale?
What is exactly the concept of the "whole tone scale"? Is it a scale of C - D - E - F♯ - G♯ - A♯ - C, made of only M2s and a d3?
0
votes
1answer
115 views
Locrian mode is not part of standard usage?
I got this answer on one of my questions:
The Locrian mode is mostly a music theory concept in western music
history, and it is very rarely used for music pieces that use western
harmony, but ...
1
vote
3answers
774 views
Piano - Playing scales efficiently
I have just started playing the piano, enjoy playing scales on it. When I play a scale one handed (C major for example), after I finish playing the note with my pinky finger, I have to lift my hand up ...
2
votes
3answers
79 views
Chromatic note between fourth and fifth degree of the minor scale?
In the first 5 notes of the natural minor scale: C D Eb F G
I often see people add a chromatic note (Gb/F#) between the 4 and 5 degrees of the scale:
so C D Eb F Gb G. Here's one example at 0:22 but ...
2
votes
2answers
270 views
Root notes different on bass [closed]
I'm a beginner on both piano and bass and having some weird issue when trying to play scales. I was playing A flat major pentatonic on the piano but when I tried that on the bass it sounds wrong but E ...
3
votes
1answer
80 views
Bansuri 1/2 open Ma vs full open Ma
In Bansuri notation, Ma is half open or fully open.
Which octave is half open Ma located and which octave is full open Ma located.
Or is full open Ma a special case?
Different places tell different ...
1
vote
1answer
190 views
In What Order to Practice Holding Notes on Bansuri
At the start of Bansuri practice, I try to blow each note and hold as long as possible. I do this 6 times per note, i.e. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni SA
But now I realize there are three octaves in Bansuri
...
0
votes
3answers
263 views
Are Secondary Dominants related to Chord-Scales? [closed]
This is in relation to my last question about chord-scales. I was wondering if secondary dominants enable an application of chord-scale theory that would allow me to expand an existing chord ...
2
votes
1answer
89 views
How would one interpret this simple chord progression? and what scales to use for improvisation?
So, I come across this progression fairly often:
e.g: G - A - C
I was wondering if this progression has a name since its used often in pop songs.
I interpret it as V - VImajor - I.
Scales to use ...
4
votes
5answers
294 views
How to turn each chord in a progression into separate scales?
I was jamming with some jazz guys yet I'm not so good in jazz so I made a bunch of mistakes. One of the things they told me is is how inside of a chord progression, you then spread each chord to its ...
2
votes
1answer
57 views
Weird sound playing on an backing track in A
I have a hard time figuring out what is wrong with my playing when trying some impro stuff in blues. I am fairly new to playing guitar on a more serious level now. Just started with blues because I ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
How to interpret Bansuri Scale reading on “Swar Meter”
I downloaded "Swar Meter" and played Sa on my 23" Bansuri that says "A" scale
However, "Swar Meter" consistently measures between "A" and "A#"
I tried same exercise on my 24" Bansuri that says "A" ...
3
votes
2answers
634 views
Are E natural minor and B harmonic minor related?
Came across a chord progress Em C Am B under "Em backing track".
With mention -
Use E minor scale and harmonic minor on B to jam along with it
But Em has following chords -
Em F# G Am Bm C D
...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
Why is it necessary to learn scales? [duplicate]
I am in my middle age, started to learn guitar only 6 months ago. I do not have any career ambition in music instead it's more like a hobby. So far I have managed to learn quite a lot when it comes ...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Why don't key signatures indicate the tonic?
It's always seemed strange to me that key signatures don't indicate the tonic. I feel this has two main drawbacks:
Beginners (and more advanced students, it has to be said!) often find it difficult ...
2
votes
3answers
263 views
Which scales have a major chord built on second note? Which scales have a minor chord built on the seventh note?
Which base scales (base scale meaning not modes) have a major chord built on the second note?
(In which scales is the II chord a major? Is this the proper nomenclature?)
Which scales have a minor ...
