Chapter 2: Scales

Chapter 2: Scales

Scale degrees

· 1st – tonic

· 2nd – supertonic

· 3rd – mediant

· 4th – subdominant

· 5th – dominant

· 6th – submediant

· 7th – leading tone (half step below tonic)

· 7th - subtonic (whole step below tonic as in natural minor scale)

Major Scale

· 8 notes, including the octave

· half step between 3-4 and 7-8

· comprised of 2 tetrachords separated by a whole step

· tetrachord pattern: whole – whole – half

Transposition

· Major or minor scale pattern repeated at any pitch

Key signature

· Order of sharps: F-C-G-D-A-E-B

· Order of flats: B-E-A-D-G-C-F

· Determining key:

o Up one half step from last sharp

o Down to the next-to-the-last flat

Relative minor

· minor third or three half steps below major scale

· (C Major and a minor)

Parallel minor

· same tonic but different key signature

· (C Major and C minor)

Minor scales

· Natural minor – same notes as its relative Major

· Harmonic minor – raised 7th both ascending and descending

· Melodic minor – raised 6th and 7th ascending (sounds major) and lowered descending

Pentatonic scale

· 5-tone scale

Chromatic

· 12 notes (13 including the octave)

· Uses only half steps

· Each tone is equidistance from the next so it has no tonic

Whole-tone

· 6-tone scale made up only of whole steps (7 including the octave)

Blues scale

· Flat 3rd and flat 7th

Octatonic (or diminished) scale

· Alternates whole and half steps

· Jazz musicians refer to it as diminished because the chords resulting from the pitches are diminished

Church modes

· I - ionian

· Don’t - dorian

· Play - phrygian

· Loud - lydian

· Music - mixolydian

· At - aeolian

· Lunch - locrian