scales
ordered collection of pitches in whole- and half-step patterns. The word scale comes from Latin for stairs or ladder, scalae.
chromatic scale
a symmetrical scale with all pitches spaced a half-step apart. It is written with sharps when ascending, written with flats when descending.
Asymmetrical (scale)
A scale made using a pattern of whole and half steps.
major scale
All major scales share the same pattern: W-W-H-W-W-W-H (represents the interval between the notes) and are all asymmetrical. This divides the scale into two four-note groups called tetrachords. Each tetrachord consists of the pattern WWH (the major tetrac
tetrachord
a grouping of four notes.
major tetrachord
a grouping of four notes in the pattern of WWH between the notes.
modality
Defining the key signature as major or minor or pentatonic or church mode or etc.
tonality
The principle of organizing a composition around a key note or tonic.
key (signature)
A specific series of pitches based on a pattern of whole and half steps that define a tonality. The key signature written at the beginning of every staff shows which pitches are to be sharp or flat consistently throughout the piece and also helps determin
enharmonic scales
There are three enharmonically equivalent major scales that are both part of the fifteen major scales (for example, G# major is enharmonic to A?, but G# major is not one of the fifteen major scales.)
1. B and C?
2. F# and G?
3. C# and D?
Sequence of sharps in key signature
F C G D A E B
Sequence of flats in key signature
B E A D G C F
How do you determine the key from the key signature?
1. For sharps, the name of the key signature is one half step up from the last sharp in the key signature.
2. For flats, the next to last flat in the key signature IS the key signature. !F major is an exception!
Circle of Fifths
Demonstrates the relationship of the tonal centers to each other. Each key signature that has sharps appears around the circle clockwise from the top, and the key signatures that have flats appear counter-clockwise from the top.
Natural (pure) minor scale
All NATURAL minor scales share this pattern: W-H-W-W-H-W-W. They also are different because they have a half step between 2 and 3, and since there is a whole step between 7 and 8, subtonic is used instead of leading tone.
Relative scales
A major and minor scale that have the same pitches and the same key signature. Example: C major and A minor. The tonic of the relative minor scale is the sixth scale degree (or submediant) of the major key.
What are the three forms of minor scales?
Natural, harmonic, and melodic. They all share the same first FIVE notes.
Minor Pentachord
The first FIVE notes of a minor scale.
subtonic
the name for the "leading tone" of a natural minor scale
parallel scales
A major and minor scale with the same tonic but different key signatures. Example: A major and A natural minor. The natural minor always has lowered 3rd, 6th, and 7th scale degrees compared to the major.
harmonic minor scale
The form of minor scale in which the natural minor has the 7th scale degree raised, making a larger step in between the 6th and 7th tones.
C minor scales comparison:
Natural: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Bb Ab G F Eb D C
Harmonic: C D Eb F G Ab B C B Ab G F Eb D C
Melodic: C D Eb F G A B C Bb Ab G F Eb D C
scalar variance
the use of natural, harmonic, and melodic minor within one composition.
artificial/altered scales
Scales that vary from the key signature and require additional accidentals to create the scale.
scale degree/step
each step of the scale
scale degree ^1
Do = tonic- the tone on which the scale is built
scale degree ^2
Re = supertonic- meaning above the tonic
scale degree ^3
Mi= mediant- halfway between the tonic and dominant
scale degree ^4
Fa = subdominant- a fifth below the tonic or the pitch below the dominant
scale degree ^5
So(l) = dominant- the pitch dominating the tonality. A perfect 5th above the tonic.
scale degree ^6
La = submediant- the median pitch between the lower dominant(subdominant) and the tonic (called the raised submediant in melodic minor)
scale degree ^7
Ti= leading tone- leads upward toward resolution to the tonic. (Called the subtonic in natural minor scales)
melodic minor
a minor scales starting with the minor pentachord, then a raised 6th and 7th degrees, but only when ascending... when descending, the melodic minor scale becomes the natural minor scale. The last four notes of the scale when ascending sound major.
raised submediant
the name for the 6thscale degree or submediant in melodic minor.
active tones
scale degrees 4, 6, and 7 (subdominant, submediant, leading tone). The leading tone is the most active, or has the most musical energy to move to resolve. The two most active tones, 4 and 7, resolve to the two most stable scale degrees, 1 and 3 (tonic, me
resolution tones
scale degrees 1 and 3 (tonic, mediant) They are considered resolution tones because they are the notes to which the active tones move.
diatonic
within the scale, notes that naturally occur in a standard scale without being modified. The resolution of a musical composition is always diatonic.
heptatonic scale
scales with seven notes per octave. Example: major scales and minor scales.
pentatonic scale
a scale with five tones. There are five rotations of the anhemitonic pentatonic scale. They take five consecutive pitches from the circle of fifths and the rearrange the order so that they fit within one octave.
Any member of the pentatonic scale may serv
anhemitonic
containing no half steps or active tones.
whole-tone scale
a scale made of seven tones, including the octave, each a hole step apart. This is an artificial scale.
In relationship to a major scale using flats-
1-2-3-b5-b6-b7 e.g. C-D-E-Gb-Ab-Bb-C
In relationship to a major scale using sharps:
1-2-3-#4-#5-#6 e.g. C
Diminished scale
A.K.A the octatonic scale, it alternates whole-step and half-step intervals. In relationship to the major scale, the diminished scale uses scale degrees:
1-2-b3-4-b5-b6-6-7, featuring four pairs of tritones (diminished fifths or augmented fourths)
Example
Blues scale
A heptatonic scale, counting the octave, that doesn't have a second or sixth scale degree but includes the flatted fifth and the fifth. The lowered notes are referred to as blue notes. In relationship to the major scale, the blues scale is 1-b3-4-b5-5-b7
mode
synonym for scale
Church mode
Also known as diatonic modes; a scale with a different pattern of whole and half steps from major or minor.
Ionian mode
the same as the major scale; NOT a diatonic mode.
Tonic triad is major.
Aeolian mode
the same as the natural minor scale; NOT a diatonic mode
Tonic triad is minor.
Dorian mode
related to Phrygian and Aeolian as a minor mode.
Is similar to natural minor with a raised 6th scale degree.
Example:
C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb-C
(Natural minor +#6)
Tonic triad is minor.
Phrygian mode
related to Dorian and Aeolian as a minor mode.
Is similar to natural minor with a lowered 2nd scale degree.
Example:
C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C
(Natural minor + b2)
Tonic triad is minor
Lydian mode
related to Mixolydian and Ionian as a major mode.
Is similar to major with a raised 4th scale degree
Example:
C-D-E-F#-G-A-B-C
(Major + #4)
Tonic triad is major.
Mixolydian mode
related to Lydian and Ionian as a major mode.
Is similar to major with a lowered 7th scaled degree.
Example:
C-D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C
(Major + b7)
Tonic triad is major.
Locrian mode
Tonic triad is diminished.
Generally considered to be natural minor base with a b2 and b5. It is the lowered 5th scale degree that creates the diminished tonic triad.
C Aeolian: C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C
C Locrian: C-Db-Eb-F-Gb-Ab-Bb-C
solmization
a system of designating notes by the solfege (Sol-Fa) syllables.
Solfeggio
sight singing using the solfege syllables.
Do
The first note of the solfege syllable system.
Re
The second note of the solfege syllable system.
Me/Mi
The third note of the solfege syllable system.
Fa
The fourth note of the solfege syllable system.
So/Sol
The fifth note of the solfege syllable system.
Le/La
The sixth note of the solfege syllable system.
Te/Ti
The seventh note of the solfege syllable system.