The major scale of C [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist]
The notes series from C to C is called the
major scale of C. Each note of the scale is called a degree of the scale. The degrees are numbered from 1 to 7
in Roman numerals (i.e. I to VII). The last note being the
same as the first (C), it is also called "degree
I". Here is the major scale of C with its degrees:

As we have seen, each one of
these notes corresponds to a white key of the keyboard. When
a black key separates two notes, there is one tone between
these two notes and if there is no black key between them,
there is one half tone. The following table shows the degrees
of the scale with the tones and half tones which separate
them:

This succession of values
(1,1,1/2,1,1,1,1/2) characterizes the major scale. In this example, the first note is C and it
is thus the major scale of C.
Tonality [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist]
This scale defines a context of notes
called the tonality of C major. A
musical excerpt written in C major uses only the notes of the
C major scale, i.e. the 7 notes here above, avoiding the
black keys located between them.
The principle of tonality is thus to limit
the usable notes at a given moment in the musical discourse
and in the same time intensifying the influence of other
notes. The most significant degree in a scale is the first
degree. In our case, it is the C note. The musical discourse
will use this note as a point of reference.
The most significant degrees in a tonality
are degrees I, IV and V. The musical sentences will be built
by taking these degrees as a foundation. They will often be
found on the strong beats of the measures. The musical
sentences will have a tendency to move towards the first
degree of the scale.
We will see that 12 different tonalities
can be defined and used. Tonal music is based on using a
context of notes on which melodies and chords are built.
During a piece of music, the context may change to another
tonality. This transition from one tonality to another is
called a modulation.
In theory, in a tonal music work, it is
possible to determine which tonality is present at any place
of the score. Practically, this tonality system is a
theoretical system used to explain how composers use the
notes which are at their disposal to compose. This system is
very helpful to orient a composer through his first steps,
but it should not be regarded as a strict rule which one
cannot transgress.
All the rules you will find in music are
most of the time deduced from the observation of what sounds
well in the musical works. The new composer will find in it a
lot of interesting advices that can be used by him as a guide
to develop his taste and musical inspiration. The error would
then be to regard these rules as absolute laws and not as
simple advices. When inspiration or taste indicates you
another path to follow, skip the composition rules !
Let us go back to tonalities. The essence
of classical music is based on the use of tonality. Most
modern variety music (rock, jazz, disco, blues, funky
)
are also based on tonality. Most music consumed by our modern
society is thus tonal music.
There are of course music styles that
completely escape from tonality and develop different
composition systems. Contemporary music creates new
approaches of music, of sound and of its notation. It is
interesting to note that most contemporary music composers
are people who have a good knowledge of the tonal system, its
possibilities and limits. It could then be considered as an
evolution of music towards other sound horizons. The point is
to communicate this music in such a manner that it will be
perceived and understood by most people. It will be the only
success test of a music: does it communicate something which
can be understood?
Let us see now how other scales and
tonalities are defined.
The major scales [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist]
To define the C major scale, we took the C
note as a starting point. It is possible to start from each
keyboard note to define a major scale, as well white keys (7
different notes) as black keys (5 different notes), which
makes up a total of 12 possible tonalities.
Let us start for example on the G note and
consider this note as the first degree of the G major scale.
By placing the notes starting from G to the next G, we
obtain:

Let us remember that a half tone is the
sound distance separating two consecutive keys on the musical
keyboard, either black or white. The tone equals two half
tones. Here is a diagram:

By taking into account the tones and half
tones of the scale starting with G, we have:

We have learned that a major scale is
characterized by the (1,1,1/2,1,1,1,1/2) series. The last two
intervals do not correspond with the above scheme. The F note
is thus not correct for the G major scale. If the F note is
transformed into an F sharp note, degrees VI and VII will be
separated by two half tones and we will thus have the G major
scale because the intervals now correspond to the major scale
sequence:

In G major, all F notes will thus be
altered with a sharp. Instead of confusing the score by
drawing this sharp in front of each F, a sharp is drawn right
beside the clef, at the beginning of each staff:
It is valid for all F notes of the staff,
even for F notes located at a different octave (as the
penultimate note of the example). The sharps or flats placed
next to the clef form what is called the key signature. In G
major, the key signature contains an F sharp. It is thus
important to look at the key signature next to the clef,
because it influences the interpretation of the score.
Starting from an F note, we can build the
scale of F major. To maintain the interval sequence of a
major scale, a B flat note should be used:

The key signature of major F
contains a flat B:

We can similarly build a scale on the basis
of any note, including the black keys of the keyboard. We
thus have 12 different major scales. The major C scale is the
only major scale having no sharp or flat in its key
signature. All others have sharp(s) or flat(s) in order to
correct the intervals between degrees and to fit the sequence
of major scale intervals. Here is for example the E major
scale, with 4 sharps (F, C, G and D):

The 4 sharps of the E major
scale are placed next to the clef:

Starting from a black key, the principle is
the same. The scale bears the name of the altered note, such
as for example the B flat major scale. The black key located
between A and B can be called A sharp or B flat. The B flat
major scale is therefore equivalent to the A sharp major
scale, because the keys of these scales will be the same on
the musical keyboard. Only the note names will be different.
By building a scale on each note and by
taking care that the intervals between the degrees respect
the major scale sequence, the following table can be deduced
(the scales are classified according to the number of
accidentals they have):
C Major |
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G major |
F # |
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D major |
F # |
C # |
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A major |
F # |
C # |
G # |
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E major |
F # |
C # |
G # |
D # |
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B major |
F # |
C # |
G # |
D # |
A # |
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F# major |
F # |
C # |
G # |
D # |
A # |
E # |
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C# major |
F # |
C # |
G # |
D # |
A # |
E # |
B # |
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F major |
B b |
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B b major |
B b |
E b |
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E b major |
B b |
E b |
A b |
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A b major |
B b |
E b |
A b |
D b |
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D b major |
B b |
E b |
A b |
D b |
G b |
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G b major |
B b |
E b |
A b |
D b |
G b |
C b |
|
C b major |
B b |
E b |
A b |
D b |
G b |
C b |
F b |
Some are identical. There
are only 12 different major scales. This presentation lets us
highlight something. When sharps are added to form the
scales, they are added in a quite precise order that is
called the order of sharps:
F# C# G# D# A# E# B#
The flats are added in the order of flats,
which is the reverse order of sharps:
Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb
Each one of these scales form a note
context in which the musical discourse can express itself.
When the context is changed, a modulation occurs. This manner
of creating a musical work is the guiding principle of tonal
music. The first degree of the scale plays the main role and
the other degrees tend to move toward it, as directed by its
force of attraction.
All half tones of a musical keyboard are
equal, i.e. they all produce the same impression of sound
interval to the ear. When you listen to a melody, it is
characterized by the number of half tones that exist between
each note of the melody and not by the name of the notes
which form the melody. Open Ex024.piz and listen to
this well-known melody:

It is written in C major. The piece starts
and ends with a C note (it is very frequent but not
mandatory). No accidental disturbs the C major scale.
This melody can be written in another
tonality. To do this, start the melody with another note and
add a key signature after the clef. To start the same melody
with an E note, we use the E major scale and we place 4
sharps after the clef. By copying the notes of the melody on
the basis of E, we get:

Open Ex025.piz, corresponding to
this example. Listen to the computer playing it. The melody
is higher than the first one, but it keeps its original
characteristic. It is the same melody written in another
tonality.
Open Ex026.piz now. It contains
the same series of notes, but without the key signature.
Listen to the result:

The melody is similar to the previous
melody, but it is not exactly the same any more because some
intervals have been modified, altering the characteristics of
the melody.
The minor scales [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist]
The (1,1,1/2,1,1,1,1/2) succession of tones
and half tones between degrees is specific to the major
scale.
There is another type of scale, the minor scale. It is characterized by another succession of
tone and half tones between degrees: (1,1/2,1,1,1/2,1,1). The
simplest minor scale is the A minor scale, because it does
not have any accidentals. Its structure is the following:

The C major scale and the A minor scale
have the same notes, but the degrees are placed differently.
In the A minor scale, A is the first degree and it occupies
the main place. In C major, the C note directs the musical
discourse. The A minor scale is said to be the relative minor
of the C major scale.
The A minor scale is built by taking the
sixth degree of C major and by looking at it as the first
degree of a new scale. Each major scale has a relative minor
scale built on its sixth degree. By taking for example E
major, of which the sixth degree is a C sharp, we get the C
sharp minor scale. Its structure is:

The sound colour of a passage in major is
different than a passage in minor. In a general way, the
minor is more inclined to express a dramatic atmosphere and
the major is lighter and happier.
We thus have 12 major tonalities and 12
minor tonalities. A musical work will often use one of these
tonalities as a base. It will start and finish in this
tonality. The names of classical music works often indicate
the tonality, such as for example Symphony number 9 in D
minor.
The modulation (change of tonality during
the course of a music piece) offers ways to enrich the
musical discourse. Modulations can be very frequent and
sometimes very short, such as for example 1 or 2 chords
borrowed from a different tonality.
One speaks about adjacent tonalities when
two tonalities have only one accidental differentiating them
from the other. It is for example the case of C major and F
major because the only difference is a B flat. A major and E
major are adjacent because the only difference between their
key signatures is a D sharp.
Arbitrary key signatures [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist]
A scale is a series of notes which can be
used to express a melody and chords. The tonal system offers
24 different scales. In each case, it is a notes context that
can be used.
It is possible to imagine scales or notes
contexts which do not fit the rules of the tonal system. Here
is an example:

The key signature of such a scale, even if
not conventional, may be written after the clef:
