Chapter 3: Scales, Keys, and Modes

The scale degrees of the Whole Tone Scale are:

1 2 3 #4 #5 #6 , or 1 2 3 b5 b6 b7

The scale degrees of the diminished:

1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 b7 (w h w h etc.)

The scale degrees of the Blues Scale are:

1 b3 4 b5 5 b7

Blues Scale

1 b3 4 b5 5 b7, a six note scale (seven if you count the octave) that does not have a 2nd or a 6th but includes a b5 in addition to the 5th. The lowered notes are referred to as "blue notes"

How many major scales are there?

15 major scales- however three are enharmonic: B and Cb, F# and Gb, and C# and Db.

The standard solfeggi syllables are: 2

Re (2)

The "whole half pattern" of the natural minor scale is: (hint know what scale degrees the half steps are between

W h W W h W W

Key

a specific series of pitches based on a pattern of whole and half steps that define a tonality. The name (example "key of G minor" refers to both the tonal center (G) and modality (minor).

Chromatic scale (Chromaticism)

a symmetrical scale with all pitches spaced a half step apart. (Written with sharps when ascending and flats when descending).

Modality

an issue of scale type, that defines a key signature as being major or minor.

Scales

are an ordered collection of pitches in whole- and half-step patterns. The word "scale" comes from the Latin word "scale" meaning "stairs" or "ladder."

Placement of the key signature

between the clef and the meter signature. The accidentals are not put on ledger lines, the flats follow a consistent "up then down" sequence, while the sharps go "down, up, down, down, up , down"

Dorian

built on 2nd degree of parent major: natural minor with raised 6th

Phrygian

built on 3rd degree of parent major: natural minor with b2

Lydian

built on 4th degree of parent major: major with raised 4th (#4)

Mixolydian

built on 5th degree of parent major: major with lowered 7th (b7).

Locrian

built on the 7th scale degree of parent major: natural minor with b2 and b5.

Major (Ionian)

created with a pattern whole steps and half steps: 1 W 2 W 3 h 4 W 5 W 6 W 7 h The half steps are between degrees 3-4 and 7-8. The major scale is two "major tetrachords" (W W h) separated by a whole step.

Circle of Fifths

demonstrates the relationship of the tonal centers to each other. Each ke signature that requires sharps appears around the circle to the right (clockwise) with each key a fifth higher, The key signatures that require flats appear around the circle to the left (counter-clockwise), each a fifth lower.

Active Tones and Resolution Tones in major:

in major the active tones are : 4, 6, and 7. The main resolution tones are 1 and 3 (since the are resolved to by half step), while 5 is resolved to by whole step. 7 (the leading tone) is the most active- has the most musical energy to move to resolve. 7 resolves up a half step to 1. It is this feeling of tension and release that moves music forward. 4 resolves by half step to 3. 6th resolves downward by step to 5th. 2nd resolves downward by step to tonic.

Mediant

in the median position, halfway between tonic and dominant (Mi)

Raised Submediant

in the natural form of minor the sixth scale degree is just a half step above the fifth (b6), the "melodic minor" scale raises the 6th degree up to a whole step above the fifth degree (6) - this in the context of a minor key is called the "raised submediant".

Subtonic

in the natural minor scale the 7th scale degree is a whole step below tonic- it is not a "leading tone" - this b7 scale degree is called the "subtonic": one whole step below the tonic (b7).

Leading Tone

leads upward toward resolution to the tonic (Ti)

Dominant

refers to the pitch dominating the tonality. It is a perfect fifth above the tonic. (So, Sol)

Relative Key (relative major or relative minor)

relative major and minor keys share the same key signature (have the same pitches)- the tonic of the relative minor is the sixth scale degree (or submediant - La) of the relative major key.

Scale Degrees are labeled by

scale degree number (ex. 1 2 b3) scale degree name (tonic, super tonic) solfege syllable (do, re)

Heptatonic Scale

scale with seven tones - such as major and minor.

Asymmetrical Scale

scales built with a pattern of whole and half steps.

Accidental

sharps, flats, etc. note that "double sharps" (x) "double flats" (bb) do exist.

Enharmonic

sounding the same but written or notated differently (ex. F# and Gb)

Diatonic

within the scale, notes that naturally occur in a standard major or minor scale, without being modified by accidentals other than those in the relevant key signature.

Key Signature

written at the beginning of every staff, shows which pitches are to be sharp or flat consistently throughout the piece, and helps determine the key or tonal center (tonality).

Sequence of Flats:

B E A D G C F

The standard solfeggi syllables are: 1

Do (1)

Sequence of sharps:

F C G D A E B

The standard solfeggi syllables are: 4

Fa (4)

Natural Minor (Aeolian)

In "natural" or "pure" form of the minor scale there are no alterations from the key signature. Note that the half step between scale degree 2 to the b3 gives the minor scale it's characteristic sound. Also note that natural minor has a whole step between seventh and the tonic (the b7 is called the "subtonic") which fails to lead the seventh to the tonic with the same intensity as the half step 7 to tonic in major - which is to say that there is no leading tone in natural minor.

The standard solfeggi syllables are: b6 and 6

Le (b6), La (6)

Ionian

Major scale

The standard solfeggi syllables are: b3 and 3

Me (b3), Mi (3)

The standard solfeggi syllables are: 5

So, or Sol (5)

The standard solfeggi syllables are: b7 and 7

Te (b7) Ti (7)

Major and Minor Pentachord

The first five notes of the scale- 1 2 3 4 5, the minor pentachord differs in that it has a lowered third scale degree: 1 2 b3 4 5.

Scalar Variance

The use of natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales within one composition is generally referred to as scalar variance.

Major Tetrachord

a four note group that consists of the pattern: W W h The major scale is made up of two major tetrachords separated by a whole step. (W W h) W (W W h)

Moveable-Do Solfeggio System

each solfege syllable corresponds to a specific scale degree. Do in A major is A, Do in G major is G.

Octatonic Scale (Diminished Scale)

eight note scale - the diminished scale is a symmetrical scale of alternating whole steps and half steps (h w h w h w h w etc.)

Pentatonic Scales

has five tones, they are very common and found all over the world. There are five rotations of the "anhemitonic" (meaning no half steps... thus no active tones) pentatonic scale. The most common is: C D E G A C 1 W2 W 3 Wh 5 W 6 Wh others would be like modes of this pitch set: D E G A C E G A C D etc.

Whole-Tone Scale

has seven tones including the octave (6 unique tones) each a whole step apart- this is an "artificial scale" because the altered notes do not represent a standard key signature and therefore accidentals are required to create the pattern. It is also symmetrical.

Parallel key (parallel major or parallel minor)

major and minor keys with different key signatures but with the same tonic are called parallel. (example. F major vs F minor) note that the parallel minor scale has a b3, b6, and b7 in comparison to the parallel major.

What are the three forms of minor:

natural (1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7) harmonic (1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7) melodic (1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 - ascending, (1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 - descending they all begin with the same five notes (the minor pentachord)

Harmonic Minor

the 7th scale degree is raised both ascending and descending, but leaves the other notes the same as natural minor. This creates a leading tone that provides a more convincing harmonic pull to tonic while retaining the characteristic color of minor. (Ear training note: Melodically, the calling card of this scale is the distinctive half steps separated by a m3rd: 5 to b6 separated by W+h up to 7 - 1) During the Common Practice Period this was used most often when harmonizing melodies... the W+h distance between b6 and the raised 7th is a difficult interval to sing or use melodically.... which leads to use of the melodic minor scale.

Octatonic Scale

the diminished scale- alternating Whole and half steps. 1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7. Features four pairs of tritones.

Submediant

the median pitch, in between the lower dominant (the subdominant) and the tonic. (La)

Melodic Minor (ascending / descending)

the minor pentachord followed by raised 6th and 7th scale degrees (same as the upper tetrachord in major), which gives a more smooth and convincing lead up to the tonic, while descending the notes are lowered (b7, b6) as in natural minor. (ear training note: If you hear a minor pentachord but the last four notes "sound like major" then it is melodic minor.)

Supertonic

the prefix "super" means "above the tonic". (Re)

Subdominant

the prefix, "sub", meaning below, refers to the pitch a fifth "below" the tonic, or the lower dominant. (Fa)

Tonality

the principle of organizing a composition around a "key note" / tonic. Used in reference to the pitch center.

Aeolian

the relative minor: built on 6th scale degree of the relative major.

Tonic

the tone on which the scale is built (Do)