Introduction to Scales
Congratulations! You have now officially completed the first half of our introduction to music theory.  Now that you know your way around the staff, it is time to broaden your horizons with something a bit more challenging.  This section will introduce you to some very important concepts that you will need to know in order to play with others or go on to learn more for yourself.

 

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Introduction to Scales

You have probably heard someone singing "flat" or "off-key" before, but have you ever really understood what these terms meant?  Well, there are several basic scales that are universally accepted in western music.  Which note one of these scales starts on then determines its Key.  Every piece of western music is derieved from these scales, so it is what we are comfortable with hearing.  Anyone singing "off-key" is simply singing notes other than those written and that our ears are not prepared to hear.  Now, the term "flat" refers to a note that sounds lower in comparison to another.

  Before we talk about scales, let's talk about Degrees.  A degree is how far it is from one note to the one played after it.  It is comprised of one or more half-steps.  This may all seem a little unclear at first, but it will become clear by the time you have finished with the second cave.  For example, let's take a jump from middle C to the E just above it.  This would be called a third-- that is its degree.  Now, how did I know that?

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Figure 3-1

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This is where the importance of Scales comes in.  Look at figure 3-1.  You can see that all major chords are comprised of the same pattern (whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half).  Keep in mind that all notes are one whole step apart from the next one in succession except the pairs B and C, and E and F.  This will become much easier to see once we introduce the keyboard and guitar in the second cave.  If you feel up to it, you may even wish to visit that section before continuing on.  Now, getting back to how I knew the degree: following the pattern for a C major scale (since I started on the note C), count how many notes are between middle C and the E above it.  C is the first note, than D, than E, for a total of three notes.  That is where I got "third" from.  How about C to A?  Count C, D, E, F, G, A.  That would be a sixth.

Now, we have only mentioned the Major Scale.  There really are many different kinds of scales including the Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (or Natural Minor), Locrian, Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, and Blues Scales.  Each of these scales has a different pattern of whole and half steps.  The most commonly used, however, are simply the major, melodic minor, and harmonic minor scales.  A brief description of the other scales listed above can be found in the glossary.  You may think that having so many scales is unneacessary, but they are all very important.  Each scale has a definitely unique sound and can entirely change the mood of a piece.  For example, minors general sound like funeral music while marches are almost always in major keys.  For an interesting sound, the haunted house at Disneyland in California plays the wedding march in a minor key, totally changing the effect of the piece.

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Figure 3-2

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Figure 3-2 illustrates an example of a C Melodic Minor Scale.  Notice that it, like the major scale, begins on a C note.  However, its pattern is that of whole-half-whole-whole-whole-whole-half on the way up and whole-whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole on the way down.  This pattern is used, as with all scale patterns, no matter which note it is started on.  Therefore instead of playing the the C Melodic Minor Scale simply C D E F G A B C B A G F E D C, it would be played C D Eb F G A B C Bb Ab G F Eb D C.  Note that the third is lowered by one half step on the way up (remember your degrees!), and the third, sixth, and seventh are lowered by a half step on the way down.

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Figure 3-3

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Figure 3-3 illustrates an example of a C Harmonic Minor Scale.  It also begins on a C, but its pattern is whole-half-whole-whole-half-one and a half-half on the way up and half-one and a half-half-whole-whole-half-whole on the way down.  This would mean that whether you are moving up or down the scale, the third and sixth are lowered one half step.  Note also that a Minor Third occurs between the sixth and seventh degrees.  This is equal to three half steps (or one and half steps).

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Accidentals

Now, you are probably wondering what all those strange symbols were that were used to signify the raising or lowering of notes in the scales.  They are referred to as Accidentals.  Accidentals tell you to raise or lower a note by a certain amount of steps even if the key signiture does not say to.  One accidental in a measure means that every note in that measure is to be changed.  For example, look at figure 3-4.  Note that the first beat contains a Bb and the last note is simply a B.  When the piece was played, however, both Bs would be played flat because that one accidental lasts throughout the entire measure.  Note also that none of the other notes are to be played flat, only the B's.  If the next measure was to also start with a B, it would not be played flat unless it had its own accidental.

There are three basic types of accidentals: Flats, Sharps, and Naturals.  A flat is signified by the symbol "" and indicates that a note is to be played one half step lower than indicated.  For example, look at figure 3-4.  You can see a B preceded by a flat sign.  So, instead of playing a B, you would play the note one half-step below that, or a B flat.  A sharp is signified by the symbol "" and indicates that a note is to be played one half step lower than indicated.  A natural is signified by the symbol "" and indicates that a note is to be played as written.  It is usually used to cancel out a previous accidental either in the same measure or in the key signiture.  Sometimes, it is also used to remind the musician that it was already marked as a natural by a change in key signature or the occurance of a new measure, etc.

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Figure 3-4

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Double or even triple flats and double sharps are also seen on occasion, but that can just get to be ridiculous, so we have chosen not include much about them.  Chances are you will never see one except in some of the more obscure scales.  If you do run into one sometime, you will probably be able to figure out that two sharps equals one whole note above for yourself.

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Introduction to Key Signatures

Now that you are familiar with scales and accidentals it is time to put the two together.  We like to call this mix a Key Signature.  Remember that a scale does not have to always begin on C.  It does, however, have to keep the same pattern of whole and half steps all the time, or else it is not considered to still be the same scale.  In order to keep this same pattern, accidentals can be placed at the begining of a piece to state that they should be observed throughout the piece.

For example, let's take the key of F.  In keeping with the pattern of whole and half steps for a major scale, the scale of F major would have to go as follows: F G A Bb C D E.  So, a flat is placed on the B line just following the clef and before the time signature (see figure 3-5).  This states that every B played in the piece is to be flat unless otherwise indicated.

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Figure 3-5

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If you did not print out the Circle of Fifths and Fourths Key Signature Table, we strongly suggest that you do so now.  This is a very important tool for every musician, no matter how accomplished or inexperienced.  As you go around the circle to the right (clockwise), you will notice that one more sharp is added to each key.  Also, you should see that the name of the key goes up to a fifth degree from the previous key.  Also, notice that some of the keys have two names.  This is because the one key that the scale begins on has two names; they are both the same scale.  As you go around counterclockwise, you will note that one more flat is added to each key.  Also, the name of the key goes up a fourth from the previous key.  These are all very important relationships.

Every major key has a Relative Minor that shares the same key signature but whose scale starts on a different note.  To find any key's relative minor, simply lower its first note one minor third (three half steps).  For example, C would go to B, Bb, A, so A minor is relative to C major.  Neither show any sharps or flats in their key signatures.  The A minor scale would go A B C D E F G, but the C major chord would be C D E F G A B.  Figure 3-6 is a chart of major keys and their relative minors.

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Relative Major	Key Signature	Relative Minor
C major	no sharps or flats	Aminor
G major	F#	E minor
D major	F#, C#	B minor
A major	F#, C#, G#	F# minor
E major	F#, C#, G#, D#	C# minor
B major	F#, C#, G#, D#, A#	G# minor
F# major	F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#	D# minor
C# major	F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#	A# minor
F major	Bb	D minor
Bb major	Bb, Eb	G minor
Eb major	Bb, Eb, Ab	C minor
Ab major	Bb, Eb, Ab, Db	F minor
Db major	Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb	Bb minor
Gb major	Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb	Eb minor
Cb major	Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb	Ab minor

Figure 3-6

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