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Scales
and ModesFirst off u gotta know that the space between the notes in are called INTERVALS, no matter in what scale or what is the distance or what alterations between those notes. So starting from the first note of the scale labeling that 1 we start counting upwards; let's take the old C major as an example:
C D E F G A B
1 2 3
4 5 6 7
So the distance from
C to D is a 2nd, from C to E is a 3rd & so on.
The distances are
given by the number of full-steps(fs) & haf-steps(hs) between those
notes.( u might want to check the General
Theory section if u do not understand )
If u go past number the 7th note from a scale, u do not begin from 1 but u continue 8,9 & so on, these numbers past 7 are used in making complex chords, but that's another thing, if u want to read about it, go here.
Now here are two octaves numbered:
C
D E F G
A B C D
E F G A
B C
1
2 3 4
5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15
9th = 2nd above the
actave
10th = 3rd above the
octave
11th = 4th above the
octave
12th = 5th above the
octave
13th = 6th above the
octave
14th = 7th above the
octave
15th = 8th above the
octave
As i've told u these notations above 7 are used in making complex chords, however we are interested in this scale topic in the numbers from 1-7.
There are 3 main types
of intervals:
PERFECT , Major, minor
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Major |
1fs |
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Major |
2fs |
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Major |
4fs+1hs |
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Major |
5fs+1hs |
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These are the NATURAL interval distances, they are ALLWAYS as u see them above, NO MATTER WHAT, a minor 3rd will allways have 1fs+1hs & a perfect 4th will allways have 2fs+1hs.
U can alter them of course using alterations ( flats + sharps ) and this is what u'll get :
if u flat a minor u
get a diminished
if u double flat a
minor u get double diminished
if u sharp a
minor u get a Major
if u double sharp
a minor u get an augumented
if u flat a Major u
get minor
if u double flat a
Major u get diminished
if u sharp a Major
u get augumented
if u double sharp
a Major u get double augumented
| Name | Notation |
| double diminished | - - |
| diminished | - |
| minor | m |
| Major | M |
| augumented | + |
| double augumented | + + |
if u flat a PERFECT
u get a diminished
if u double flat a
PERFECT u get a double diminished
if u sharp a PERFECT
u get an augumented
if u double sharp
a PERFECT u get a double augumented
| Name | Notation |
| double diminished | - - |
| diminished | - |
| PERFECT | P |
| augumented | + |
| double augumented | + + |
Here's a table that
shows all the possible intervals for all natural notes ( unaltered ):
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Hope u understood till here......
Building scales:
The first note of a
scale is the TONIC, or the ROOT, wich can be considered as " THE BOSS "
in a scale, no matter in what order or combination u play the notes in
that scale, this will be the STRONGEST sounding note in that
The first scales of
all are the MAJOR scales, ALL OTHER scales are based on the major scales,
so here's how u build them:
As i've explained in the general theory page, every scale/mode has it's own shape/DNA.
The DNA of a Major
scale : fs fs hs fs fs fs hs
( fs = full-step ;
hs = half-step )
So naturally we start with the C major scale:
C
D E F G
A B C
fs
fs hs fs fs
fs hs
I belive that u can see clearly now, how the shape fits the scale, now there are two types/familyes of major scales the SHARP scales, and the Flat scales. Both of them originate from the C major scale, so here we go, i'll build the Sharps and then the Flats, u can start with either one, but i'll build them in parallel so that u won't the idea that one of the family is more important, they're equally important.
First off u gotta know how to build the Sharp scales and the Flat scales:
Sharp scales:
U start building the
next major scale off the C major scale, starting on the 5th of the C major
scale.
So what's the 5th
of the C major ? G
So u start on the G and use the DNA of the major scale: fs fs hs fs fs fs hs
First u write the unaltered notes down then u see if the intervals ( fs+hs ) fit, of course they won't but that's what u got alterations ( sharps & flats ) for, but in this case u'll use SHARPS only. U add them where needed to MAKE THEM FIT.
G
A B C D
E F G
fs fs hs fs
fs hs fs -
natural pattern
fs fs hs fs
fs fs hs -
Major scale pattern, wich is the desired one
1
2 3 4
5 6 7
8
So what u gotta do, is sharp the 7th, u get an F sharp, wich is written like this : F#
For remembering and
moving through scales easily, u gotta know theyr keysignature.
Each scale has it's
own key signature; a key signature means how many sharps or flats that
scale has; so the key signature for G major is F#. C major has no alterations
as u've noticed.
So to move on, u start building the next scale from the 5th of the G major scale, of course u keep the sharp from the previous scale, the 5th of G Major is D, get going......
D
E F# G A
B C D
fs fs hs fs
fs hs fs -
natural pattern
fs fs hs fs
fs fs hs -
Major scale pattern, wich is the desired one
1
2 3 4
5 6 7
8
Again u gotta sharp the 7th.
General rules with the SHARP scales:
U ONLY USE SHARPS to
alter scales.
U build them from
the 5th step of ANY MAJOR SCALE ( sharp or flat ).
If u build them consecutively,
u just gotta sharp the 7th of the new created scale to get a major scale
DNA.
If u wanna know what
scale u're in u just go up a half-step from the last sharp ( ex. key signature
= F#, F# + 1hs = G, u're in the G major scale )
Flat scales:
The same as sharps only that u start on the 4th of C major if u want to build them consecutively, and use flats to make them fit the Major scale DNA.
General rules with FLAT scales:
U ONLY USE FLATS to
alter scales.
U build them from
the 4th step of ANY MAJOR SCALE ( sharp or flat ).
If u build them consecutively,
u just gotta flat the 4th of the new created scale to get a major scale
DNA.
If u wanna know what
scale u're in u just count one flat backwards from the last flat ( ex.
key signature = Bb , Eb ; u count one flat backwards, and u get Bb, so
the keysignature of Bb is Bb , Eb )
Here u go, all major
scales SHARPS + FLATS :
| Key signature | Sharp scales | Flat scales | Key signature |
| C D E F G A B C | C D E F G A B C | ||
| F# | G A B C D E F# G | F G A Bb C D E F | Bb |
| F# C# | D E F# G A B C# D | Bb C D Eb F G A Bb | Bb Eb |
| F# C# G# | A B C# D E F# G# A | Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb | Bb Eb Ab |
| F# C# G# D# | E F# G# A B C# D# E | Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab | Bb Eb Ab Db |
| F# C# G# D# A# | B C# D# E F# G# A# B | Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb |
| F# C# G# D# A# E# | F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# | Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb |
| F# C# G# D# A# E# B# | C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C# | Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Bb |
If u were to put both the sharp and the flat scales on one line, the flats to the left of C major and the sharps to the right, u'll get this:
Ok, now imagine that u bend this line, starting from C major, u'll get this:
Notice that C# = Db,
Gb = F#, B = Cb, what u got here is a table about how scales relate, it's
obniously based on the way they form ( the way u build them, wich was presented
a few rows above ), it's called
THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS,
why?, because if u start counting to the right (clockwise), u'll see that
the intervalic distance between the scales is a fifth, ( the way the sharp
scales are built ), but u can also start counting to the right ( conter-clockwise
) and u'll see that the intervalic distance between the scales is a fourth,
( the way the flat scales are built ).
U might have also heard
of the minor scales, wich are the relative scales of the Major scales.
Why relatives?, because a minor scale uses the exact key signature of the
Major scale from wich is formed, just start on the 6th of ANY MAJOR SCALE,
and u got it's relative minor scale.
ex. start on the 6th
of C Major, keep the keysignature and u get A minor
A minor = A B C D
E F G A
start on the 6th of
Ab Major keep the keysignature and get F minor
F minor = F Ab Bb
C Db Eb F
There are 3 types of minor scales:
The natural minor wich
was presented above.
Ex. A B C D E F G
A
The harmonic minor,
wich is the same as the natural minor, just that it has a raised 7th:
Ex. A B C D E F G#
A
The harmonic minor, wich is the same as the naturaul minor, just that it has the 6th and the 7th raised as u ascend, and they come back to natural minor as u descend.
Homonymus scales:
Boy duz that sound wierd......
But it's really simple, two scales are called homonymus (namesake), when they have the same starting note, but one is Major and the other is minor.
ex. C and Cm, E and Eminor
The distance between two homonymus scales is of 3 fourths if u go from Major to minor (descending), or 3 fifths if u go from minor to Major (ascending).
Here u have the table:
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Ok,
u can take a brake now too, cuz u might get very confused with modes..........
In order to use/build modes u HAVE TO KNOW ALL THE MAJOR SCALES & THEYR KEY SIGNATURES!!!
The 7 modes :
First the scales are
modes themselves, so learn that the first mode is the IONIAN mode, wich
is the same thing with Major scales. WOW.............
Don't think it too
much, cuz there's no hidden meaning or connection, just remember Major=Ionian.
Now to build the 2nd
mode ( DORIAN ) u have 2 choices:
Start on the 2nd note
of ANY MAJOR SCALE, an that note is the new root.
Take the desired major
scale and flat the 3rd and the 7th.
So if u'll start on the D of C major, u'll get D dorian, but it won't sound that different from the C major, cuz u got the same notes ( same key signature ) and in this case C has more tonic power than D, cuz afterall it's C major right.
If u wanna see the difference build C dorian, all u gotta do is take a C major and flat the 3rd and the 7th, and u'll get a C major but with a Eb and an Bb, that looks like this.
C D E F G A B C - C major scale / C ionian mode
C D Eb F G A Bb C - C dorian mode
U might say HEY WAIT A MINUTE, Bb and Eb is the key signature of Bb Major, it can't be here the same......; but it is.
U have another starting point, wich is considered a tonic, also if u take a look the modes have theyr UNIQUE DNA's too, so C dorian has a completely different DNA from Bb major, take a look:
Bb major - Bb C D Eb
F G A Bb - DNA = fs fs hs fs fs fs hs
C dorian - C
D Eb F G A Bb C - DNA = fs hs fs fs fs hs fs
About modes everything is just the same pattern, but starts in different positions, so new DNA's being created.
Here's a table wich
shows u the alterations u have to make from ANY major scale in order to
get a desired mode, and also the DNA's for each mode.
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GUD LUK !
