Scales
Major Scales
A major scale is a sequence of whole and half steps in a particular order. The pattern is: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
So, to build an Ab-Major scale the notes would be
Another example.
To build a Cb-Major scale, the notes would be
Minor Scales
There are three types of minor scales. There is a natural minor, a harmonic minor and a melodic minor.
The sequence of whole/half steps for a natural minor is: W-H-W-W-H-W-W.
So A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A
The sequence of whole/half steps for a harmonic minor is: W-H-W-W-H-1+1/2-H.
So A-B-C-D-E-F-G#-A
The sequence of whole/half steps for a melodic minor is: W-H-W-W-W-W-H.
So A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#-A
A major scale is a sequence of whole and half steps in a particular order. The pattern is: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
So, to build an Ab-Major scale the notes would be
- Ab
- up a whole step to Bb
- up a whole step to C
- up a half step to Db
- up a whole step to Eb
- up a whole step to F
- up a whole step to G
- up a half step to Ab
- So -- Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
Another example.
To build a Cb-Major scale, the notes would be
- Cb
- up a whole step to Db
- up a whole step to Eb
- up a half step to Fb (which is enharmonically the same as E, but is the next step up...)
- up a whole step to Gb
- up a whole step to Ab
- up a whole step to Bb
- up a half step to Cb
- So -- Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb
Minor Scales
There are three types of minor scales. There is a natural minor, a harmonic minor and a melodic minor.
The sequence of whole/half steps for a natural minor is: W-H-W-W-H-W-W.
So A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A
The sequence of whole/half steps for a harmonic minor is: W-H-W-W-H-1+1/2-H.
So A-B-C-D-E-F-G#-A
The sequence of whole/half steps for a melodic minor is: W-H-W-W-W-W-H.
So A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#-A
Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Pentatonic ScaleSo basically speaking, you create a major pentatonic scale: W-1+1/2-W-W-1+1/2
C up whole to D up 1+1/2 to F up whole to G up whole to A then up 1+1/2 to C. |
Pentatonic Scales
The word "pentatonic" comes from the Greek word pente meaning five and tonic meaning tone. Simply put, the pentatonic scale consists of five notes within one octave, that's why it is also sometimes referred to as a five-tone scale or five-note scale. It is believed that the pentatonic scale was used way back in ancient times. Composers like Claude Debussy have used pentatonic scales for added effect in his music.The anhemitonic form of pentatonic scale has no semitones (ex. c–d–f–g–a–c} this is the most commonly used form. The two basic forms of pentatonic scales are: Major Pentatonic - Consists of the 1st - 2nd - 3rd - 5th - 6th notes of a major scale. |
Minor Pentatonic - Consists of the same 5 notes of a major pentatonic scale but its tonic (first note of the scale} is 3 semitones below the tonic of the major pentatonic scale. For example, the C major pentatonic (C - D - E - G - A} has the same notes as the A minor pentatonic (A - C - D - E - G} but arranged differently. The first note or tonic of the A minor pentatonic scale (=A) is 3 semitones (half steps) lower than the first note of the C major pentatonic scale (=C). It uses the 1st - minor 3rd - 4th - 5th - minor 7th notes of a scale.
Whole Tone Scales
A scale built entirely of whole tone intervals. The whole tone scale was used commonly by the French impressionists.
W-W-W-W-W-W
Notice that one note must be left out of the major scale -- there are only 6 notes in the Whole Tone Scale
So C-D-E-F#-G#-A#-C or B-Db-Eb-F-G-A-B (which could equally be written B-C#-D#-F-G-A-B)
Whole Tone Scales
A scale built entirely of whole tone intervals. The whole tone scale was used commonly by the French impressionists.
W-W-W-W-W-W
Notice that one note must be left out of the major scale -- there are only 6 notes in the Whole Tone Scale
So C-D-E-F#-G#-A#-C or B-Db-Eb-F-G-A-B (which could equally be written B-C#-D#-F-G-A-B)
