A couple of questions about the major scale

[BassBoing]

hello everyone. i'm having some confusion with this scale. i've tried all links and reading but still don't get something.

ok, there are eight notes in the scale yea? (I know it can go on). the eighth is the octave. the first note is the root. the fifth note is the fifth.

does that make the second note the second? the third note the third? the fourth note the fourth? the sixth note the sixth etc?

so if i were to play my major scale in a, would the third note of that scale be the "major third"?

does this mean those notes are always in those places. so no matter how you look at it, the fifth of a root will always be one string down and two frets up?

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by BassBoing

hello everyone. i'm having some confusion with this scale. i've tried all links and reading but still don't get something.

ok, there are eight notes in the scale yea? (I know it can go on). the eighth is the octave. the first note is the root. the fifth note is the fifth.

does that make the second note the second? the third note the third? the fourth note the fourth? the sixth note the sixth etc?

so if i were to play my major scale in a, would the third note of that scale be the "major third"?

does this mean those notes are always in those places. so no matter how you look at it, the fifth of a root will always be one string down and two frets up?

Yes.

You should specify though which major scale you are referring to, as there's more than one.( I just assume that it is the ionian scale, you are talking about.

I would recommend you learn the scales not by neck and fret positions but by notes.
Learn the names of the notes and where these notes are on your neck .
This will free you up.

[Jim Nazium]

There are seven notes in the major scale: in the key of C, they'd be C D E F G A B. If you kept going the next note would be C again (the octave). Yes, the second note (D here) is called "the second", F is called "the fourth" (in C), etc. And yes, one string down and two frets up on a bass guitar is always a "perfect fifth" interval, which is the fifth note if the major scale.

HTH. Keep asking questions if you don't get it yet. Don't worry about getting flamed. Everyone has to learn this stuff and start somewhere.

[Binnie]

Originally Posted by BassBoing

hello everyone. i'm having some confusion with this scale. i've tried all links and reading but still don't get something.

ok, there are eight notes in the scale yea? (I know it can go on). the eighth is the octave. the first note is the root. the fifth note is the fifth.

does that make the second note the second? the third note the third? the fourth note the fourth? the sixth note the sixth etc?

so if i were to play my major scale in a, would the third note of that scale be the "major third"?

does this mean those notes are always in those places. so no matter how you look at it, the fifth of a root will always be one string down and two frets up?

ill have a go at answering these seen i need the practice.


C D E F G A B C

Basic triad is R, 3rd & 5th, so - 8 notes starting on root, 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th octave(root)

If you take the basic chord pattern for major you can play it anywhere on the neck as long as you have 3 strings.


as for the 3rd i think its just called the third, in major and dominant chord structures the 3rd is natural.

in minor and 1/2 diminished the 3rd is flat.

soemone else might be able to help more im still trying to work out theory myself

[fearceol]

Take a look at this site. Everything is explained in an easy to understand style.

www.studybass.com

[Erick Lam]

Originally Posted by BassBoing

does this mean those notes are always in those places. so no matter how you look at it, the fifth of a root will always be one string down and two frets up?

Yes and no. Always speak in sound. Even though the G string (smallest on a 4 string) is down physically, it's up when speaking of sound. Same thing for frets. Following that logic, one string up and two frets up is a perfect fifth.

Now, the advanced lesson. One string down and two frets down is also a perfect fifth but if you start from the same note as the exemple in the first paragraph, you'll end up on a different note. That's because a 5th (or 2nd, 3rd, etc) can describe an interval between two notes without any reference to a key or/and can describe the position/function of a single note within a key.

Exemple:
C ascending to G is a perfect 5th
C descending to F is a perfect 5th

G is the 5th in C major.
F is the 4th in C major

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by cnltb

You should specify though which major scale you are referring to, as there's more than one.( I just assume that it is the ionian scale, you are talking about.

There is only one major scale. Otherwise it is called something else.

[rokkitt]

tru dat

only one major scale.....

ionian is a "mode"

ionian
dorian
phrygian

and stuff like that

search modes to find out more


now.....

the thing that messes me up (sorry to guam your thread) is the maj third, minor third, triads, and diminished and augmented....


I gotta do some work on that myself....sorry to confuse....

maybe someone has a clear explanation about those things?


al

[fretlessman71]

Okay, check this out:

Some intervals are PERFECT: Fourths and Fifths. Long story why they are; has to do with how the overtones line up. (Octaves and Unisons are also perfect, but ignore them for now.)

The other intervals AREN'T perfect. 2nds, Thirds, Sixths, and Sevenths. Each of these has a MAJOR version - the one you'd find in the Major Scale - and a MINOR version, which is one-half step below its major counterpart.

If you raise a PERFECT or a MAJOR interval by a half step, you AUGMENT it.

If you lower a PERFECT or a MINOR interval by a half step, you DIMINISH it.

Hope that helps.

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

There is only one major scale. Otherwise it is called something else.

I may have been splitting hairs, but...
The third determins wether a scale is major or minor.
lydian,mixolydian are both major scales as well.
Lydian and Mixolydia,( Xmaj7#4 and X7 respectively) are modes , yes, the major scale usually referred to as the major scale is a mode as well and is called Ionian( Xmaj7).

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by BassBoing

hello everyone. i'm having some confusion with this scale. i've tried all links and reading but still don't get something.

ok, there are eight notes in the scale yea? (I know it can go on). the eighth is the octave. the first note is the root. the fifth note is the fifth.

does that make the second note the second? the third note the third? the fourth note the fourth? the sixth note the sixth etc?

so if i were to play my major scale in a, would the third note of that scale be the "major third"?

does this mean those notes are always in those places. so no matter how you look at it, the fifth of a root will always be one string down and two frets up?

You know the name of scale degrees, but need to understand the interval between the notes and between the root and the notes to fully understand how a major scale is build. You need to understand that to understand key signature. There is one major scale as OnlyClave said and if you know how to build it you can build it in any key. It is really important to learn the major scale in detail because it will be your point of reference for learning/comparing/building other scales and modes.

There are other scales and modes and they get categorized into major, minor families based the the 3rd and 7th identity notes of the scale. The other note are basically the color tones.

[cnltb]

Here the "structure" of the ionian scale in wholetone(1) and semitone1/2) steps.
1-1-1/2-1-1-1-1/2 (WWHWWWH)
It's the same in any key.

[Michael Case]

Originally Posted by BassBoing

hello everyone. i'm having some confusion with this scale. i've tried all links and reading but still don't get something.

ok, there are eight notes in the scale yea? (I know it can go on). the eighth is the octave. the first note is the root. the fifth note is the fifth.

does that make the second note the second? the third note the third? the fourth note the fourth? the sixth note the sixth etc?

so if i were to play my major scale in a, would the third note of that scale be the "major third"?

does this mean those notes are always in those places. so no matter how you look at it, the fifth of a root will always be one string down and two frets up?

Yes, the same can be said for all scales.

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by cnltb

I may have been splitting hairs, but...
The third determins wether a scale is major or minor.
lydian,mixolydian are both major scales as well.
Lydian and Mixolydia,( Xmaj7#4 and X7 respectively) are modes , yes, the major scale usually referred to as the major scale is a mode as well and is called Ionian( Xmaj7).

I'm going to call you out on this one.

C Db E F G A B is not a major scale
C D E F G# A B is not a major scale
C D# E F Gb A B is not a major scale
C D E F# G# A# is not a major scale
C Db Eb E F# G A Bb is not a major scale
C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C is not a major scale
C D E F G A Bb is not a major scale

The breakdown in your logic is all major scales have an interval of a major third between the first and third steps, but not all scales with that interval between those steps is a major scale.

All puppies are babies, therefore all babies are puppies, right?

There is one (1) major scale, defined W-W-H-W-W-W-H

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

All puppies are babies, therefore all babies are puppies, right?

There is one (1) major scale, defined W-W-H-W-W-W-H

Love that analogy and will use it myself LOL

I believe onlyclave has summed it up.

[rythmicillusion]

Looks like you are on the right track. Except that the major scale is a seven note formula ("8" is just a slightly more complicated way of saying "1").

[JTE]

It's (W W H W W W H) called the "Diatonic major scale". A pentatonic major scale is a major scale too.

jte

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

I'm going to call you out on this one.

C Db E F G A B is not a major scale
C D E F G# A B is not a major scale
C D# E F Gb A B is not a major scale
C D E F# G# A# is not a major scale
C Db Eb E F# G A Bb is not a major scale
C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C is not a major scale
C D E F G A Bb is not a major scale

The breakdown in your logic is all major scales have an interval of a major third between the first and third steps, but not all scales with that interval between those steps is a major scale.



All puppies are babies, therefore all babies are puppies, right?

There is one (1) major scale, defined W-W-H-W-W-W-H

I would consider the first one on your list a major scale (Xflat9)
And the second (X#5)
And the third ( X#9)
And the fourth ( wholetonescale, aka. augmented scale)
And the last one on your list (Mixolydian)
Your quoting the chromatic scale was a joke, yes?
I considered the subject to be modes since it was mentioned.
You can quote any number of altered scales and call them what you will.
The one major scale that is the real subject of this thread is the ionian, yes?

Let's just leave it at this.

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by JTE

It's (W W H W W W H) called the "Diatonic major scale". A pentatonic major scale is a major scale too.

jte

"Diatonic major scale" - Another name for the same thing.
Agreed on the pentatonic.

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by cnltb

I would consider the first one on your list a major scale (Xflat9)
And the second (X#5)
And the third ( X#9)
And the fourth ( wholetonescale, aka. augmented scale)
And the last one on your list (Mixolydian)
Your quoting the chromatic scale was a joke, yes?
I considered the subject to be modes since it was mentioned.
You can quote any number of altered scales and call them what you will.
The one major scale that is the real subject of this thread is the ionian, yes?

Let's just leave it at this.

Let's not leave it at this because these answers are incorrect. The concept of a major scale can be taught to a 6 year old piano student. That synthetic garbage I postulated was to prove a point.

The subject is NOT modes since the OP never mentioned them. His question was the relationship between scale members the same regardless of which key you are in which is yes, it is, which is not to be confused with the systems for solfege which are used in the world. Some consider Middle C 'do' regardless of key and some consider the tonic of the key 'do' thereby making it moveable.

If you were to walk into a college string jury and they asked you to play a 2-octave major scale and you played G mixolydian you would receive a failing grade.