I was just gong to ask, I wonder how much easier this might be to learn on a piano.... but then I'm not playing piano
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How do I learn all 12 major scales.
- Thread starter Zegie
- Start date
I was just gong to ask, I wonder how much easier this might be to learn on a piano.... but then I'm not playing piano
Great thread, BTW. Some of this I've seen before and are reminder I still need to study but seeing recent discussions motivates me.
Many students fail to get the purpose of the cycle of 4ths and 5ths, so here is how and why they are constructed.....it may look long but the idea is simple and stays with you.
For any scale to be considered a 'major' scale the leading note (the 7th note of the scale) has to be a semi-tone from the 8th note (the tonic)
Scales are constructed by ordering tones and semitones, a C major scale is considered a 'perfect' scale as it does not need any alterations to it to maintain its interval structure.
That interval structure is, T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST (T = Tone, ST = Semitone)
As the diatonic notes are named after the first seven letter of the alphabet we get
A B C D E F G, these seven notes repeat over and over to give us the use of
A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G etc etc
The seven intervals follow the patten of use, they also repeat their order,
T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST - T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST - T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST etc.
So any starting point within either the order of the notes or intervals will produce new scales or construct modes.
Look at the note lists below, these are the diatonic notes set out, and this is how we would write them to construct scales, and therefore keys.
Look at the first scale C major, its diatonic notes follow each other and the intervals comply to T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST, so there is nothing to do to it, as said it is considered 'perfect'.
Look at the next scale G major, Look at where is was cut from the C major Scale....it was cut from the 5th note. Count the notes through, see that in fact the C major scale is just cut in half and we use the upper half as the new starting point for each new scale.
(When cut in this manner we have two sets of four notes, this is the basis of Greek Tetra Chord theory, Tetra the Greek word for four.)
5ths
CDEF GABC
GABC DEFG
DEFG ABCD
ABCD EFGA
EFGA BCDE
BCDE FGAB
FGAB CDEF
CDEF GABC
If we examine the G major scale we see it does not follow the order of
T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST because F - G is a tone, so the 7th note is not a semitone, and E - F is a semitone. To fix this we simply add a sharp (#) to the 7th note and this will move it a semitone away from the E and a semitone closer to the G.
By adding a # to make F# we solve the problem and the scale now complies and we have used one sharp for the key of G major
Look at the next scale in the order, D major.
First thing we do is add the F# to make the lower half
DEF#G.
If we look at the upper half we have the same issue as before with the 7th note.
Again we just add a # to the 7th note to make it C#, this will move it a semitone away from the B and a semitone closer to the D, now we have used two sharps for the key of D major.
Go through the rest of the scales in this manner and you will 'cycle through the 5ths' creating new scales and keys by adding sharps to the 7th note each time to make the intervals comply.
You will add a mew sharp each time to the maximum of seven sharps by the time you finish with the C# major scale, but that is to be expected as that scale is a semitone higher than the C major scale...so all seven notes will need to be altered.
If we look at the same Diatonic notes again and start on the 4th note rather than the 5th, we get the flats (b) to be used in creating new scales and keys.
4ths
CDEF GABC
FGAB CDEF
BCDE FGAB
EFGA BCDE
ABCD EFGA
DEFG ABCD
GABC DEFG
CDEF GABC
As we know the C scale is perfect so go to the 4th and use that to construct a new scale, FGAB CDEF now we have F major
First off we check the intervals and that 7th that gave us the problem in using 5ths to construct scales.
E - F is a semitone so that is fine, but looking at the A - B -C that is not.
In order for it to comply to T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST of a major scale, the A - B should be a ST and the B - C should be T.
By adding a flat (b) to the B we move it a semitone closer to the A and a semitone further from the C so now we have FGABb CDEF and the scale complies.
By adding one flat we create the key of F major.
Go to the 4th of F major and we get B, and of we go again.
In the same way we always altered the 7th with a sharp, we will always alter the 4th with a flat and continue till we get back to Cb major which will use seven flats as it is a semitone lower that C major.
This brings in the conclusion that B major uses sharps and Cb major used flats to alter the same pitch with different consequences to the key.
It is the key that will determine whether en-harmonic notes use sharps or flats as we do note mix sharps and flats, as a rule, with in keys.
Since each new scale/key shares notes then so it will sound pleasing to use I IV V structures in songs and harmonise the major scale.
This simple lesson i hope has explained a few of the ideas used in music, and leaving you to complete the rest of the scales and keys will help teach you better about scales and keys if you write them out and work out where they should go and in what order.
The sharps are ordered as F C G D A E B, The flats are B E A D G C F....read forward for sharp, read backward for flats........see the patterns in it all to understand and learn the construction rather than try and memerise.
For any scale to be considered a 'major' scale the leading note (the 7th note of the scale) has to be a semi-tone from the 8th note (the tonic)
Scales are constructed by ordering tones and semitones, a C major scale is considered a 'perfect' scale as it does not need any alterations to it to maintain its interval structure.
That interval structure is, T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST (T = Tone, ST = Semitone)
As the diatonic notes are named after the first seven letter of the alphabet we get
A B C D E F G, these seven notes repeat over and over to give us the use of
A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G etc etc
The seven intervals follow the patten of use, they also repeat their order,
T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST - T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST - T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST etc.
So any starting point within either the order of the notes or intervals will produce new scales or construct modes.
Look at the note lists below, these are the diatonic notes set out, and this is how we would write them to construct scales, and therefore keys.
Look at the first scale C major, its diatonic notes follow each other and the intervals comply to T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST, so there is nothing to do to it, as said it is considered 'perfect'.
Look at the next scale G major, Look at where is was cut from the C major Scale....it was cut from the 5th note. Count the notes through, see that in fact the C major scale is just cut in half and we use the upper half as the new starting point for each new scale.
(When cut in this manner we have two sets of four notes, this is the basis of Greek Tetra Chord theory, Tetra the Greek word for four.)
5ths
CDEF GABC
GABC DEFG
DEFG ABCD
ABCD EFGA
EFGA BCDE
BCDE FGAB
FGAB CDEF
CDEF GABC
If we examine the G major scale we see it does not follow the order of
T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST because F - G is a tone, so the 7th note is not a semitone, and E - F is a semitone. To fix this we simply add a sharp (#) to the 7th note and this will move it a semitone away from the E and a semitone closer to the G.
By adding a # to make F# we solve the problem and the scale now complies and we have used one sharp for the key of G major
Look at the next scale in the order, D major.
First thing we do is add the F# to make the lower half
DEF#G.
If we look at the upper half we have the same issue as before with the 7th note.
Again we just add a # to the 7th note to make it C#, this will move it a semitone away from the B and a semitone closer to the D, now we have used two sharps for the key of D major.
Go through the rest of the scales in this manner and you will 'cycle through the 5ths' creating new scales and keys by adding sharps to the 7th note each time to make the intervals comply.
You will add a mew sharp each time to the maximum of seven sharps by the time you finish with the C# major scale, but that is to be expected as that scale is a semitone higher than the C major scale...so all seven notes will need to be altered.
If we look at the same Diatonic notes again and start on the 4th note rather than the 5th, we get the flats (b) to be used in creating new scales and keys.
4ths
CDEF GABC
FGAB CDEF
BCDE FGAB
EFGA BCDE
ABCD EFGA
DEFG ABCD
GABC DEFG
CDEF GABC
As we know the C scale is perfect so go to the 4th and use that to construct a new scale, FGAB CDEF now we have F major
First off we check the intervals and that 7th that gave us the problem in using 5ths to construct scales.
E - F is a semitone so that is fine, but looking at the A - B -C that is not.
In order for it to comply to T - T - ST - T - T - T - ST of a major scale, the A - B should be a ST and the B - C should be T.
By adding a flat (b) to the B we move it a semitone closer to the A and a semitone further from the C so now we have FGABb CDEF and the scale complies.
By adding one flat we create the key of F major.
Go to the 4th of F major and we get B, and of we go again.
In the same way we always altered the 7th with a sharp, we will always alter the 4th with a flat and continue till we get back to Cb major which will use seven flats as it is a semitone lower that C major.
This brings in the conclusion that B major uses sharps and Cb major used flats to alter the same pitch with different consequences to the key.
It is the key that will determine whether en-harmonic notes use sharps or flats as we do note mix sharps and flats, as a rule, with in keys.
Since each new scale/key shares notes then so it will sound pleasing to use I IV V structures in songs and harmonise the major scale.
This simple lesson i hope has explained a few of the ideas used in music, and leaving you to complete the rest of the scales and keys will help teach you better about scales and keys if you write them out and work out where they should go and in what order.
The sharps are ordered as F C G D A E B, The flats are B E A D G C F....read forward for sharp, read backward for flats........see the patterns in it all to understand and learn the construction rather than try and memerise.
I was just gong to ask, I wonder how much easier this might be to learn on a piano.... but then I'm not playing piano
Funny you should say that. I'm just beginning to appreciate the keyboard as a learning tool. Being able to visualise the order of notes is dead easy compared to a fretboard. One tip I've quickly learnt though is to look at the back of the keys - that way you avoid making mistakes. Try it. Works for me.
Something else you may want to try - get some beginner/entry-level method books for the double-bass (and if you don't already know how to read standard notation, this'll help with that as well). Running scales up and down your bass will help you learn them, but to really internalize them and learn how they apply in music, playing simple melodies really helps you learn the sound. Just one example: play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" - the melody is every note in the major scale except scale-degree 7. Do this in every key, and you'll start to really internalize how the scale sounds, not just patterns on the fingerboard.
Most beginner books for classical bass use very simple etudes and melodies that stay in one key and use a very clear harmonic structure, which is why I suggest them.
Most beginner books for classical bass use very simple etudes and melodies that stay in one key and use a very clear harmonic structure, which is why I suggest them.
Great post Fergie. Thanks for taking the time to put that together. Your contributions to this forum are invaluable.
Dennis
Dennis
Lot of piano players that teach themselves use only the black keys. Asked why they will say things like; well it just looked like the right thing to do.
the sticky thread on PacMan's sure fire scale practice method is gold for this.
Once you realize that all bass scales are the same shape starting in different places (symmetric)
this becomes a matter of simply learning the shapes of the 12 intervals of the major scale.
Cheers, but like many who post teaching material it is just "cut 'n'paste", so it takes no time to post. But once you learn your scales how should you practice them?
As Mambo4 points out, pacmans sure fire scale practice, is a great place to start.
I use the same idea, play any Major Scale from the lowest available scale note, not neccesarlly from the root, to the highest note available.
This can take you over two+ octaves, so if you are paying attention to what you play you will play and hear the notes of triads, arpeggios, modes, so a relative natural minor scale, chord tones and extensions.
So playing a C major scale in this way gives you more than just "scale running"....it requres you to think anout what you play and question what you hear...... not bad learning from playing one major scale of the 12 available. And as this is just basic beginner stuff it gives a great foundation to build on whatever will come a players way.
By the way follow the link for Jeff Berlin's Chord Tone method, now available as a free download though out the net it seems.
The info is not new, but rather presented and endorsed by Jeff in his simple no-nonsense style.
Use the chord tone presentation frameworks and apply your scales to them.
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