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Im trying to understand this

Synthax

Synthax

Nov 20, 2011
68
0
SW PA
#1
Hi guys, im sorry to bother you all, but i've searched the site as best I could and I cant seem to find the answer i'm looking for.
First a bit about me, I just bought a 4 string Bass and am attempting to learn some on my own, due to the way i work (3 jobs) lessons are not a possibility at the moment. I've been plugging away trying to get everything in order and have been practicing some very basic exercises to get fingering and plucking down etc.

The difficulty im having is understanding scales etc. I read on this page

CyberfretBass.com - Theory for Electric Bass: Major Scale Construction

part way down it says this "This same pattern can be applied to any set of 8 consecutive notes. For example if the natural notes between G-G were written, F would have to be raised a half step to F sharp in order to create the formula needed to make a major scale."

Now i cant for the life of me figure out why it goes to F sharp instead of F . Im a musical noob and all this is greek to me. Im doing my very best to soak it all in but i have a few areas like this i may need your help with. Thank you for any advice you can lend and I truly appreciate your help

Neil
 
#2
The 7th note of a major scale is a half step below the 8th. Since the top note is G, one half step below that would be F#...F would be a whole step below G.

Incidentally, in the key of G major, there's one sharp. You guessed it, F#.
 
#4
A major scale is a sound, not a finger pattern. A whole step is the SOUND of two notes two frets apart. A half-step us the sound of notes one fret apart. A diatonic major scale is built by the pattern of W W H W W W H. By definition the key of C has no sharps or flats. When you build the scale you use each letter (A - G) once and only once.

So, putting these things together, a C major scale has to be C D E F G A B C. It the follows that the distance between each natural note is a whole step except for E to F, and B to C. Don't even try to go further if this isn't clear to you.

So, how to make a G scale? Use each note once and you get G A B C D E F G. Is this a G major? Let's check... Remember W W H W W W H
G to A is a whole step, that's OK
A to B is a whole step, so that one is good too.
We need a half step next, and B to C is a half step so we're good.
C to D is a whole step and that's OK.
D to E is right also.
Now we need a whole step. Except E to F is only a half step, so we need the note between F and G. We call it F# because we've already used G and haven't used F yet.
F# to G is a half step and we're done

Now because the major scale is exactly the same distance between the notes, only the starting point varies, that means the fingerings patterns can be the same, only the starting point changes.

John
 
#7
You may not like the title, but the Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory is an EXCELLENT book, well written, good material. It will cover a lot of the theory you would want to learn. I say go buy it and take Jimmy's advice to just go through it slowly.
 

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