Scales
Scale Modes (Modal) information (not on staff paper yet)
Lydian - Mixolydian - Dorian
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, aeolian and locrian will all be covered.
The Key music is written in is based on Sharps, or Flats, or nothing. If a piece of music has no sharps or flats then it is simply referred to as being in the key of C. or Concert C (which if you are playing on a different instrument is transposed to the respective key your instrument is in)
The order of sharps that are used are:
| Sharps: F C G D A E B | |
This may look slightly confusing but let's break it down into two parallel lists
| List1: F G A B | Basically, when you add sharps you first pick the first one from the top list, then the first from the bottom list, then back to the top list. These notes are in order as you can see. |
| List2: C D E |
To determine the Key you are playing in with Sharps you simple select the next note up from the last Sharp added.
So if you add a F#, the key is G.
add a F# & C#, the key is D
add a F#,C#, G#, D# & A# the key is B
add a F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, & B# the key is C#
| Flats: B E A D G C F |  |
Once again, we will break it down into two parallel lines.
| List1: B A G F | This list is basically the sharps in reverse order. Basically, when you add flats you first pick the first one from the top list, then the first from the bottom list, then back to the top list. These notes are in order as you can see. |
| List2: E D C |
To determine the Key you are playing in with Flats you simple select the previous Flat that was added. The only exception to this is when you add one Flat (Bb), then the key is F (which happens to be the last Flat added).
So if you add a Bb the key is F.
add a Bb & Eb the key is Bb,
add a Bb, Eb, Ab, & Db the key is Ab.
add a Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, & Fb the key is Ab.
The method we add sharps or flats to a key signature is more commonly known as the Circle of Fifths. The circle of fifths is simply all Keys laid out in a circle
G D A E B F# C# - a fifth is the number of steps (including the root) from one key to the next. So, there is a fifth between the key of G and D. G(1), A(2), B(3), C(3) & D(4). This works for sharps going forward and flats going backwards.
Before we move on, Major Scales are based on two tetrachords with the interval of a whole tone or step between. Therefore, a major scale is a progression of eight notes to the octave, which follows the following pattern:
Ascending: WWHWWWH
Descending: HWWWHWW
Also, with the understanding of the Scales you may now understand the Circle of Keys, or Circle of Fifths
Major Scales [back to the top]
You can play these scales one octave (as shown) or two or more octaves). Or take them up or lower them an octave. These examples will work for all instruments.
Interval = WWHWWWH Mode=Ionian
Minor Scales [back to the top]
Minor scales have the 6th and 7th steps up half a step - or sharpened. If it's a flat then it is naturalized. If it is already a sharp then it is a double sharp. Be careful to play them without the incidentals on the way down.
All Major and Minor keys have 8 pitches. or 8 steps.
The following will have note scales when completed. But you can easily figure them out per the descriptions.
Major Pentatonic [back to the top]
1, 2, 3 ,5 6
C Major - C, D, E, G, A, C
D Major - D, E, F#, A, B, D
Minor Pentatonic [back to the top]
5 noes, similar to standard blues scale but without the sharpened 4th
Based on CMinor - C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C
Base on GMinor - G, Bb, C, D ,F natural, G
Standard Blue Scales [back to the top]
The Standard Blues Scales has 6 pitches - 1, 3b, 4, 4#, 5, 7b.
Using the C Major as a base of the Standard Blues Scale would be C, Eb, F, F#, G, Bb
C - C D#-Eb F F#-Gb G A#-Bb
C#/Db - C#-Db E F#-Gb G G#-Ab B
D - D F G G#-Ab A C
D#/Eb - D#-Eb F#-Gb G#-Ab A A#-Bb C#-Db
E - E G A A#-Bb B D
F - F G#-Ab A#-Bb B C D#-Eb
F#/Eb - F#-Gb A B C C#-Db E
G - G A#-Bb C C#-Db D F
G#/Ab - G#-Ab B C#-Db D D#-Eb F#-Gb
A - A C D D#-Eb E G
A#/Bb - A#-Bb C#-Db D#-Eb E F G#-Ab
B - B D E F F#-Gb A
Extended Blues Scales [back to the top]
The Extended Blues scales has 9 pitches - 1, 2, 3b, 3, 4, 4#, 5, 6, 7b, 8.
Using the C Major as a base the Extended Blues Scale would be C, D, Eb, E, F F#, G A, Bb, C
Ionian [back to the top]
C - C D E F G A B
C#/Db - C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb C
D - D E F#-Gb G A B C#-Db
D#/Eb - D#-Eb F G G#-Ab A#-Bb C D
E - E F#-Gb G#-Ab A B C#-Db D#-Eb
F- F G A A#-Bb C D E
F#/Gb - F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb F
G - G A B C D E F#-Gb
G#/Ab - G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb F G
A - A B C#-Db D E F#-Gb G#-Ab
A#/Bb - A#-Bb C D D#-Eb F G A
B - B C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb
Dorian [back to the top]
Use the Major Scales and the 3rd and 7th are flattened. So on a C Major the E is a Eb and the B is a Bb.
C - C D D#-Eb F G A A#-Bb
C#/Db - C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B
D - D E F G A B C
D#/Eb - D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db
E - E F#-Gb G A B C#-Db D
F - F G G#-Ab A#-Bb C D D#-Eb
F#/Eb - F#-Gb G#-Ab A B C#-Db D#-Eb E
G - G A A#-Bb C D E F
G#/Ab - G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb
A - A B C D E F#-Gb G
A#/Bb - A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb F G G#-Ab
B - B C#-Db D E F#-Gb G#-Ab A
Phrygian [back to the top]
C - C C#-Db D#-Eb F G G#-Ab A#-Bb
C#/Db - C#-Db D E F#-Gb G#-Ab A B
D - D D#-Eb F G A A#-Bb C
D#/Eb - D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db
E - E F G A B C D
F - F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb
F#/Eb - F#-Gb G A B C#-Db D E
G - G G#-Ab A#-Bb C D D#-Eb F
G#/Ab - G#-Ab A B C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb
A - A A#-Bb C D E F G
A#/Bb - A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab
B - B C D E F#-Gb G A
Lydian [back to the top]
Use the Major Scales and the 4th note is sharpened. So on a C Major the F is a F#
C - C D E F#-Gb G A B
C#/Db - C#-Db D#-Eb F G G#-Ab A#-Bb C
D - D E F#-Gb G#-Ab A B C#-Db
D#/Eb - D#-Eb F G A A#-Bb C D
E - E F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb
F - F G A B C D E
F#/Eb - F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb F
G - G A B C#-Db D E F#-Gb
G#/Ab - G#-Ab A#-Bb C D D#-Eb F G
A - A B C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab
A#/Bb - A#-Bb C D E F G A
B - B C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb
Mixolydian [back to the top]
Use the Major Scales and the 7th is flattened. So on a C Major the B is a Bb
C - C D E F G A A#-Bb
C#/Db - C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B
D - D E F#-Gb G A B C
D#/Eb - D#-Eb F G G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db
E - E F#-Gb G#-Ab A B C#-Db D
F - F G A A#-Bb C D D#-Eb
F#/Eb - F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb E
G - G A B C D E F
G#/Ab - G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb
A - A B C#-Db D E F#-Gb G
A#/Bb - A#-Bb C D D#-Eb F G G#-Ab
B - B C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab A
Aeolian [back to the top]
C - C D D#-Eb F G G#-Ab A#-Bb
C#/Db - C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab A B
D - D E F G A A#-Bb C
D#/Eb - D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db
E - E F#-Gb G A B C D
F - F G G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb
F#/Eb - F#-Gb G#-Ab A B C#-Db D E
G - G A A#-Bb C D D#-Eb F
G#/Ab - G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb
A - A B C D E F G
A#/Bb - A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab
B - B C#-Db D E F#-Gb G A
Locrian [back to the top]
C - C C#-Db D#-Eb F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb
C#/Db - C#-Db D E F#-Gb G A B
D - D D#-Eb F G G#-Ab A#-Bb C
D#/Eb - D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab A B C#-Db
E - E F G A A#-Bb C D
F - F F#-Gb G#-Ab A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb
F#/Eb - F#-Gb G A B C D E
G - G G#-Ab A#-Bb C C#-Db D#-Eb F
G#/Ab - G#-Ab A B C#-Db D E F#-Gb
A - A A#-Bb C D D#-Eb F G
A#/Bb - A#-Bb B C#-Db D#-Eb E F#-Gb G#-Ab
B - B C D E F G A
Lydian Augmented [back to the top]
C -
C#/Db -
D -
D#/Eb -
E -
F -
F#/Eb -
G -
G#/Ab -
A -
A#/Bb -
B -
Lydian b7 [back to the top]
Locrian #2 [back to the top]
Super Locrian [back to the top]
Whole Tone [back to the top]
===== TEMPLATE
C -
C#/Db -
D -
D#/Eb -
E -
F -
F#/Eb -
G -
G#/Ab -
A -
A#/Bb -
B -
For questions or comments about these Theory pages please contact Steve at stevesklar@gmail.com
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