On Feb 25, 7:03 am, Dylan <DDawso...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Hans and David, you both refer to
>
> FCGDAEB
>
> I don't really understand this, or the significance of the circle of
> fifths, can you please explain it with reference to this other webpage
> that I found? I don't understand how to read the second column of the
> table referring to key signatures.
>
> http://jmdl.com/howard/music/keys_scales.html
>
> > > Why does the minor scale have flattened 3rd, 6th and 7th notes?
>
> > It has a minor 3rd instead of a major 3rd. This is (principally) what
gives
> > it its minor character.
>
> > The 6th and 7th are fluid in a minor key; they are "flattened" in the
> > "natural minor" scale. Standard key signatures were designed for the
> > major mode; the minor mode sits fairly uneasily with them because of
the
> > different 6ths and 7ths. So when you talk about "flattened 6ths and
7ths",
> > you are taking as a reference point an arbitrary major scale. This
is
> > commonly done, but not really a good idea because minor keys are in no
sense
> > newer or less im****tant than major keys. You may as well ask why
major
> > keys have sharpened 3rd 6th and 7th notes - it would be just as valid.
>
> This is new to me, but I understand it, you have made a good point.
>
> Thank you both
> Dylan
Before it gets too complicated:
A scale is basically a set of notes that is used to create many kinds
of music. Theoretically, a scale can be of any number of notes, but
the most common are Pentatonic scales (5 notes generally, but not
limited to, the black keys of the piano, or the white notes of CDE
GA) and 7 note scales that are in general use in Western culture
commonly known as Major and Minor (and of course the modal, altered
and other variations of these notes for various reasons).
One of the characteristics of scales is that they GENERALLY imply a
key or tonality. This is not always the case, as something like the
Whole tone scale and I am sure someone will include the chromatic
scale, may be used to avoid having a clearly defined tonality. But in
general, a scale will have a TONIC. This is where the scales get their
names. The white notes from C to C (repeated notes are of course not
counted as new notes) are generally called the C Major scale. This is
really by definition and could be called anything, but that is what we
have settled on. There is a specific arrangement of half and whole
tones in this pattern that has the definition of Major. One of these
patterns create the presence of the Major 3rd interval above the
tonic. In general, this third's color determines the major/minor
aspect of the scale. Using the white notes, the "rotations" or "modes"
using these same notes can produce the C maj Scale, the F Lydian Mode
and the G Mixolydian Mode. These are generally considered Major
because of the Major 3rd above the tonic. If you use this same set of
notes, and start from the A D and E you get the A minor (pure form or
Aeolean mode) the D dorian mode and the E phrygian mode. These are
generally considered Minor scales or modes because the 3rd above tonic
is a minor third.
The most popular scales are considered to be the Major and Minor
scales. On the white notes, this would be the C major and the A minor
(Aeolean) scales. Further definitions allow for two other forms of the
Minor scale. The A minor scale is considered to be in the Harmonic
form if the 7th degree of the scale, the G is raised to G# to
accommodate the Major V chord and if the 6th degree is also raised,
the Melodic Minor form is produced (A B C D E F# G#) but in
traditional Classical music, this only occurs when the notes are
ascending, and revert to the pure or Aeolean when the melodic pattern
is descending.
The combinations of notes that can produce scales are very high, but
in actual usage, the number that have been used is a much more
manageable number with Major and Minor being the most common in
general usage.
The difference from a scale and a set of notes such as a Tone Row, or
music that will use various numbers of notes in specific orders are
just that. A scale is usually presented for study as a series of notes
that fall inside of one octave (yes, there are cultures that expand
this to 2 or more octaves, but will not be addressed here at this
time) These notes are 'chosen' at the will of the composer and placed
in an order that creates the melody that he wants to present as his
music. There are no rules as to how many times any note may occur or
when they may occur or which has to come first or follow. The scale is
simply a set of notes that may be selected in any order, any sequence
or in any number ocurrences and although the scale is usually
presented in one octave, there is no restriction as to the range of
the melody or the skips involved. The scale is always reduced to the
octave for study, but not necessarily for use.
There are, of course, conventions that guide the use of the scales for
various genres of music. The melodic lines may of course be combined
and may produce harmonic structures. Harmonic structures may be build
from scales, usually, but not limited to, tertian harmony formed by
skipping a note to produce thirds stacked upon each other. Harmony can
be generated both by this method as well as by the interaction of
melodic lines producing tones sounding at the same time.
Each genre of music, then has conventions that help to produce
patterns that deal with tonality, melodic styles and many other
factors that produce certain recognizable patterns that we call styles
or genres, but the Scale is merely a tool that we use in certain ways
to build many styles of music.
A single piece of music may also change the scale, or the tonality and
return (or not) or the scale may be 'transposed' keeping the same
pattern played with a different center or tonality, this is called
modulation, and the same scale pattern will then have the name of its
new center with the appropriate modifier for its definition.
So, in the end, a scale is simply a definition of a musical tool
consisting of a number of notes that are used in certain ways to build
musical ideas. It is no more or no less. They are extremely useful
tools. The learning of the scale definitions can help the
understanding of a whole lot of music. Scales can be used to define
harmonies, keys an tonalities. The finger patterns needed to play
scales are very valuable when learning to play music that uses scales.
Their use is much simpler to see in practice than to talk about. And
you will probably have this talked to death again here, but just try
to remember that scales are tools that we use to create music. It is
only one of the tools, but they are very im****tant tools. Many of the
most popular tunes are created with one simple scale that is the basis
for both the melody and the harmony. Once you have a feeling for what
a scale is, then theory starts to define the various differences that
are used in various cir***stances to allow scales to be used to create
distinctive styles that seem to have much greater differences than
they actually may have when you learn these different ways of applying
this simple tool in various settings.
I don't know if this will be of an immediate help, but if you can keep
this into perspective and not get off into many of the tangents that
may pop up, you will see that scales are a pretty simple concept but
they can take on lots of different forms. Remember what they are and
what they are not and you will find it easier to stay on the path to
understanding them.
LJS
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