On Feb 25, 1:28 am, Dylan <DDawso...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> It seems like sclaes theory is quite im****tant for playing improv. so
> I've got a few more newbie questions.
>
> If I know the scale in C, is there a rule I can learn for changing
> keys?
>
> Why does the minor scale have flattened 3rd, 6th and 7th notes?
>
> Kind regards
> Dylan
I would have to copy and paste half of my book -- THE PIANO LESSONS
BOOK -- to answer all you're asking about, but here is one excerpt
that should help on the subject of changing keys --
THE OUTLINE OF MUSIC
ANALYZING MUSIC
SUMMARY OF MODULATIONS
Now that you've studied some compositions and seen demonstrations of
modulations, here is a
summary of the most typical changes that occur in music:
1) From the Tonic Scale to a neighbor in the Circle of Fifths.
Examples:
a) A piece in the key of C Major would modulate to
G Major (F#s would appear)
or F Major (Bbs would appear).
b) Other possibilities of this type of change include both keys being
minor or one being
major and one being minor.
c) Also a change could be to the Relative Minor of a key neighboring
the Tonic Scale, such as
from C Major to E Minor (whose Relative Major is G Major -- G and C
being neighbors).
2) From the Tonic Key to its Relative Major or Relative Minor.
Examples:
a) A piece in the key of C Minor would modulate to Eb Major. No new
accidentals would
appear, though you would notice --
i) The melody sounding happy instead of sad;
ii) The melody would resolve (sound concluded) on the note Eb instead
of the note C;
iii) The principal chords would likely be the
I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the Eb Major Scale: Eb, Ab and Bb
instead of the I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the C Minor Scale:
Normal Minor: Cm, Fm and Gm;
Harmonic Minor: Cm, Fm and G;
Melodic Minor: Cm, F and G.
b) A piece in the key of C Major would modulate to A Minor:
For the Normal Minor
i) no new accidentals would appear;
ii) you would notice the melody sounding sad instead of happy;
iii) the melody would resolve on the note A instead of the note C;
iv) the principal chords would likely be the
I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the A Normal Minor Scale: Am, Dm and
Em
instead of the I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the C Major Scale: C,
F and G.
For the Harmonic Minor
i) you would see G#s;
ii) you would notice the melody sounding sad and oriental instead of
happy;
iii) the melody would resolve on the note A instead of the note C;
iv) the principal chords would likely be the
I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the A Harmonic Minor Scale: Am, Dm
and E
instead of the I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the C Major Scale: C,
F and G.
For the Melodic Minor
i) you would see F#s and G#s;
ii) you would notice the melody sounding sad on notes 1 through 4
and happy on notes 5 through 8 instead of happy on notes 1 through 8;
iii) the melody would resolve on the note A instead of the note C;
iv) the principal chords would likely be the
I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the A Melodic Minor Scale: Am, D and
E
instead of the I Chord, IV Chord and V Chord for the C Major Scale: C,
F and G.
3) a) From the Tonic Major to the Tonic Minor or
b) From the Tonic Minor to the Tonic Major.
Examples:
a) A piece in the key of C Major would modulate to C Minor.
For the Normal Minor you would see flats in front of B, E and A;
For the Harmonic Minor you would see flats in front of E and A;
For the Melodic Minor you would see a flat in front of E.
b) A piece in the key of C Minor would modulate to C Major.
From the Normal Minor you would see naturals in front of B, E and A;
From the Harmonic Minor you would see naturals in front of E and A;
From the Melodic Minor you would see a natural in front of E.
4) Up one half-step from the present scale.
Example: A piece in the key of C Major would modulate to C# Major or
Db Major.
The half-step modulation was made famous in the 1958 song Rock and
Roll Is Here To Stay,
composed and sung by Danny and The Juniors -- in the final verse the
key changes from G to Ab to
A. Two decades later Barry Manilow made the half-step modulation one
of his trademarks, using it in
many of the songs he composed and recorded.
Work all these examples through on the piano playing the scales and
principal chords. With your
understanding of modulations, you can take each composition you would
like to learn, write in the
key changes and chord symbols, and think of the progressions taking
place as you are memorizing
small, manageable sections.
Neil Miller, author of THE PIANO LESSONS BOOK
Enter in Amazon.com search: Neil Miller Piano Lessons Book
OR http://www.createspace.com/3332371
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