music theory unplugged scales - open2study theory... · music theory unplugged ... the chord scale...

Music theory Unplugged By Dr. David Salisbury

Scales THE KEY IS THE KEY!!! This is a mantra pronounced in my classes all the time and so an explanation is in order to explain why this is so important a concept to get across to an average class of students and to you the reader. My first private tuition teacher taught me the joys of playing the trumpet. He was a professional musician who worked for the city of Long Beach California in the Long Beach City Band whose job it was to play for various events throughout the year in parks, at dedications, for holidays and at all of the schools from primary on up through high school. He was a model and an example that taught me that there was more than one way to make a living as a professional musician. One of the first things that he taught me was the names and theory of ‘KEYS’. In the early days when ‘jamming’ with other musicians usually there was no written music maybe just a chord chart if that. One of the first questions was what was the ‘KEY’ of the music we were playing? Sometimes the musicians didn’t know so and you would have to figure it out by playing along and finding out what notes were good, what notes weren’t and what note did the music seem to keep coming back to. Once you had figured that out it was possible to apply the theory of ‘KEYS’ and know what ‘KEY’ the music was in, which was an advantage over other musicians who didn’t know or were just guessing. Now after forty years of using this one simple concept it is easy to see the significance of this founding principle of music theory and practice. Barrie Nettles in his book, The Chord Scale Theory & Jazz Harmony states:

The central point of tonal music is major-minor harmony. It developed circa 1650 and is still a determinant in music. It is based on the equal tempered tuning, which allows one to transpose and play music in all keys. In connection with the development of the major scale a new harmony was formed (Nettles & Graf, 1997, Advance Music, Rottenburg).

So what does this all mean? It means that the understanding of these concepts allows musicians the ability to utilize and move from one tonal area to another and points to a primary relationship in music today, the major-minor relationship. The problem with following the major-minor theory exclusively is that it creates problems further on when trying deal with chords that fall outside of the normal major-minor relationships and interestingly many of today’s popular songs do just that. So in order to establish a more unified theory you are going to be introduced to the Key, Modal Scale, Altered Modal Scale theory that will recast some of the original major-minor theory in a new light and discard some of it as well.


In the past it was taught that there are fifteen (15) major keys and fifteen (15) minor keys. We are going to reduce this to just the fifteen (15) major keys only because this text proposes that the fifteen (15) minor keys are just major keys starting on a different tonic, in other words modes. In this system the proposed hierarchy would be (see Example 1.15): Keys Modal Scales Altered Modal Scales (Example 1.15) In this model there still the fifteen (15) major keys, but in contrast to the major-minor theoretical model the next concept you learn are the seven (7) modal scales that occur in each of the fifteen (15) keys and then the most common altered modal scales of one of those modal scales to create two (2) of the minor scales widely used in today’s music. Using this model it is possible to explain all aspects of the tonal harmony that contemporary music is based on including Keys, Modes, Scales, Intervals, Melody, Harmony, Chords and Chord Progressions.

1.1.1 The Overtone or Harmonic Series The fifteen keys are based on a principle of altering certain pitches or tones in a series or sequence that create a uniform pattern of distances between each pitch or tone. What do we mean by distance? When we hear a pitch say A 440 what we are saying is that the sound that we are hearing is vibrating at 440 cycles per second. If we then play the next higher 'A' this would be vibrating at a rate of 880 cycles per second and we perceive the difference between the two different A’s as a distance because one sounds higher than the other. This makes sense because if you just visualize the top of your head in relation to the floor that you are standing on it is measured in height or distance, 187.5 cm in my case. One way of visualizing a vibrating source is to take a guitar and pluck the lowest ‘E’ string rather hard and notice that it moves rapidly back and forth or vibrates so fast so that you can not see the string clearly any more. Pythagoras in Greek times realized the basic principles of vibration and created a theorem to explain it. His theorem shows that if a vibration is doubled in value or speed then it will produce a tone of similar sound in what we now call an octave differential. So that ‘A’ 440 if increased to 880 will produce the next higher ‘A’. He went on to explain that if the vibrating source is divided into specific ratios then you can produce all of the other pitches available to us in the tonal system we use today so that in essence every pitch contains all other pitches in at some level so that following overtone or harmonic series is produced using the pitch ‘C’ as the starting pitch (see Example 1.16):


C..C..G..C..E..G..Bb..C..D..E..F#..G…A..Bb..B..C..C#..D..D#..E..F..F# 1..2…3..4…5..6…7…8..9..10..11..12.13..14..15.16.17..18.19..20.21.22 (Example 1.16a) Below (see Example 1.16b) is the same series mapped out on the Bass and Treble staves. Note that in the first four partials of the series the distance between notes is much larger. Eventually this will come in to play again when we begin voicing chords as smaller distances in the lower ranges sound muddy or unpleasing to the ear.

(Example 1.16b) If you just look at all of the ‘C’s in the above series you will notice that they occur on numbers (1,2,4,8 & 16) in other words the number doubles each time the pitch occurs again. Now look at the two ‘G’s and you will see that they occur on (6 & 12) so again it doubles. Same with the ‘E’s (5, 10 & 20), the ‘Bb’s (7 & 14), the ‘D’s (9 & 18) and if you doubled the ‘F#’ (11) the next time occurs it would be the number 22! As you can see after the 14th overtone the series then progresses in semi-tone increments.

1.1.2 Accidentals and Enharmonic Spellings The above discussion has inadvertently introduced two new signs the flat sign (b) and the sharp sign (#). We have already introduced the term equal tempered which simple put means that the tonal music system we have use for the last several centuries uses a tuning system call equal tempered that divides the octave into 12 equal divisions so that from ‘C1’ to ‘C2’ there are twelve different pitches before returning to the next octave of the pitch you started on. Now we have already established that we only use seven (7) letters, so how do you get twelve (12) different pitches? The example below shows an octave on the piano and the corresponding letters above or below the keys (see Example 1.17) 2 4 7 9 11


C# D# F# G# A# Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C C D E F G A B C B# Fb E# Cb B# 1 3 5 6 8 10 12 1 (Example 1.17) In (Example 1.17) the letters C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C all occur on the white keys of the piano which is eight letters with the eighth letter a return to the first letter. However if we count all of the ‘keys’ black and white from ‘C’ as shown, then there are twelve ‘keys’ before coming back to ‘C’ again. The distance between each ‘key’ if we do not skip any ‘key’ is a semi-tone or half step this type of series is known as a chromatic scale. By just using the letters of the white keys only C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C we then get the foundation of Keys, Modes and Scales. To put it another way if we use the symbol П this will represent a tone or whole-step and if a use the symbol /\ this will represent a semi-tone or half step. The following is the tone and semi-tone relationship of a major KEY (see Example 1.18). П П /\ П П П /\ C D E F G A B C (Example 1.18) In (Example 1.17) you can see that all of the ‘black keys’ have two letters attached to them. The principle of accidentals is that if you are required to raise a pitch or letter by a semi-tone or half step you use the (#) symbol and then play the adjoining ‘key’ or pitch right above it. If you are required to lower a pitch or letter by a semi-tone or half-stem you the use the (b) symbol and then play the adjoining ‘key’ or pitch right below it. Note also that the pitch or letters B, C, E, and F on the white keys also have two names the problem is that there is no black key between these white keys to use for a corresponding accidental. We call these notes ‘enharmonic’ meaning a note that has two spellings so that C’s other name is B#. Essentially all of the ‘black keys’ are enharmonically spelled with two names and this can be taken even further if we start to add ‘Double Flats’ and ‘Double Sharps’. For example referring back to (Example 1.17) if you were required to ‘Double Flat’ A then you would lower that pitch by two semi-tones and end up on G, which is now enharmonically spelled Abb similarly if you were required to ‘Double Sharp’ G the you would raise that pitch by two semi-tone and end up on A which is now enharmonically spelled Gx (the x represents ‘Double Sharp’ instead of ##).


It is now possible to introduce you to the fifteen (15) major keys! First let us restate that the key of C is built on all white keys and has no sharps or flats in other words no accidentals. Refer to (Example 1.17) and see that the tone semi-tone pattern is tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone semi-tone and to use the symbols already established П П /\ П П П /\. If we start a series on G and leave all of the pitches or letter un-altered it would end up like the following: П П /\ П П /\ П G A B C D E F G Notice that between the sixth and seventh pitches or letters there is a semi-tone where there should be a whole-tone and that between the seventh and the eighth pitches of letters there is a whole-tone where there should be a semi-tone. The solution is to raise the F to F# therefore creating the distance of a whole-tone between the sixth and the seventh pitches or letters and reducing the distance between the seventh and the eighth pitches and letters to a semi-tone. Now the sequence looks like the following: П П /\ П П П /\ G A B C D E F# G In short the use of accidentals when creating a series on a new starting pitch is to ensure that the distances are uniform to the pattern of tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone semi-tone. This would be the same for the use of flats for example: П П /\ П П П /\ F G A Bb C D E F If B had remained un-altered then the distance between the third and fourth pitches or letters would have been too big and the distance between the fourth and fifth pitches or letters would have been too small. Many Australian students come into my class and can name the order of sharps and flats thus: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B# and Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb and probably have a saying like with the ‘lines’ and ‘spaces’ such as Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle for the order of sharps. The problem with this is that although they can rattle off three (3) sharps F#, C# and G# they don’t know that the ‘KEY’ of three (3) sharps is the ‘KEY’ of A because the cycle of ‘Sharp Keys’ starts on G so consequently they don’t know what the tonic or starting pitch is and therefore can’t utilize this information more thoroughly. Now it is possible to show you that there are seven ‘Sharp Keys’ and seven ‘Flat Keys’ with the ‘Key of C’ having no sharps or flats so fifteen (15) ‘Keys’ in total. So one way to remember them is to do a similar process to the ‘lines’ at the beginning of this chapter and give each letter a name to build up


a phrase. My teacher taught me the phrase Good Deeds Are Ever Beautiful Flowers Continually; however one student came up with a phrase that was a bit more fun (see Example 1.19). The Seven Sharp Keys: 1 2 3 4 5 // 6 7 G orrillas D on’t A lways E at B aboons // F# or C# holesteral 3 4 5 6 7 // 1 2 (Example 1.19) Starting at the beginning of the line with (G) or G orrillas, each letter represents a ‘KEY’ so the seven (7) sharp ‘KEYS’ are G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#, pay special attention to the fact that the first five (5) sharp ‘KEYS’ are just the letters themselves but that the last two (2) sharp ‘KEYS’ are F sharp F# and C sharp C#. Now notice the numbers above the letters. These numbers indicate how many sharps occur in each ‘KEY’, so the ‘KEY’ of B has five (5) sharps and is the fifth letter or word in the line. So the relationship of number of sharps to ‘KEY’ has to do with position or when the letter or word occurs in the line. Now look at the numbers below the letters or words and see that (1) occurs under (F#) after the slash that divides the line. To apply these number to the example of the ‘KEY’ of B with five (5) sharps, to find what notes are sharp, start with F# and count off five letters or words, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#. Let’s see how this applies to the ‘KEY’ of B. First we will create a series starting on B and analyze the distances between each pitch or letter and then insert the five sharps name above to see if they correct the problems created (see Example 1.20a & b) /\ ∏ ∏ /\ ∏ ∏ ∏ B C D E F G A B (Example 1.20a) So the pattern of tone and semi-tones is wrong, but when we insert the correct number and pitch or letters of accidentals the following pattern is produced with the numbers under the letters corresponding with the order of their occurrence. ∏ ∏ /\ ∏ ∏ ∏ ∏ B C# D# E F# G# A# B 2 4 1 3 5 (Example 1.20b) Now we have the correct pattern of tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone semi-tone. The seven ‘Flat Keys’ can be demonstrated in a similar fashion and we can use the phrase my teacher used (see Example 1.22)


The Seven Flat Keys: 1 // 2 3 4 5 6 7 F at // Bb oys Eb at Ab pple Db umplings Gb reedily Cb ontinually 7 // 1 2 3 4 5 6 (Example 1.22) Pleas note that the letters are F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb in the ‘Flat Keys’ all of the letters except F have a flat name such as B flat (Bb) in a similar way to the ‘Sharp Keys’ phrase. The same procedure applies to this phrase and that is by beginning with the letter or word F at the position of each word in the phrase signifies the number of flats so that Db umplings is the fifth word in the phrase and subsequently has five flats. To name off the flats as they occur in order simply start with Bb that occurs after the slash using the numbers below the letters. So the ‘KEY’ of Db would have the following configuration (see Example 1.23) ∏ ∏ /\ ∏ ∏ ∏ /\ Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db 4 2 5 3 1 4 (Example 1.23) This process makes perfect sense if you notice that there are three (3) ‘Keys’ that start with the letter C and that if C has no sharp and flats then C# would have seven or all pitches sharp because if you raise C by a semi-tone you would have to raise all of the letters by a semi-tone in order to maintain the whole-tone and semi-tone pattern. The following grid shows all fifteen of the keys with the correct alterations to create the proper distances between all of the pitches or letters (see Grid 1.0). П П /\ П П П /\ C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C# F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# B C# D# E F# G# A# B E F# G# A B C# D# E A B C# D E F# G# A D E F# G A B C# D G A B C D E F# G C D E F G A B C F G A Bb C D E F Bb C D Eb F G A Bb Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db


Gb Ab Bb C Db Eb F Gb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb (Grid 1.0) In summary the principle of ‘KEYS’ is to insert the right number of accidentals to the right pitch or letter to create the correct tone and semi-tone pattern. When this information is placed on the musical staff it is then called the Key Signature telling the player what notes to alter. The placement of these accidentals follows the order in which they occur in the original line when naming them starting with if it is sharps the letter F# (see Example 1.21). (Insert example 1.21 – sharps on bass and treble clefs) You would not see a Key Signature that had both sharps and flats because no such Key Signature exits in the normal music we play in today’s styles.

1.1.3 Modes and Key Relationships THE SECRET WORLD OF MODES!!! Often in a theory class when the subject of modes comes up students will groan or make other audible sounds indicating their apprehension about delving into this topic area. It is my belief that in contemporary music today modes and modality play a critical role in creating the ‘hooks’ that make a ‘number one’ song popular and or establish the ‘emotional mood’ of a song or composition. So in contrast to classical theory that relegates modes to some distant period of the past such as medieval or Greek times, contemporary music theory dictates that we emphasize these structures due to the interconnectivity of modes to melody, harmony, chords and chord progressions. Having stated earlier that each ‘KEY’ has seven modes, we will now show you the relationship of modes to the ‘KEYs’. The seven modes are Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. We have established that the ‘KEY’ of C has no sharp or flats and is represented by the letter series: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C that has the tone, semi-tone pattern of ∏ ∏ /\ ∏ ∏ ∏ /\. This same series is also called the Ionian Modal Scale. So each of the ‘KEYs’ is also an Ionian Modal Scale. One of the ways that modes have been displayed in the past is the following (see Example 1.24) П П /\ П П П /\ C D E F G A B C = Ionian = MAJOR П /\ П П П /\ П D E F G A B C D = Dorian = MINOR /\ П П П /\ П П E F G A B C D E = Phrygian = MINOR


П П П /\ П П /\ F G A B C D E F = Lydian = MAJOR П П /\ П П /\ П G A B C D E F G = Mixolydian = MAJOR П /\ П П /\ П П A B C D E F G A = Aeolian = MINOR /\ П П /\ П П П B C D E F G A B = Locrian = DIMINISHED (Example 1.24) The problem with this type of explanation is that the ‘KEY’ is the constant and not the starting pitch or tonic. In contemporary music as stated earlier it is often the case that we use chords and melodic notes from ‘outside’ of the ‘KEY’ and in that situation you would unable to assign the correct mode to the chord because every chord has a corresponding mode which is called the ‘chord scale’. So if we re-drew the above example with each mode starting on the tonic ‘C’ with the related ‘KEY’ its distance from the tonic ‘C’ after the modal name it would look like the following (see Example 1.25). П П /\ П П П /\ C D E F G A B C = Ionian = Same as ‘KEY’ П /\ П П П /\ П C D Eb F G A Bb C = Dorian = Bb (⇩ one whole tone) /\ П П П /\ П П C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C = Phrygian = Ab (⇩ two whole tones) П П П /\ П П /\ C D E F# G A B C = Lydian = G (⇩ two whole & one semi-tones) П П /\ П П /\ П C D E F G A Bb C = Mixolydian = F (⇩ three whole & one semi-tones) П /\ П П /\ П П C D Eb F G Ab Bb C = Aeolian = Eb (⇧ one whole & one semi-tones) /\ П П /\ П П П


C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C = Locrian = Db (⇧ semi-tone) (Example 1.25)

1.1.4 Intervals and Labeling of Pitches In (Example 1.25) it is easy to see the distance of the related ‘KEY’ it’s from the tonic ‘C’. The distance is described in whole tone and semi-tone terminology. There is quicker way to describe distance and that is with intervals. The example above started with the ‘KEY’ of ‘C’ also known as the ‘C’ Ionian Modal Scale that started a series on ‘C’ and used all seven letters and returned to ‘C’. We will now call each letter a degree and number them from one to eight the eighth being the return to the starting letter an octave higher. The term octave is another way of saying eight (see Example 1.26). C D E F G A B C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (Example 1.26) Now we have eight degrees 1 – 8, which means if we want to find the third degree of a ‘C’ series then start on ‘C’ and counting ‘C’ as one, count up to the third letter or degree which is ‘E’ and is some kind of third and in this case a major third. If we start on ‘E’ and counting ‘E’ as one, count up three letters and come to the letter ‘G’ but this time it is a minor third. This points to the concept that there are qualities of intervals. The three main qualities of intervals are major, minor and perfect. The term perfect comes from the discussion earlier about the harmonic series that uses Pythagoras’ theorem and produces the perfect fifth interval. As stated before, we use a tempered tuning system so seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths are slightly higher or lower in pitch to create the twelve even semi-tones. In the case of the Ionian Modal Scale also known as the Major Scale each interval counting from the tonic ‘C’ is either major or perfect (see Example 1.27). C – C = perfect unison – P1 = same note C – D = major second – M2 = one whole tone C – E = major third – M2 = two whole tones C – F = perfect fourth – P4 = two whole & one semi-tones C – G = perfect fifth – P5 = three whole & one semi-tones C – A = major sixth – M6 = four whole & one semi-tones C – B = major seventh – M7 = five whole & one semi-tones


C – C = perfect octave – P8 = six whole tones (Example 1.27) In contemporary music theory we use the Ionian Modal Scale or the major scale as the basis for labelling each pitch using the numbering system in (Example 1.26) so if we have an interval that is not major and is one semi-tone lower for example the minor third already mentioned it would then be one whole & one semi-tones in distance and would be labelled as flat three (b3). For perfect intervals such as fourths, fifths and octaves the lowering by a semi-tone creates a diminished (as in to make smaller) interval so if we lowered the perfect fifth C – G by a semi-tone to C – Gb it then becomes a diminished fifth. If we raise a perfect interval by a semi-tone it then becomes an augmented (as in to make larger) interval so if we raised the perfect fifth C – G by a semi-tone to C – G# it then becomes an augmented fifth. This can occur on major and minor intervals as well. Below are the most common intervals (see Grid 1.1). Pitches Label Interval Quality Distance C – C 1 Unison Perfect 0 - Tones C – C# #1 Unison Augmented 1 semi-tone C – Db b2 Second Minor 1 semi-tone C – D 2 Second Major 1 whole-tone C – D# #2 Second Augmented 1.5 tones C – Eb b3 Third Minor 1.5 tones C – E 3 Third Major 2 whole-tones C – F 4 Fourth Perfect 2.5 tones C – F# #4 Fourth Augmented 3 whole-tones C – Gb b5 Fifth Diminished 3 whole-tones C – G 5 Fifth Perfect 3.5 tones C – G# #5 Fifth Augmented 4 tones C – Ab b6 Sixth Minor 4 whole-tones C – A 6 Sixth Major 4.5 tones C – Bbb bb7 Seventh Diminished 4.5 tones C – Bb b7 Seventh Minor 5 whole-tones C – B 7 Seventh Major 5.5 tones C – Cb b8 Octave Diminished 5.5 tones C – C 8 Octave Perfect 6 whole-tones (Grid 1.1)


1.1.5 Scales or Alterations of Natural Modes Finally we can introduce the concept of scales. Scales in the system currently being outlined are alterations of a naturally occurring mode. In the major-minor theory traditionally presented to theory students the Ionian and Aeolian modes are identified as the MAJOR SCALE and MINOR SCALE of each of the fifteen ‘KEYS’. These two scales are then called the relative major and relative minor scales of each ‘KEY’ and related because they both use the SAME ‘KEY’. These two scales are usually described in the following fashion. In the ‘KEY’ of ‘C MAJOR’ the scale built on the tonic ‘C’ is the ‘C’ MAJOR SCALE and in the ‘KEY’ of ‘A MINOR’, which uses the same accidentals of no sharps and no flats, the scale built on the tonic ‘A’ is the ‘A’ MINOR SCALE. The normal process for finding the related minor ‘KEY’ and ‘SCALE’ is to start on the tonic ‘C’ and count up to the sixth degree ‘A’ and start a new series to create the following ‘A’ MINOR SCALE (see Example 1.28). П /\ П П /\ П П A B C D E F G A 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8 (Example 1.28) We call this the ‘A’ NATURAL OR PURE MINOR SCALE, because it has not been altered and still retains the same accidentals to it’s related ‘KEY’ of ‘C’ MAJOR, which in this case has no sharps and no flats. The confusion in all of this is the premise that there is now a ‘MAJOR KEY’ and a ‘MINOR KEY’ that use the same accidentals, which in this case is no sharps and no flats. It is because of this potential for confusion that the proposed system in this text is the ‘KEY, MODE, SCALE’ system or theory that has the fifteen (15) ‘KEYS’, seven (7) modes for each ‘KEY’ and ‘SCALES’ that are alterations of a specific mode, usually the Aeolian mode. My teaching experience has shown me, through delivery of theory classes over the years, that exactness of terminology is the most powerful tool for clearing up the inherent confusion that typically exists in most music theory classes. An example of this would be that a term commonly used to call what we have now called degrees of a tonal series of a mode or a scale is the term STEPS and then would call the distances between the degrees or STEPS either a whole-step or half-step, as you can see it would be very easy to confuse what step or steps were being talking about. However this is a quite typical dual usage of terminology in most of the music theory taught to today’s music students. In this text the term degree is used for each pitch of a series and the terms tone or semi-tone for the distances between each degree. Similar is the usage of ‘KEY’ to describe two different modes and further complicate this by adding to the confusion by using the term scale to describe both a tonal series and ‘KEY’ or two ‘KEYS’.


Note in (Example 1.28) the labelling below the letters: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7, 8. The rationale for this system is based on the Ionian Modal Scale, which has all major or perfect interval as stated earlier in this chapter. If the tonal series in (Example 1.28) was based on the Ionian Modal Scale pattern, which is the same as the ‘KEY’ of ‘A’ it would have three (3) sharps because ‘A’ is the third letter in the sharp line and the three sharps would be F#, C#, G# so the results of this series can be seen in the example below (see Example 1.29) П П /\ П П П /\ A B C# D E F# G# A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (Example 1.29) In (Example 1.28) the ‘C#’, ‘F#’ and ‘G#’ were all natural so we say that they have been lowered by a semi-tone or flatted (b) from their normal position in the Ionian Modal Scale and subsequently we end up with b3, b6 and b7 instead of 3, 6 and 7. At last we can talk about the two (2) most common alterations of the Aeolian mode, the harmonic minor scale and the melodic minor scale. Chapter 2 of this text will go into detail about chords and chord structures but let me just say that in the Ionian Modal Scale the chord that occurs on the fifth (5) degree is a major chord which has a strong tendency to resolve or return to the tonic chord or chord built on the first (1) degree. However in the Aeolian mode the chord that occurs on the fifth (5) degree is a minor chord, which has a weaker resolution back to the tonic chord. At one point composers of the past tackled this problem, altering the Aeolian mode by raising the seventh (7) degree by one semi-tone creating the harmonic minor scale because it then created a major chord on the fifth (5) degree with the stronger tendency to resolve or return to the tonic chord (see Example 1.30). П /\ П П /\ П /\ /\ A B C D E F G# A 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8 (Example 1.30) This solution created another problem by introducing the Augment Second (#2) or one whole & one semi-tone (П/\) between the b6 and 7 degrees. This odd distance created awkward melodic lines and disrupted the melodic flow. To correct this problems composers then introduced an additional alteration and raised the sixth (6) and the seventh (7) degrees each by one semi-tone creating the melodic minor scale because it corrected melodic problems. The resulting scale is shown in (Example 1.31). П /\ П П П П /\ A B C D E F# G# A


1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8 (Example 1.31) In summary the system or theory proposed in this chapter is the KEY, MODE, SCALE theory versus the major – minor theory used in the past. This system establishes that we only have fifteen (15) ‘KEYS’, with seven (7) ‘MODES’ for each ‘KEY’ and two main alterations or ‘SCALES’ of the Aeolian mode. We have established the use of degrees as a term for the pitches of a tonal series and the labelling of degrees based on the Ionian Modal Scale model. This chapter has presented the basic concepts of notation, rhythm and note values, intervals and intervallic terminology. In short we are ready to discuss the basics of Melodic and Harmonic Structures.

music theory unplugged scales - open2study theory... · music theory unplugged ... the chord scale...

Documents