Blog #4: Let's finish that Gold Standard.
Updated: Feb 24
For information about private lessons and questions, please visit me at Demetri4.com.
Here is the YouTube link to the video that goes with this blog: https://bit.ly/3XV9TB8
Blog #4
The C Major Scale
The greatest success stories for the Demi-Circle of Music address teaching's most difficult challenge by showing how the C Major scale's presence is foundational to all music theory. All elements of music compare to that scale. The C Major scale is the Gold Standard.
Objectives:
Understand the elements and form of the C Major scale.
Review the Major tetra-chord and intervals.
The musical alphabet.
The musical alphabet used to label notes consists of seven letters. The seven letters are -A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The series' eighth note is an octave, and the letter repeats.
Essential elements:
Octave: the distance between one note (like A) and the next note bearing its same name (the next A that's either higher or lower).
Interval: the distance between two notes.
Whole step = 2 dots
Half step = 1 dot
Clockwise: Higher on the Circle
Counterclockwise: Lower on the Circle
Check this blog's end for more essential elements.
Always move clockwise on the Circle to measure an interval from the lower note to the higher. When measuring an interval, we are asking how many dots? All the dots on the Circle are half steps.
The Major scale consists of two Major tetra-chords, separated by a whole step.
The Major tetra-chord has four notes in alphabetical order and the structure of a whole step, a whole step, and a half step.
An important note about a chord:
It is important to note that when building a chord, we must look at the purpose.
Its purpose is melodic when placing the notes in a row (C, D, E, F) as with a C Major tetra-chord. (for the singer)
Its purpose is harmonic when skipping every other note (C, E, G) as when strumming a chord on the guitar like C. (for the band)
Check this blog's end to understand the Major scale structure.
Earlier, we looked at the C Major tetra-chord on the Natural Note Circle.
C-D (2 dots), D-E (2 dots), and E-F (1 dot)
It is the first step to building the C Major scale.
The next step to building a Major scale is a whole step between the two Major tetra-chords. The notes F and G give us this separation.
F-G (2 dots)
And finally, we are looking for our second tetra-chord to complete our scale. It is in the last notes on the Circle when returning to C.
G-A (2 dots), A-B (2 dots), and B-C (1 dot)
G is the second Major tetra-chord in the C Major scale.
The Natural Note Circle shows the structure of the C Major Scale.
C Major tetra-chord (C, D, E, and F)
The notes F-G are a whole step separating both tetra-chords apart.
G Major tetra-chord (G, A, B, and C)
The C Major scale will be the Gold Standard throughout this course. Our goal here is to use logic and rationale, not just memorize, to understand the workings of music.
Demetri
Next, Blog #5: The G Major Scale.
For information about private lessons and questions, please visit me at Demetri4.com.
Here is the YouTube link to the video that goes with this blog: https://bit.ly/3XV9TB8
Definitions and Essential elements:
Tone: a musical sound (vs. a noise)
Pitch (note): the height or depth of a tone
Notes: are single, not plural. Therefore, a singer can sing a single or a series of notes in a row.
Chord: a group of three or more different notes.
Scale: a series of notes we recognize together.
Major Scale structure:
All Major scales have this same structure: two Major tetra-chords separated by a whole step.
When looking at 10:00 on the Circle, both tetra-chords share the same keynote.
Keynote: the name of the key.