Blog #5: Today we begin to build scales. Enjoy!
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/3Uyu3OB
Blog #5
The G Major scale
Objectives:
Understand how to build the G Major scale.
Recognize the notes in the first Major tetra-chord.
Recognize the notes in the second Major tetra-chord.
Understand the structure of the Major scale.
There are two parts to building a scale:
Place all the natural notes on the Blank Circle in your workbook.
Using the Natural Note Circle in your workbook, adjust the placement of the notes on the Blank Circle to produce the correct scale structure.
Today we will build the G Major scale.
The construction of the scale starts with placing the tonic by the dot at 10:00. Keep the Natural Note Circle close to reference the Gold Standard.
Essential elements:
Tonic: the name of the scale.
Clockwise: Higher on the Circle
Counterclockwise: Lower on the Circle
Whole step = 2 dots
Half step = 1 dot
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.
1. Note placement: begin writing on your Blank Circle here.
Beginning with the Blank Circle in your workbook, place the letter G (tonic) at 10:00. Using the Natural Note Circle, see that
the interval between G-A is a whole step. We will place A at 12:00, and 11:00 is blank.
The interval between A-B is a whole step. We place B at 2:00, and 1:00 is blank.
The interval between B-C is a half step. We will place C at 3:00.
The first four notes of our scale are (G, A, B, and C).
The next note is D.
The notes C-D are a whole step. We place D at 5:00, and 4:00 is blank.
The notes D-E are a whole step. We place E at 7:00, and 6:00 is blank.
The notes E-F are a half step. We place F at 8:00.
Returning to G at 10:00, we find the distance between F-G is two dots, and 9:00 is blank.
After placing our natural notes on the Blank Circle, we must realign them to fit the structure of the Gold Standard.
Neither the tonic nor the natural notes can move from their position. Therefore, to make the necessary adjustments replace the natural notes that are out of position with their relatively altered notes.
Natural notes: are the seven dots with letter names on the Natural Note Circle in your workbook.
Altered notes: are the five blank dots on the Natural Note Circle. These altered notes are called chromatic.
Chromatic notes (blank dots): The Natural Note Circle is very helpful in visualizing the relationship of a natural note to its chromatic. A chromatic is a note altered by an accidental.
Accidental: is a symbol (sharp "#" or flat "b") that indicates the altered note a 1/2 step higher or lower than a natural note.
Sharp (#): a sharp sign indicates the altered note 1/2 step higher.
Flat (b): a flat sign indicates the altered note 1/2 step lower.
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)
2. Scale structure:
The notes in the first tetra-chord (G, A, B, and C) match the same positions (scale degrees) as on the Natural Note Circle (10:00, 12:00, 2:00, and 3:00). The first tetra-chord needs no adjustment.
The next step in constructing a Major scale is to separate the two Major tetra-chords by a whole step. For example,
the last note of the G Major tetra-chord (C) is 3:00
the first note of the next tetra-chord (D) is 5:00.
The notes C-D are a whole step apart. The separation between tetra-chords needs no adjustment.
The second tetra-chord starts with D at 5:00, and the next note is E at 7:00. So D-E is a whole step.
We find F at 8:00 before returning to G at 10:00.
The distances between E-F (1 dot) and F-G (2 dots) are incorrect for a Major tetra-chord.
The second Major tetra-chord needs to start with D (5:00) and have a structure of -- a whole step (7:00), a whole step (9:00), and a half step (10:00).
We need the altered note at 9:00 to give us the correct Major tetra-chord structure. Here is where the blank dots on the Circle come into play.
By placing a sharp sign (#) with the note F, we recognize the blank dot (9:00) as F#. Replacing the note F with F# achieves the Gold Standard structure and gives us the G Major scale.
The G Major scale is
the G Major tetra-chord (G, A, B, and C)
the D Major tetra-chord (D, E, F#, and G)
and a whole step (C-D) separates both.
Make several copies of the Blank Circle in your workbook and try these Major scales using the same method. D Major, A Major, and E Major. Good luck.
Demetri
Next, Blog #6: the F 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/3Uyu3OB
