MUSC 101 Music Fundamentals - Spring 2012

Unit 7 Scales 1

[Overview] [Syllabus]

Unit 7 focuses on Major and Minor scales. These scales have been the foundation of Western European music theory and practice for the past 400 years. Unit 8 will look at other scales.

Scale

A scale consists of an indeterminate number of pitches arranged in consecutive order spanning an octave.

Major and Minor Scales

There is one form for the major scale and three forms of the minor scale:

1. natural minor
2. harmonic minor
3. melodic minor

The characteristic that differentiates the major and the three minor scales is their pattern of whole steps and half steps.

The Harmonic Minor Tetrachord

The harmonic minor scale uses a new tetrachord pattern: half step - one and a half steps - half step.

It can be written several ways:

1. H 1 1/2 H
2. H(1 1/2)H
3. H 3H H
4. H(3H)H
5. H W+H H
6. H(W+H)H

Rules for All Major and Minor Scales

1. All major and minor scales consist of eight notes that span an octave. Every letter of the musical alphabet is used in sequence. No letter is skipped.

2. Major and Minor scales can start on any pitch. The starting note and the ending note are exactly one octave apart and are have the same note name. If the starting note has a sharp or flat, the ending note uses the same sharp or flat.

3. The C Major scale is the only major scale that does not contain any sharps or flats. All other major scales have one to seven accidentals. Accidentals that appear in major scales are always of the same kind, either sharps or flats. No major scale uses both sharps and flats in the same scale.

4. The A Natural Minor is the only minor scale that does not contain any sharps or flats. All other minor scales have one to seven accidentals. Accidentals that appear in minor scales are usually of the same kind, either sharps or flats. There are only three minor scales that use both a sharp and a flat in the same scale; d harmonic minor, g harmonic minor, and g melodic minor. This will be covered in the homework.

5. All major and minor scales are constructed from two tetrachords, a lower tetrachord and an upper tetrachord joined by a whole step.

Major Scales

All major scales use the WWH pattern in both the lower and upper tetrachord. The two tetrachords are connected by a whole step. The basic white key scale starting on C forms the C major scale.

The C major scale is the only major scale that has no sharps or flats. All other major scales scales will use from one to seven sharps or flats. All major scales use exclusively sharps or exclusively flats. No major scale contains both sharps and flats.

Constructing Major Scales

Let's construct the Ab major scale.

1. Write eight notes on consecutive lines and spaces beginning and ending with A flat. Because the starting note is Ab, all accidentals used in the Ab major scale will be flats.

2. Divide the eight notes into two tetrachords.

3. Make the lower tetrachord to conform to the pattern WWH. Add flats as necessary.

4. Make a whole step connection between the lower and upper tetrachord. Add an flat as necessary.

5. Make the upper tetrachord to conform to the pattern WWH. Add flats as necessary.

6. Here's the completed Ab major scale.

Minor Scales

There are three forms of the minor scale:

• Natural minor
• Harmonic minor
• Melodic minor

The three minor scales all share the same lower tetrachord, WHW. They differ in the upper tetrachord.

Natural Minor Scales

In the natural minor scale, the lower tetrachord is WHW and the upper tetrachord is HWW. The tetrachords are connected by a whole step. The basic white key scale from A to A forms a natural minor scale.

The A natural minor scale is the only minor scale that has no sharps or flats. All other minor scales scales will use from one to seven sharps or flats. All natural minor minor scales use either sharps or flats, but never both.

Here's the G natural minor scale. A Bb was added to the lower tetrachord to conform to the pattern WHW. An Eb was added to the upper tetrachord to conform to the pattern HWW.

Scale Type	Lower Tetrachord	Join	Upper Tetrachord
Natural Minor	WHW	W	HWW

Harmonic Minor Scales

In the harmonic minor scale, the lower tetrachord is WHW and the upper tetrachord is H (3H) H. The tetrachords are connected by a whole step. Two harmonic minor scales use both sharps and flats within the scale: G harmonic minor, and D harmonic minor.

Here's the G harmonic minor scale. An Eb and an F# was necessary in the upper tetrachord to conform to the pattern H (W+H) H.

Scale Type	Lower Tetrachord	Join	Upper Tetrachord
Harmonic Minor	WHW	W	H 3H H

Melodic Minor Scales

The melodic minor scale uses a different ascending and descending patterns. In the ascending form, the lower tetrachord pattern is WHW and the upper tetrachord pattern is WWH (same as the of major scale). In the descending form, the tetrachord pattern is the same as natural minor. The tetrachords are connected by a whole step. One melodic minor scale uses both sharps and flats within the scale: G melodic minor.

Here's the G melodic minor scale ascending and descending. Note the descending pattern is the same as the natural minor patter.

Scale Type	Lower Tetrachord	Join	Upper Tetrachord
Melodic Minor	WHW	W	ascending WWH descending HWW

Constructing Minor Scales

Let's construct the scale of D harmonic minor.

1. Write eight notes on consecutive lines and spaces beginning and ending with D.

2. Divide the eight notes into two tetrachords.

3. Make the lower tetrachord to conform to the pattern WHW. Add sharps or flats as necessary.

4. Make a whole step connection between the lower and upper tetrachord. Add an appropriate accidental as necessary.

5. Make the upper tetrachord to conform to the pattern H (W+H) H. Add sharps or flats as necessary.

6. Here's the completed D harmonic minor scale.

The D harmonic minor is one of only three minor scales that mix sharps and flats in the same scale. The other two are G harmonic minor and G melodic minor.

The Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor tetrachord patterns

Scale Type	Lower Tetrachord	Join	Upper Tetrachord
Major	WWH	W	WWH
Natural Minor	WHW	W	HWW
Harmonic Minor	WHW	W	H W+H H
Melodic Minor	WHW	W	ascending WWH descending HWW

Parallel Major/Minor Scales

Parallel major and minor scales share the same starting note, but use different tetrachord patterns. G major and G minor (any form) are parallel scales. G major is the parallel major of G minor, and G minor is the parallel minor of G major.

Relative Major/Minor Scales

Relative major and minor scales share the same pitch set, but begin on different notes. C major and A natural minor are relative major and minor scales. Both scales share the pitches CDEFGABC. The C major scale starts on C. The A natural minor scale starts on A. The relative minor scale will always begin on the sixth note of the major scale. The relative major scale will always begin on the third note of the minor scale. Although only the natural form of the minor scale shares the same pitch set as its relative major scale, the associated harmonic and melodic minor scales are also considered to be relative minor scales.

Memorize these rules:

1. The relative minor scale begins on the sixth note of the major scale; e.g. A is the sixth note of the C major scale. Stated in music theory terms: A minor is the relative minor of C major.
2. The relative major scale begins on the third note of the minor scale; e.g. C is the third note of any form of the A minor scale. Stated in music theory terms: C major is the relative major of A minor.

C Major Low
A Natural Minor
C Major High
C Major - 2 Octave

[Overview] [Syllabus]

Revised by John Ellinger, Spring 2012.