I been strolling threw this section of the forum a lot and haven't seen anyone trying to teach music theory in simple terms so I figured I'd give it a go. Don't hold me to this cause I am a current college student, but I will try to update this thread weekly with new lessons in certain topics.

      And I'm still learning myself so...bare with me a little if there is something I cant answer I will most def try to figure it out. I also go to the library a ton so a lot of the material on theory which i will be pulling from , from time to time will be a direct quote from books or passages since I'm BROKE and I write down everything I think is useful cause my library wont let you check out reference books. And I like being able to read over stuff time and time again. So Most of this information will come from my direct notes if i can keep track of everything I'll try list references for extra reading. I figured since this is the way I am learning I would go about it like this. Don't pick on my titles , Its early 11am est i normally don't wake up till 3. So lets begin...

Part 1, “The Tones,”

This will get you started with reading music. Learn about the notes on a piano, the intervals between different notes, and how those notes combine into different scales. Also learn about clefs and key both major and minor.

Part 2, “Nice Rhythms,”

Will show you how to arrange your notes sequentially in space. Learn how to count and how to notate your music, using whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and more. Also learn about different time signatures, and about tempo, dynamics, accents, and other musical effects.

Part 3, “Get in Tune,”

Will help you combine tones and rhythms to create your own melodies. Learn how melodies and chords are constructed; also learn about chord progressions and different song forms.

Part 4, “How to Accompany,”

Will show you how to make more out of your basic melodies. Also learn how to write down the songs you hear on the radio, how to accompany simple melodies on piano or guitar, and how to add harmony and counter-point to your songs.

Part 5, “What is Embellishing,”

This goes beyond basic theory presenting a advanced music notation and shows you how to transpose music to other keys.  Also learn how to liven up your music by substituting more sophisticated chords in your arrangements.

Part 6, “How to Arrange,”

Just some advice for taking your music public. Learn how to create lead sheets and scores.

Phew...That was a lot for a first post, i think i got my work cut out for me.

Part 1, “The Tones,”

1. Understanding musical tones
2. Assigning names to specific pitches
3. Putting notes on a staff
4. Using the treble, bass, and other clefs

Ok... I'm Going In

What is Music?

 Definition I like the most : Music is a succession of tones arranged in a specific rhythm.

What is Pitch?

 Pitch describes the specific frequency or tuning of a tone. (Frequency is a measurement of how fast air molecules are vibrating.) I know its a little out there bare with me.

 Pitch normally relates to percussion instruments such as drums and cymbals in terms of un-pitched or non-pitched instruments. The tones they produce can be high or low, but typically don’t correspond to specific note pitches.

What the Hell is Frequency?

 If you plug a microphone into an oscilloscope, and then hum a tone into the microphone, the oscilloscope will measure the frequency of the tone. This is actually a measurement of how fast the molecules of air are vibrating; the faster the vibrations, the higher the pitch.

 Vibrations are measured in cycles per second, and there are a hella lot of them. (Cycles per second are often called hertz; abbreviated Hz.)

 So if you were to hum the pitch we call middle C (the white key in the exact center of a piano keyboard, or the third fret on the A string of a guitar) "Don't knock me on the guitar if its wrong just tell me , I got that info from a VST lol ", the oscilloscope will measure 256Hz that is, the air is cycling back and forth 256 times per second.

 The “standard”pitch today is the A above middle C, which equals 440Hz; all the other notes are pitched in relation to this note.

Remembering Tones

The Solfeggio Method called Solfeggio or Solfège (pronounced sol-FEZH) each of the seven notes of a scale has its own name.

Here's a brief wiki : Solfeggio is a method of naming musical tones using a set of syllables do, re, mi, and so on.These syllables come from the initial syllables of the first six words to the Hymn to St. John; the seventh syllable(Ti) is derived from the name St. John, in Latin.

Tone     Solfeggio  name  and   Pronunciation     

1     Do     Doh   

2     Re     Ray     

3     Mi     Mee     

4     Fa     Fah     

5     So (Sol)     

6     La     Lah     

7     Ti     Tee   

8     Do     Doh     

First half of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” looks like using the Solfeggio method:

Mi , Re , Do, Re, Mi, Mi, Mi ,Re, Re, Re, Mi, So, So

Why do the keys have letters?

The accepted way of naming specific musical pitches uses the first seven letters of the alphabet A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

"Only problem i have with this method myself  is that you can sing or play more than one A." or any note to be exact.

To figure out which A (or F or C) to play, know that the C located in the very middle of the piano keyboard is called middle C. (It’s the C in the middle of the keyboard easy to remember.) All other notes can be described relative to middle C as in “the F above middle C” or “the D below middle C.”

First half of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” would look like this:

E ,D, C ,D, E, E, E, D, D, D, E, G, G

 Some musicians identify the specific pitch by placing a number after the note name. Using this method(which is sometimes called scientific pitch notation), the lowest C on a grand piano is notated C1. The next C up from that is C2;then C3, C4, and so on and the same for all the other notes. (In this notation, middle C is C4.)

Why use sheet music when I got FL Studio piano roll, Idk I'm just giving the knowledge.

The basic music staff is composed of lines and spaces

The staff has precisely five lines and four spaces. Each line or space represents a specific pitch. The pitches are determined by the clef at the beginning of the staff; the staff we’re looking hopefully will be using what is called the treble clef. Looks like a cursive letter.



There are notes off the staff how do i figure those out?

Notes higher than the F at the top of the staff are written in the lines and spaces above the staff. For example, the first space above the staff is the first note after F: G. The first line above the staff is the first note after G: A.

Just as you can add lines and spaces above the staff, you can also add lines and spaces below the staff to describe lower notes. For example, the first space below the staff is the first note before E: D. The first line below the staff is the first note before D: C.

The lines you add above or below a staff are called ledger lines.

Different Clefs

Ok..break time...I will be back...

Ok after cooking and feeding my roommates friend, girl friends pet mouse name Tigger I'm back with

Different Clefs

Okay...Long deep breath (Turns on B.O.B Beast Mode)

We have been looking at a staff that represents the notes just above middle C on the piano keyboard. The notes of this staff are determined by the type of clef that appears at the beginning of the staff and there are several different types of clefs.

The Treble Clef

The clef we’ve been working with so far is called the treble clef; it looks like this:

As you’ve already learned,(Hopefully) in real-world terms the treble clef is positioned just above middle C. The bottom line of the treble clef staff is an E; the top line is an F.

Droppin a little more wiki on ya : A clef is a graphical symbol, placed at the beginning of a staff or piece of music, that establishes the pitch of a specific line or space on the staff; thus it determines the pitch of all the other notes on the staff.

The treble clef, like all clefs, fixes the position of a single pitch from which you can figure out where all the rest of the notes go. In the case of the treble clef, the pitch it fixes is G, which is the second line on the staff. (If you look closely at the treble clef itself, you see that the big round part of the clef circles around the second line of the staff.) For this reason, the treble clef is sometimes called the G clef and the clef itself looks a little like a capital G.

If you ever have trouble remembering which note goes with which line or space on a staff, here’s an easy way to remember them. The lines of the treble clef staff are assigned, bottom to top, to the notes E, G, B, D, and F. You can remember the lines by recalling the first letters in the phrase “Every Good Boy Does Fine.”The spaces of the treble clef staff are assigned, bottom to top, to the notes F, A,C, and E. You can remember the spaces by remembering the word “FACE.”

The Bass Clef

When you need to write music below the treble clef, you can use a different clef, called the bass clef. The bass clef is positioned just below middle C, and is sometimes called the F clef. (That’s because the two dots on the clef surround the fourth line, which is F.)Here’s what the bass clef looks like, with the notes of a bass clef staff:

Some Webster, I grow tired of wiki sometimes : The word bass, as in “bass clef,” is pronounced base like the bottom of things, not like the fish.

An easy way to remember the lines of the bass clef is with the phrase “Good Boys Do Fine Always.” (The first letter of each word describes each line of the staff, from bottom to top.) To remember the spaces of the bass clef, remember the first letters in the phrase “All Cows Eat Grass.”

The Grand Staff (( If u trying to get into music school your going to need this))

This staff, called the grand staff, links together a treble clef staff and a bass clef staff.(That’s because you play the piano with two hands; each staff roughly corresponds to each hand.)

The grand staff

When you use a grand staff, it’s important to note that the two staffs neatly flow into each other. The A at the top of the bass clef extends above that staff to a B and a C. The C is then linked to the treble clef, goes on up to a D, and then the E on the bottom line of the treble clef.The neat thing is that the C which just happens to be middle C is halfway between each staff. So when you write a middle C on a grand staff, it might extend down from the treble clef staff or extend up from the bass clef staff,depending on where the surrounding notes are placed.

However, you might run into what is called an octave clef,which looks like a normal treble or bass clef with the number 8 either above or below the clef. When you see this type of clef, you’re supposed to transpose the normal treble clef notes either up (if the 8 is above the clef) or down (if the 8 is below the clef ) an octave.

I wont discuss anymore clefs until later own for the purpose of trying  not to confuse people.

Okay for those that just want the goods , here's the skinny

The absolute LEAST U NEED TO TAKE FROM THIS

1. Music is a succession of tones arranged in a specific pattern; a tone is a sound that is played or sung at a specific pitch.
2.  There are many different ways to describe a specific pitch. You can describe a pitch by its vibration frequency, by where it lies numerically compared to other pitches, or by using the Do Re Mi (Solfeggio) method.
3.  Established music notation assigns letters to the seven basic pitches, A through G. The letters repeat as you generate higher pitches.
4. Pitches are assigned to specific keys on a piano keyboard, and to specific lines and spaces on a musical staff.
5.  The clef placed at the start of a staff determines which notes appear where on the staff. The most used clef is the treble clef; the bass clef is used for lower-pitched instruments and voices.

I will try to post some exercises as well for practice...But don't hold me too it.. I have to jet for class now. Any Feedback is great full.

O an also I'm a student in the field of Digital Animation, like Pixar looking stuff . I make skeletal structures and controls for the models (Characters) basically a Character Set-up artist. My portfolio is here : http://www.adriandwalker.comjust peep the demo reel all graphics and after effects work done by me. The music too lol.  

-teK

SN: I didn't mean to screw up your thing I didn't think you were writing it post for post. Unfortunately I can't delete it

Part 1, “The Tones,” Exercises 

I can't take full credit for these got em from a teacher's edition book in the library a few mins ago. I did how ever take the answers out in photoshop

That should do it , roughly for part 1.

Answer Key here

http://warbeats.com/Community/Forums/aft/5026

Part 1, “The Tones,”

All About Intervals

1. Changing pitches with sharps and flats
2. Understanding half steps and whole steps
3. Counting the intervals between notes
4. Using major, minor, perfect, diminished, and augmented intervals

I'm a little worked up this morning. Gf broke up with me , because apparently all I do is study music and go to school. Smh... she was special to me. Anyway I got a question yesterday about sharps and flats. Here shortly that question will be answered. Its funny tho because it was my music that got her involved with me in the first place.

Everything here in this section I'm going to discuss related to the C Major scale. All white keys from C up to the next C on the keyboard. These concepts can be applied to any scale tho.

Ok straight into it no more crap about my GF

Sharp or Flat

Lines and spaces on a music staff correspond exactly to the white keys on a piano.

But what about those black keys? Where are they on the staff?

There are 7 main pitches in a Western musical scale (A through G), but that is a bit over simplified.

There actually are 12 possible notes in an octave, with some of them falling between the 7 main pitches.

Definition: An interval is the space between two pitches.The smallest interval in Western music is a half step; intervals are typically measured in the number of half steps between the two notes.

Black keys are called sharps and flats. Sharps and flats are halfway between the pitches represented by the white keys on a piano; a sharp is above a specific key and a flat is below a specific key.

Another way to think about it is : a sharp raises the natural note; a flat lowers the note.

Like the black key above the middle C key, for example. You can refer to this key as C-sharp, because it raises the pitch of C. It also can be called D-flat, because it lowers the next white key up, D. It may be a little confusing, but it’s true C-sharp is the same note as D-flat. And whenever you have two notes that describe the same pitch like C-sharp and D-flat the notes are enharmonic.

Definition : Two notes that sound the same but can be spelled differently are called enharmonic notes.

On a music staff, sharps and flats are designated by special characters placed before the affected note. These characters, called accidentals, look like this:

Definition: Any modification to a natural note is called an accidental. Sharps and flats are accidentals; the natural sign (used to return a sharped or flatted note to its natural state) is also an accidental.

The third character is called a natural. When you see a natural sign on a piece of music, it means to return the specific note to its natural state, without any sharps or flats. (Hope i remember to photoshop that right)

You can also add sharps and flats to any note even those keys on a piano that don’t have black notes between them. So, for example, if you add a flat to the C note, you lower it to the next note on the keyboard which happens to be B natural. (This means B natural is the same pitch as C-flat.)

How 2 Step

(I got 2 step by Unk stuck in my head now.)

Smallest interval in Western music is the half step.

On the piano keyboard , half steps appear between the white keys B and C and between E and F. In all other cases they appear between a white key and a black key for example, D to D-sharp, or F-sharp to G.

Definition : In some musical circles, a half step is called a semitone, and a whole step is called a tone.

Two half steps equal one whole step. The interval between F and G is a whole step; the interval between B and C-sharp is also a whole step.

Now that I some what skated you stuff about steps, it’s a little easier to understand how sharps and flats work. When you sharpen a note, you move the pitch up a half step.When you flatten a note, you move the pitch down a half step.

Take the note C, for example: When you add a flat to C, you take it down a half step. Because the first key (white or black) to the left of C is the white key B, this means C-flat equals B. When you add a sharp to C, you take it up a half step. The first key to the right of C is the black key we call C-sharp. (This black key is also the first key to the left of D, which means C-sharp is the same as D-flat.) ((It helps if you have a keyboard to visually apply this to))

For the guitar players : On a guitar, a half step is the distance of a single fret. A whole step is the distance of two frets.

((And no I don't play guitar , but i do have a wonderful book on how to learn the blues sadly I have yet to learn how to play more than three chords strings be killin my fingers))

You can use the step method to describe the intervals between two notes although once you get more than a few steps away, the counting becomes a tad difficult. When you’re trying to figure out which note is seven half steps above middle C (it’s G, in case you’re counting), it’s time to use another method to describe your intervals.

Degrees ?????

A more accepted way of describing intervals is to go back to the seven main notes of a scale and revisit the relative numbering method. You can use the numbers of the scale to denote the basic intervals between notes, and thus apply this numbering to any scale.

Break down time

((I wake up early in the morning round the crack of dawning....wave to my neighbors like wass up ((say wass up))

As you learned ( I hope ) you can use numbers to describe the seven main notes in any scale. The first note is numbered one, the second note is numbered two, and so on. This method of numbering actually describes the seven degrees of a musical scale.

There also are Fancy musical names you can use in place of the numbers, which you might run into in some more formal situations. The following table presents these formal degree names.((This is for the smarties))

(O you fancy Huh)

Degrees of the Scale     Degree Name

First (Root)                      Tonic

Second                            Supertonic

Third                               Mediant

Fourth                             Subdominant

Fifth                                Dominant

Sixth                               Submediant

Seventh                           Leading Note

Eighth (Octave)               Tonic

All this dominant and sub dominant stuff will become more important when I cover about chord progressions.

Few more terms you need to know before we proceed. When two notes of the exact same pitch are played by two different instruments or voices, they’re played in unison. Two identical notes with the same name, played eight degrees apart, form an octave.

Today's wiki: (The word octave comes from the Latin word octo, for “eight” because an octave is eight notes above the beginning note.)

For example, if you go from middle C to the next C up the keyboard, that’s an octave; F to F is another octave … and so on.

Musical degrees come in handy when you’re describing intervals between notes. Instead of counting half steps and whole steps, you can simply describe an interval by using these relative numbers.

Definition: The lowest note of an interval, chord, or scale, is called the root. (take that wiki)

For example, let’s say you want to describe the interval between C and D. If you count C as number one (the first degree), D is number two and the interval between them is called a second. The interval between C and E (the first and third degrees) is a third; the interval between C and F (the first and fourth degrees) is a fourth … and so on.

here's what the basic intervals, starting with a unison and ending with an octave, with C as the root look like :

This is some side stuff I thought was pretty dope.

When you examine the frequencies of two notes, as discussed in the previously ( My First Post), you find that the second note in an octave is an exact multiple of the first note. For example, the A above middle C has a frequency of 440Hz; the A an octave above that has a frequency twice that, 880Hz. For this reason two notes with the same name have the same sound, even if they’re pitched an octave or more higher or lower.

Major and Minor Intervals

(I get crazy I I Get Crazy) But seriously its about to get Crazy on this post.

When describing intervals by degree, you still have to deal with those pitches that fall above or below the basic notes the sharps and flats, or the black keys on a keyboard.

When measuring by degrees, you see that the second, third, sixth, and seventh notes can be easily flattened. When you flatten one of these notes, you create what is called a minor interval. The natural state of these intervals (in a major scale) is called a major interval. Here is what these four intervals look like, with C as the root, in both major and minor forms.

Perfect Intervals

Prob will be my last post for today on this, I was hoping to finish intervals today but there is just so much to cover and I'm really kinda sad about my GF. Lets make Perfect Intervals!!!!!!!!!!!

Certain intervals don’t have separate major or minor states (although they can still be flattened or sharpened). These intervals fourths, fifths, and octaves exist in one form only, called a perfect interval. You can’t lower these intervals to make them minor or raise them to make them major; there’s no such thing as a minor fifth or a major octave. The intervals, because of their acoustical properties,are perfect as-is.

Remember, we’re dealing with intervals within a Major scale.Minor scales have different “natural” intervals between degrees of the scale.

Another Side note for the smarties:

Why is a perfect interval so perfect? It all has to do with frequencies, and with ratios between frequencies. In a nut shell, perfect intervals sound so closely related because their frequencies are closely related.For example, a perfect octave has a ratio of 2:1 between the two frequencies the octave is twice the frequency of the starting pitch (which is called the fundamental).If the fundamental is 440Hz, the octave above is twice that frequency,or 880Hz. Similarly, a perfect fifth has a ratio of 3:2, and a perfect fourth has a ratio of 4:3. Other intervals have more complex ratios, which makes them less perfect. For example, a perfect third has a ratio of 5:4, not quite as simple or as perfect. Put into a series, each increasingly complex interval ratio forms what is called a harmonic series, and the intervals (in order) are called harmonics. But don’t get hung up on all the math; what’s important is that you know what the perfect intervals are, not the math behind them.

The three perfect intervals, with C as the root.

Augmented and Diminished Intervals

Break....

 Sry for the long break...had home work , but I'm back for about 160 mins or so how ever long it takes for me to download the CoD Blk Opts Maps XD , PsN: TheTruPlaya. Now for seriousness.

Augmented and Diminished Intervals

You know that perfect intervals can’t be major or minor.

That doesn’t mean that they can’t be changed.

You can raise and lower fourths and fifths but, the result is not called major or minor. When you raise a perfect interval a half step, it’s called an augmented interval. When you lower a perfect interval a half step, it’s called a diminished interval. So don’t call the new intervals major or minor call them augmented or diminished.

Example,

if you use C as the root, F is a perfect fourth away from the root.If you sharpen the F, the resulting note (F-sharp) is an augmented fourth above the root.

Like , G is a perfect fifth above C. When you flatten the G, the resulting note (G-flat) is a diminished fifth above the root.

"Side Note": ((An augmented fourth and a diminished fifth are enharmonically the same note.))

A picture of key augmented and diminished intervals, with C as the root

Now this next part can be confusing. Just give it some time to soak in.

Other types of intervals can also be called diminished and augmented and these intervals have nothing to do with the perfect intervals.

You can also create a diminished interval by lowering a minor interval by another half step. For example, F to D-flat is a minor sixth; if you flatten the D-flat ( yes , its a double flat an its real) the resulting interval is called a diminished sixth.

You can also create an augmented interval by raising a major interval by another half step. For example, F to A is a major third; if you sharpen the A (to A sharp), the resulting interval is an augmented third.

You don’t have to deal with either type of diminished or augmented interval that often. But its still good to know what they are!

It doesn't Stop at the Octave

You don’t have to stop counting intervals when you get to the octave. Above the octave are even more intervals ninths, tenths, elevenths, and they just keep going for the most part.

Intervals that span more than an octave are called compound intervals because they combine an octave with a smaller interval to create the larger interval. For example, a ninth is nothing more than an octave and a second; an eleventh is an octave and a fourth … and "You know You Know how the story go..you dun jock my style..You done stole my Flow"

This table should help visually clear things up.

Interval             Combines

Ninth               Octave plus second

Tenth              Octave plus third

Eleventh         Octave plus fourth

Twelfth           Octave plus fifth

Thirteenth       Octave plus sixth

Fourteenth      Octave plus seventh

Compound intervals can have all the qualities of smaller intervals, which means a compound interval can be (depending on the interval) major, minor, perfect, augmented, or diminished.

Intervals in Half Steps

Have to take a short pause to help a client...Mite be back tonight or I mite not. Please PM me any suggestions that you think would in prove this thread. Or If you like the way it is just let me know, Its nice to have some feedback every now and then. Makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time posting.

Thanks

Intervals in Half Steps

It might be easier for you to think of all these intervals in terms of half steps. The following table shows how many half steps are between these major and minor intervals.

Half Steps Between Intervals

Interval                  Number of Half Steps

Perfect unison                    0

Minor second                    1

Major second                    2

Minor third                        3

Major third                        4

Perfect fourth                     5

Augmented fourth              6

Diminished fifth                  6

Perfect fifth                        7

Minor sixth                        8

Major sixth                        9

Minor seventh                   10

Major seventh                   11

Octave                              12

Minor ninth                        13

Major ninth                        14

Minor tenth                       15

Major tenth                       16

Perfect eleventh                 17

Augmented eleventh           18

Diminished twelfth              18

Perfect twelfth                    19

Minor thirteenth                  20

Major thirteenth                  21

Minor fourteenth                 22

Major fourteenth                23

Take special note of those intervals that are enharmonically identical such as the augmented fourth and the diminished fifth. What you call that particular interval depends on which direction you’re heading, and which notation is the easiest to read in a given piece of music.

The Absolute LEAST U NEED TO TAKE FROM THIS

1.  The smallest interval between any two notes is called a half step. Two half steps equal one whole step.
2.  A sharp raises the value of a note by a half step. A flat lowers the value of a note by a half step.
3. The intervals between any two notes are described in terms of degree. For example, the interval between the first and third notes is called a third.
4.  In a major scale, seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths are called major intervals. You can create a minor interval by flattening these notes.
5.  In a major scale, fourths, fifths, and octaves are called perfect intervals.When you flatten a perfect interval, you create a diminished interval;when you sharpen a perfect interval, you create an augmented interval.

Exercises

"Scales"

"Smh...scales are fishy and tricky Huh??? , Well I'll have to show you how to clean em"

(Probably the lamest intro to a section I will ever do...)

1. Putting eight notes together to form a scale
2. Creating major and minor scales
3. Discovering the different modes within a major scale

Coming Soon XD

"Scales"

1. Putting eight notes together to form a scale
2. Creating major and minor scales
3. Discovering the different modes within a major scale

The first two sections I talked about the seven key notes (A through G), and how they relate to each other. I also should have mentioned  the word “scale” to describe all seven of those notes together. ( I hope, I didn't go back to see if I did )

Here I will further examine the concept of the musical scale, which is seven notes all in a row, in alphabetical order. (If you count the first note, repeated an octave higher at the top of the scale, it’s eight notes.)

There are so many different types of scales

You can have a major scale, a minor scale (actually three different types of minor scales), or any number of different modes within a scale. I know it sounds confusing , but it’s really simple once you understand how scales are constructed ,using different intervals between the various notes.

(What’s a mode, you ask? YOU MUST READ ALL OF THIS TO FIND OUT!)

How many Notes Equal One Scale Again?

(Stomach is screaming at me, food break)

How many Notes Equal One Scale Again?

A scale is eight successive pitches within a one-octave range. All scales start on one note and end on that same note one octave higher.

Example, every C scale starts on C and ends on C; an F scale starts on Fand ends on F; and they all have six more notes in between.

The first note of a scale is called the tonic, or first degree, of the scale.The second note is called the second degree, the third note is called the third degree, and so on until you get to the eighth note, which is the tonic again.

The major exception to the eight-note scale rule is the scale that includes all the notes within an octave, including all the sharps and flats. This type of scale is called a chromatic scale, and (when you start with C) looks something like this:

Side Note: Don’t capitalize the word“minor,” or any of its abbreviations. Major chord notation is (almost) always capitalized, and minor chord notation is (almost)always lowercase.

With saying that, any given scale has specific relationships between the different degrees of the scale. That’s how you describe different types of scales: A major scale has different intervals between specific notes from those you’ll find in a similar minor scale. These different intervals give each type of scale its unique sound.

The most common scale is called the major scale.

Major scales are happy scales;they have pleasant and expected intervals at every turn. (Like the “Do Re Mi FaSo La Ti Do” Just imagine Justin bieber singing it)

The mirror image of the major scale is the minor scale. Minor scales are sad scales; the intervals between the notes sound a little depressing.

Both major and minor scales can start on any note from A-flat to G-sharp. No matter which note you start with, each scale has its own specific combination of intervals between notes.

Major Scales

((Break, I kinda gave myself a headache thinking about Justin bieber singing, was forced to go to a concert because someone bought me a ticket.))

Major Scales

Sorry for the long break I normally post up here like a mad man or something , but yesterday soundclick over drafted my bank for the 2nd time so im (78.47) in the hole. I know isn't it wonderful. Life of a college student I'm already in debt up to my eye balls and now i have no pocket money. Smh.... Major Scales

What makes a major scale major are the specific intervals between the notes of the scale. Every major scale uses the same intervals, as shown in the following table.

The Intervals of the Major Scale

Note                 Half Steps to Next Note

Tonic                                 2

Second                              2

Third                                 1

Fourth                               2

Fifth                                  2

Sixth                                 2

Seventh                             1

Another way, the intervals in a major scale go like this: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.

Starting your major scale on C (the C Major scale), you end up playing all white keys on the piano. C Major is the only major scale that uses only the white keys; all the other scales have black keys in them.

Side Note : Love in This Club-Usher,  uses this as like its main thing. I think its by PoLo Da Don, Dont quote me on the spelling of his name i didn't google it because I'm short on posting time.

Make things easy, the following table shows all the notes in the 15 major scales:

The 15 Major Scales

Note that several of these scales are enharmonic. (Remember that word? It means two notes that are identical, but spelled differently.) So C-sharp Major and D-flat Major are just different ways of describing the same notes, as are F-sharp Major and G-flat Major, and B Major and C-flat Major.

Tip: When playing a piece of music, you typically stay within the notes of the designated scale. Any notes you play outside the scale are called chromatic notes; notes within the scale are said to be diatonic.For example, in the C Major scale, the note C is diatonic; the note C-sharp would be chromatic.Even though chromatic notes might sound “different” than the normal scale notes,they can add color to a piece of music. (chroma means “color.&rdquo

Minor Scales

And I have to go for personal reasons I hope to finish this section later today...

Minor Scales

Minor scales sound a little less “up” than major scales.Because the third note of the minor scale is a minor interval, where as the third note ofthe major scale is a major interval. That little half step between a minor third and a major third makes all the difference! Not to confuse you; there actually are three types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic. I'll go in depth on each scale separately.

Natural Minor

Easiest minor scale to construct is the natural minor scale

You can think of the natural minor in terms of its corresponding major scale. When you start and end a major scale on the sixth note, instead of the tonic, you get a natural minor scale.

Example: Play a C Major scale (C D E F G A B C). Now move up to the sixth note or just move down two notes. (It’s the same thing up six or down two both put you on the A.) Now play an eight-note scale, but using the notes in C Major. What you get A B C D E F G A is the A minor (natural) scale.

Each natural minor scale shares the same tones as a specific major scale.

(Which ones you say?  Well I got a table for you)

The following table shows you which minor scales matches up with what major scales.

Relative Major and Minor Scales

Major Scale                                  Related Natural Minor Scale

C Major                                                     A minor

C-sharp Major                                      A-sharp minor

D-flat Major                                             B-flat minor

D Major                                                     B minor

E-flat Major                                               C minor

E Major                                            D-flat(C-sharp) minor

F Major                                                     D minor

F-sharp Major                                        D-sharp minor

G-flat Major                                            E-flat minor

G Major                                                     E minor

A-flat Major                                               F minor

A Major F-sharp                                   (G-flat) minor

B-flat Major                                              G minor

B Major                                               G-sharp minor

C-flat Major                                           A-flat minor

The Intervals of the Natural Minor Scale

Note                                          Half Steps to Next Note

Tonic                                                          2

Second                                                       1

Third                                                           2

Fourth                                                         2

Fifth                                                            1

Sixth                                                           2

Seventh                                                      2

Another way, the intervals in a natural minor scale go like this: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.

To make things super simple for you, the following table shows all the notes in the 15 natural minor scales.

Harmonic Minor

The harmonic minor scale is similar to the natural minor scale, except the seventh note raised a half step. Some musicians prefer this type of minor scale because the seventh note better leads up to the tonic of the scale.

The following table details the intervals between the notes in the harmonic minor scale.

(Break...Have to put in other scales pictures, mite be all for today. I really got to wrap this section up soon or I'm going to have to do a super amount of exercises to cover them all )