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1. CHROMATIC SCALE
Equal Temperament Tuning divides the octave into 12 equal semi-tones, thus creating the Chromatic Scale.
Definitions:
1. Chromatic Scale: The main scale in Western Music that divides the octave into 12 equal intervals called semitones (or half-steps) and from which all other scales are derived.
2. Key Signature: The number of #’s or b’s that define the 12 different major scales built from the Chromatic Scale.
3. Chord: 3 or more notes sounded together or in succession following the convention for building chords from scales.
4. Tonic: The first pitch of a scale, the 1st degree. Also called the root. This is the pitch from which the scale is built.
5. Degree: The term to describe the different tones of a scale. For example, in a 7-note scale you have a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th degree.
6. Voicing: The particular notes in a chord or the way the notes in a chord are arranged
Popular Western music like rock and roll, country, blues, reggae, and other various pop music forms all tend to use scales in two ways: 1st to create harmonies by playing chords built from scales, and 2nd to play melodies around the chord s of the harmony.
This 12-tone Chromatic scale is the basis for all Western Scales. In Western Music the following letters are used to label the semitones of the Chromatic scale: A, B, C, D, E, F, & G. The other 5 tones are called Sharped (#) or Flatted (b) versions of those 7 letters. The distance from A to B, C to D, D to E, F to G, and G to A, are all whole steps and therefore have another note that separate them. The distance from E to F, and B to C are semitones, and therefore have no notes between them. So there is a whole step between any 2 letters except B & C, and E & F. The reason why these intervals are only separated by a half step is a matter of historical concern and not important.
When a note is raised a half step it is considered to be sharp. For example, playing a note a half step above A is known as A sharp (A#). When a note is lowered a half step it is considered to be flat. For example, playing a half step below B is called B flat (Bb). This leads us to what is known as enharmonic equivalents – one note that has two names. There is only one note between A & B, but it can be called either A# or Bb. Which one depends on the key you are playing. Here is a list of all 12 Chromatic Scale notes and the enharmonic equivalents where applicable:
A, A#=Bb, B, C, C#=Db, D, D#=Eb, E, F, F#=Gb, G, G#=Ab, and A completes the octave.
The distance between any two successive notes of the 12 chromatic notes is called a half-step. Here is a list of all 12 intervals leading up to a complete octave:
Definitions (Major & Perfect intervals):
1. Minor 2nd – m2 – the distance of 1 half step. Also known as a flat 9 – b9.
2. Major 2nd – M2 – the distance of 2 half steps or 1 whole step. Also known as a 9 – 9.
3. Minor 3rd – m3 – the distance of 3 half steps. Also known as a sharp 9 - #9.
4. Major 3rd – M3 – the distance of 4 half steps.
5. Perfect 4th – P4 – the distance of 5 half steps. Also known as the 11.
6. Augmented 4th \ Diminished 5th - #4 \ b5 – the distance of 6 half steps – also known as the Tritone & sharp 11 - #11.
7. Perfect 5th – P5 – the distance of 7 half steps.
8. Minor 6th \ Augmented 5th – m6 \ #5 – the distance of 8 half steps. Also known as a flat 13 – b13.
9. Major 6th – M6 – the distance of 9 half steps. Also known as the 13.
10. Minor 7th – m7 – the distance of 10 half steps. Also known as the b7.
11. Major 7th – M7 – the distance of 11 half steps.
12. Octave – 8va – the distance of 12 half steps.
13. Unison – 0 half steps apart, 2 notes that are equal in pitch and frequency.
From these 12 notes the other scales are derived, of which the Major Scale is the most popular. Common scales used in popular music built from the chromatic scale are:
· Major Scale – 7 notes – most common diatonic scale. Common to all popular music.
· Natural Minor Scale – 7 notes – the same as the major scale, except the 6th degree is used as the tonic. Common to all popular music.
· Harmonic Minor Scale – 7 notes – a natural minor scale with the interval of a Major 7th (a 7th degree 1 semitone behind the tonic). Not often used.
· Melodic Minor Scale – 7 notes – a harmonic minor scale with the interval of a Major 6th. More common to Jazz, but also found in other popular music forms.
· Major Pentatonic Scale – 5 notes – build from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th degrees of a Major scale. Common to Country, folk, and rock and roll.
· Minor Pentatonic Scale – 5 notes - build from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th degrees of a Major scale but with the 6th acting as the tonic\root. Common to Country, folk, and rock and roll.
· Blues Scale – 6 notes – a Minor Pentatonic scale with the flat 5th added. You can also look at this scale as the scale that uses the flat 3rd, flat 5th, and flat 7th to harmonize with a major chord or a 7th chord. Mostly used in Blues and Rock and Roll.
· Half-Step Whole-Step Diminished Scale – 8 notes – made up of alternating ½ steps and whole steps. Mostly used in Jazz.
· Bebop Scales – 8 notes. Mostly used in Jazz & Bebop. There are 3 main bebop scales
o Major Bebop = a Major scale with the Augmented 5th (see below) added.
o Dominant Bebop = a Major scale with the flat 7th added
o Minor Bebop = the Dorian Mode (see below) of the Major scale with the Major 3rd added (see below)
o Half-Diminished Bebop = the Locrian Mode (see below) of the Major scale with the P5 added. Note: this equals a Dominant Bebop scale up an Augmented 5th\flat 6th.
· Whole Tone Scale – 6 notes – all separated by a whole step.
· Plus many, many more which are less popular or used exclusively by experimental composers or composers looking for exotic sounding scales.
· Also, you will hear mention of “modes” which are special applications of the scales.
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