Chapter 3 ::
Major Keys
and Scales
The Major Scale
It is CRUCIAL to understand scales in music theory. It is a foundation for everything else to come. A scale is a selection of certain notes within an octave. A chromatic scale contains 12 pitches, or notes. The word chromatic stems from the Greek word, meaning "color." One way to remember this is to think that a chromatic collection contains one of each possible pitch class "color." Comparitively, a diatonic scale contains seven different letter names in a particular order.
Each note in a diatonic major scale has a technical degree name and number. The first note is called the tonic and is labeled with a 1. The tonic of the scale is the name of the key. For example, if the tonic of a scale is C, the scale is in the key of C. The rest of technical scale degree names are shown in the image below. |
CHROMATIC SCALE
DIATONIC SCALE
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Technical Degree Names for a Diatonic Major Scale
Formula for finding the notes in Diatonic Major Scale
Major Key signatures
Another way to identity the notes in a scale is by using the key signature. Instead of writing accidentals next to each individual note, a key signature show which notes are to be sharped or flatted throughout a score. It is foun at the beginning
For sharps, refer to the image labeled "Order of Sharps". The key is determined by how many sharps are in the key signature. For example, if there are 2 sharps in the key signature, count up two letters on your order of sharps. In this instance, that would be C. Then raise that note by a whole step to get your key, which in this case the key would be D. This also means that the notes F and C both are sharp in the key of D.
For flats, refer to the image labeled "Order of Flats". The key is determined by how many flats are in the key signature. For example, if there are 3 flats in the key signature, count up three letters on your order of flats. Then go back one letter on the order of flats and add a flat. That will be your key. In this case, you will be in the key of E flat. The only exception to this rule is if there is only 1 flat in the key signature, in which the key is always F. That's just something that you will have to memorize.
The images below the orders of sharps and flats show how to correctly write the sharps and flats on the treble and bass clef and also introduces you to the Circle of Fifths, which could be helpful in learning your key signatures.
For sharps, refer to the image labeled "Order of Sharps". The key is determined by how many sharps are in the key signature. For example, if there are 2 sharps in the key signature, count up two letters on your order of sharps. In this instance, that would be C. Then raise that note by a whole step to get your key, which in this case the key would be D. This also means that the notes F and C both are sharp in the key of D.
For flats, refer to the image labeled "Order of Flats". The key is determined by how many flats are in the key signature. For example, if there are 3 flats in the key signature, count up three letters on your order of flats. Then go back one letter on the order of flats and add a flat. That will be your key. In this case, you will be in the key of E flat. The only exception to this rule is if there is only 1 flat in the key signature, in which the key is always F. That's just something that you will have to memorize.
The images below the orders of sharps and flats show how to correctly write the sharps and flats on the treble and bass clef and also introduces you to the Circle of Fifths, which could be helpful in learning your key signatures.