Episode 5 is about how major scales can be identified aurally and visually.
Episode 5 is about how major scales can be identified aurally and visually.
Traditional Western music uses pitches that are classified into half and whole steps (1:00). Major Scale degrees can have multiple names (1:20). Practice with an example of a simple melody that leaves off on the dominant, and you should try to sing the tonic (2:30). Learn how to figure out what major scale is being used in music by looking at notation. You should look at the key signature (4:00). Get some tips on how to practice major scales on your own (5:00).Question of the day: (6:22) What is the formula of whole and half steps that create a major scale?
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Hi and welcome to the APsolute Recap: Music Theory Edition. Today’s episode will recap Major Scales
Lets Zoom out:
We’re in Unit #1 - Music Fundamentals
Topics 1.3 through 1.5
Our Big idea is how major scales can be identified aurally and visually.
Introduce Topic (3-5 sentences)
To maximize your understanding of major scales, let’s discover the meaning of interval sizes, scale degrees, and key signatures.
As we move forward to discuss minor scales and the circle of fifths in later episodes, it will become clear how mathematical the organization of music is.
Lets Zoom in:
Traditional Western music uses pitches that are classified into half and whole steps. There are examples of quarter tones in Middle Eastern music. Our focus will be on half and whole, as they function in a major scale. The magic formula for a major scale stepwise is: Whole whole half whole whole whole half.
Major Scale degrees can have multiple names. The most commonly known names are solfege syllables: do re mi fa sol la ti do. The second known names are simply numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant,
submediant, leading tone and then tonic again. Tonic is the home note, or do. Dominant is 5, or sol, and is often the chord or note that is, for the lack of a better word, dominant in a piece of music besides the tonic note. Our western ears are accustomed to experiencing the dominant and leading tone notes preceding the tonic note. It is natural for most people, regardless of their musical training, to feel unsettled when hearing music that leaves off the tonic note. Here is an example of a simple melody that leaves off on the dominant, and you should try to sing the tonic at the end. I am going to sheep it for you (do mi sol la sol mi re do sol, ___do).
Here is an example of a simple melody that leaves off on the leading tone, and you should try to sing the tonic. I am going to sheep it for you again (mi re do la sol fa mi re ti ___ do).
Get comfortable with how the scales look and sound before studying them in music where notes are rearranged in melodies.
If you are looking at notation you should look at the key signature for the whole piece, the first note and the last note to discover if you are in a major or minor scale. For example, if the key signature throughout the music has two sharps, I know that it may be either D major or B minor. More on this when we review the circle of fifths. If I see the first and last note is D, F# or A, also known as the tonic chord for D major, then I can assume this piece of music is in D major. If the key signature has sharps, the second to last sharp will be the leading tone, and from there you can count a half step up to find the tonic. If the key signature has flats, the last flat will always be the subdominant, or Fa. The second to last flat, when there is more than one, will be the name of the scale.
How do you practice major scales? Sing, play, analyze, read, write and audiate them. If you are singing in solfege, you should practice the Curwen hand signs to help make multiple connections in your brain with the kinesthetic movements and visual aid. For extra credit, you can of course always watch the Sound of Music.
To recap……
Having an understanding of major scales goes hand in hand with a familiarity of pitch intervals, scale degrees and key signatures. We can label a major scale in these three main ways: do re mi fa sol la ti do, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, Tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone, tonic.
Coming up next on the Apsolute RecAP Music Theory Edition: Minor Scales
Today’s Question of the day is about Melodic Intervals
Question: What is the formula of whole and half steps that create a major scale?