Jesu, joy of man's desiring,
Ode to Joy,
Prelude in E,
Whiter Shade of Pale.
What do all of these tunes have in common?
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||
| W | W | H | W | W | W | H |
Notice that when starting on "C" on the keyboard, the white keys are arranged in the correct Whole Step/Half step pattern so as to create a "C" major scale. How convenient. This fact is why music theory generally begins the discussion of major scales with the key of "C" (and not "A").
We will discover that the "C" major scale is the ONLY major scale that does not use at least one black key. All of the other major scales use one or more black keys. It is useful to memorize the structure of the ascending major scale. (A descending major scale structure is the reverse order) Say it aloud:
"Whole step, Whole step , Half step, Whole step, Whole step, Whole step, Half step."
Memorize this mantra.
It is also useful to think in terms of numbers with the number 1 representing a Half step (i.e. 1 unit of musical distance within the 12 tone system) and the number "2" representing a Whole step (i.e. 2 Half Steps = Whole Step).
The mantra now becomes:
"2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1"
This formula (using either numbers or words, which ever is easiest for you to remember) will be used to create a major scale on ANY pitch in our 12 tone system.
Pick a note, any note, any of the 21 names in our notation system. Take Eb for instance, or maybe F#, or A or perhaps A#. Can we build a major on any of these notes? At the end of section 3.2, I said you could build a major scale on any of the 12 tones of our system. So I guess any of the 21 names should be fair game as starting notes, don't you think? Well actually some of the names present unnecessary complications. Let me explain why.
One of the characteristics of a major scale is that it will use all of the letter names of the musical alphabet. Sometimes a scale might use a sharp or flat version of a letter, but all of the letters will be used in one way or another. This is ALWAYS true for major scales. We never "spell" a scale using two different forms of the same letter (i.e. No major scale should use both a "F" and a "F#"). This is where enharmonics are so important (remember them?). By showing a few examples, this alphabetical ordering of major scales will become clear. Using the suggested starting notes stated above (Eb, F#, A, and A#) let's try to create major scales that adhere to these two requirements.
1) the scale uses the correct formula:
| whole, | whole, | half, | whole, | whole, | whole, | half |
| 2, | 2, | 1, | 2, | 2, | 2, | 1 |
2) the scale uses all of the letter names and none of them twice.
sidebar: Its is useful to work out the formula of intervals on a keyboard. Here is a link to a keyboard diagram that you can print out for reference (same one as last week). You should memorize the patterns of white and black keys within an octave. Close your eyes, can you see the pattern? If not, stare at the keyboard page until the pattern is burned into your brain. You truly do need to see the keyboard in your mind. Until then, you should have a printout of the keyboard for reference while reading the rest of this section.
Ok, let's try to create these major scales
First let's try Eb major:
The FIRST note is Eb.
The SECOND note must be a whole step higher (to the right) (F).
The THIRD note is another whole step higher (G),
then the FOURTH note is a half step higher. Now we encouter the first enharmonic dilemma. Should this note be "G#" or "Ab"? Well, according to rule 2 above we shouldn't use the same letter twice. We have already used "G" so "G#" is out, it must be "Ab" instead. This is the correct enharmonic choice. Although "G#" sounds the same, it is not the correct name for this note in the context of the Eb major scale. Are you still with me?
The FIFTH note is a whole step above "Ab". It is called either "A#" or "Bb". You know which is correct, don't you? Yes, that note should be named "Bb"..
The SIXTH note is a whole step higher, it is "C".
The SEVENTH note is a whole step higher, it is "D". Finally, the eighth note is a half step higher, what should we call it? We have already used both the letters Eb and D.
The EIGHTH note is actually the First note played one octave higher and should always have the same letter name as the first note. In this case the name is Eb (not "D#"!!) There are actually only seven different letter names used in major scales. The eighth note of the scale actually "connects" us to the next octave. From there the pattern can start over in a higher pitch range. The entire scale is correctly spelled as "Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb" No sharp names are used in this scale. In fact, if properly constructed, any single major scale should never mix sharps and flats.
Now let's try F# as the starting note.
The FIRST note is F#
The SECOND note is a whole step higher. Should that note be called "G#" or "Ab"? We haven't used either letter yet, but we'd better not skip the letter G because it will cause a problem in the correct spelling of this scale. The correct enharmonic choice is "G#". Now wait a minute, this is significant. Remember in the Eb major scale when we needed this same note we called it "Ab" but in the F# major scale it is WRONG to call it "Ab", it is CORRECT to call this note "G#".
sidebar: Trained musicians are picky about this sort of thing. It is important that you learn when it is appropriate to call a pitch one name as opposed to another. In the context of a specific major scale, it is always the case that one name is correct and the other is wrong. In other musical contexts (non-major scale music, there's lots of it around), sometimes it is ambiguous and either name will do.
Let's continue with the F# major scale.
The THIRD note is a whole step higher. The correct enharmonic choice is "A#" (not "Bb", do you see why?)
The FOURTH note is a half step higher to letter "B".
The FIFTH note is a whole step higher. The correct enharmonic choice is "C#" (not "Db").
The SIXTH note is a whole step higher. The correct enharmonic choice is "D#" (not "Eb").
The SEVENTH note is a whole step higher. The correct enharmonic choice is "E#" (not "F"!!!!). Yikes!, this is a situation when the white key should be called a sharp name. THIS IS CORRECT. We have already used the letter F on the first note (F#) and we haven't yet used a letter E of any type. The correct enharmonic choice is "E#". This enharmonic choice frequently trips up students because they sometimes think that the sharps and flats are always black keys (not so!) and this is obviously a white key. However, in accordance to the rules for creating major scales, the correct name for this white key in this context of F# major is "E#" (calling the note 'F' is wrong!).
The EIGHTH note is F#, the same letter that we started with yet one octave higher.
Do you have a headache yet? The next one is easier.
Starting with the letter "A".
The FIRST note is "A"
The SECOND note is a whole step higher, letter "B"
The THIRD note is a whole step higher. The correct enharmonic choice is "C#" (not "Db", do you see why?)
The FOURTH note is a half step higher to letter "D".
The FIFTH note is a whole step higher to letter "E".
The SIXTH note is a whole step higher. The correct enharmonic choice is "F#" (not "Gb").
The SEVENTH note is a whole step higher. The correct enharmonic choice is "G#" (not "Ab").
The EIGHTH note is "A", the same letter that we started with yet one octave higher.
That wasn't so bad.
So, it seems that if we always adhere to the two rules noted above, we can create a major scale starting on any starting letter. Well, there are unnecessary problems when starting on some letter names. The next example will illustrate the problem.
When starting on the letter "A#", every note will be a half step higher than the key of "A"
The FIRST note is "A#"
The SECOND note is a whole step higher, letter "B#", this is a white key but that's OK
The THIRD note is a whole step higher. Uh Ooh, that takes us to the "D" on the keyboard but it's supposed to be a "C" letter of some type. What do we do? We can call it "C double-sharp" but what a headache. By-the-Way the concept of double-sharp DOES exist. We could continue on with this scale and we would have additional double-sharps at the sixth and seventh scale degrees, but why bother? If you want the sound of "A#" major then simply spell the scale as "Bb" major (they'll sound the same, right?, they are enharmonic scales).
Here is Bb major
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Bb | C | D | Eb | F | G | A | Bb |
It's pretty easy, and it sounds the same as would A# major.
So, to eliminate major scales with double-sharps or double-flats, our system uses only 15 of the 21 names as starting notes for major scales. We refer to the letter names as KEYS, as in the phrase "we are in the key of Bb major". To eliminate the problem we've been discussing regarding double-chromatics we do not use the major keys of A#. D#, E#, G#, or Fb. The remaining 15 letter names are used as legitimate major keys:
Ab, A, Bb, B, Cb, C, C#, Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, Gb and G.
Instead of examining them in this mutated alphabetical order, we will take a different approach.
Do you have your keyboard reference at hand or in you mind? Check out these keys that use sharps, each uses the correct formula and all of the 7 letter names.
G major needs only one sharp, F#.
D major requires two sharps, F# and C#.
A major has three sharps, F#, C# and G#.
E major needs four sharps to stay within the formula, F#, C#, G# and D#.
B major needs five sharps, F#, C#, G#, D# and A#.
F# major has six sharps, F#, C#, G#, D#, A# and E#, one is a white key (E#).
C# major, everything is sharped, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# and B#, five black keys and two white keys with sharp names (E#, B#)
Here are the keys that use flats. Once again each scale uses the correct formula and all of the 7 letter names.
F major needs only one flat, Bb.
Bb major requires two flats, Bb and Eb.
Eb major has three flats, Bb, Eb and Ab.
Ab major needs four flats to stay within the formula, Bb, Eb, Ab and Db.
Db major needs five flats, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb. It sounds the same as C# major but is spelled entirely different. It is an enharmonic key to C# major.
Gb major has six flats, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, and Cb, one is a white key (Cb). Gb major sounds the same as F# major but is spelled different. It is an enharmonic key to F# major.
Cb major, everything is flatted, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb and Fb. There are five black keys and two white keys with flat names (Cb, Fb). Cb major is an enharmonic key to B major.
Many people feel that all keys possess an unique color and that the key of C has a different quality from Eb (aside from the obvious different range). Keys of E and F# are often cited as being "bright" whereas the key of Db is "dark". Although I don't discount these possiblities, I've never been able to make those distinctions between keys. Consequentially, I have never used a key solely for its color properties.
I do find the variety of key choices very useful however, especially with regard to matching a melody to a singer's vocal range. Each melody has a specific range within the context of the scale that is used. Using the "Star Spangled Banner" as an example, the lowest note is the tonic of the key and the highest note is the 5th of the scale (but it is the 5th note in the second octave of the scale! ) This song has a very wide range and it is important to pick the key that has both the high note and the low note within the range of the singer. In the key of C, the notes would be C4 to G5 (soprano range) or C3 to G4 (tenor range).
For both men and women it is pretty high, perhaps too high for the singer (the G is too high for me to sing without embarassment). If you lower the song to the key of A, the range becomes A2 to E4 or A3 to E5. Assuming the low notes are still within the singers low range this may be a better key than C.
What if now the low notes are too low? The Star Spangled Banner has a wide range, if by lowering the high note you make the low note too low, you've gone down too far. If you can't seem to find a key that works for both the high note and the low note... sing a different song;-) Have you ever seen a singer start this song too high and struggle with the high notes at the end? This song has given singers trouble for decades. It is also a song that allows great singers to truly shine. The wide range of the song is one of the reasons that some people have suggested we change the national anthem to something else. If you've ever heard Ray Charles sing "America, the Beautiful" you know why that song (and Ray's rendition) has received consideration as a replacement. The melodic range of 'America, the Beautiful' is the interval of a 9th whereas the range of "Star Spangled Banner" is a 12th. (Intervals are discussed in a later chapter)
An important point is that each song's melodic range is unique and must be considered on its own without regard to the appropriate key of other songs. In other words, just because you have determined that the Key of A is appropriate for the Star Spangled Banner, it doesn't mean that the Key of A is appropriate for all songs you sing. A song such as "Merrily We Roll Along" has a very narrow melodic range. This melody in just about any key will still be within the range of most singers. When I hear a singer say "My voice is in the key of [whatever]", I know that they don't really understand the process of picking a key to match a vocalist's range. Although it may be that a certain key seems to work consistently for your voice, that is still the result of the range of the melody in that key being within your vocal range. I've worked with singers who were very picky about which key they wanted to sing a song in, and I've worked with others who didn't care much (these singers have a very wide range and feel confident with any key). In my experience it is more common for the singer to choose the key (or at least veto certain keys).
Most instruments are designed around the use of certain notes. Stringed instruments such as guitar and violin have open strings that are tuned to certain notes. This means that certain keys can utilize those open strings while other keys have no use for those notes. On the guitar, the lowest sounding string is E. A low E string played through a electric guitar turned up to "eleven", is a very powerful sound. Music played in the key of E on the guitar can take advantage of open strings that are not always available in other keys. The major keys of A, B, C, D, E and G allow for the use of certain open strings that are not available in other keys. This means that a composition played in one of these keys may use an instrumental technique available only in that key. The piece may not "work" in other keys without retuning the instrument. Of course by retuning the instrument one can achieve countless open string possibilities. The fancy italian name for retuning a stringed instrument is "scordatura". Since the retuning often results in the open strings being tuned to a simple chord, it is commonly referred to as an "open tuning".
The Keyboard with its arrangement of white and black keys has its unique qualities that make the fingering in some keys easier than the fingering of other keys. Legend has it that the composer Irving Berlin (he wrote "White Christmas" and a ton of other popular songs) had a special piano made that allowed him to play in any key while using the white keys (C major). Irving could use the fingering for C major and still change the key (by flipping a level?). He never had to learn the fingerings for other keys. I used to think that was 'cheating' but guitarist often use a capo and it's the same concept yet much easier to implement on guitar than piano. Most guitarist have a capo but Berlin's piano was a rarity and I'm sure cost a little more. It illustrates the fact that some keys are considered more difficult than others. By the way, any modern day synthesizer is capable of this type of transposition of keys. Irving would have loved them.
Wind Instruments are tuned to specific keys. Although all of the notes are available, specific notes have an 'open' fingering and certain scales are much easier to play than others. Common 'keys' for wind instruments are C (recorder, picolo, flute, oboe), Bb (soprano and tenor saxophone, trumpet, clarinet), Eb (alto and baritone saxophone), A (clarinet), F (french horn, english horn, alto recorder), D (picolo trumpet). If you have the money, you could have an instrument constructed in any key. If Irving Berlin played sax, would he have 12 of them? Each one custom made in a different key? Just wondering.
It is common for beginning and intermediate level jazz players (and even some advanced level players!) to learn a tune in one key and avoid the other keys. More accomplished players will play the tune in several keys, and many players take pride in being able to do so.
tongue-in-cheek
Unscientific data reveal that the major scale is one of the most commonly used scales on the planet earth. Many, many, familiar melodies use the major scale. It is widely believed that there is even more use of the major scale in unfamiliar melodies. And while this may be surprising, absolutely obscure melodies almost always use the major scale. The major scale is especially popular with the amateur musician who wants to write the next great love ballad.
Jewel uses it.
So did Lennon and McCartney
Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, all those guys too
pretty versatile scale
This following example makes use of a repeating bass note pattern, and other repeating patterns. A short repeating pattern is called an 'Ostinato'.
Below is a quicktime presentation of the same MIDI file with accompanying commentary. You'll notice the difference in the synthesizer sounds between the different plugins.
Open quicktime presentation
Play file
Open MIDI file
Open mp3 file
Play file
Here are some common melodic patterns used by musicians as exercises and warmup routines. These are shown in the key of C but they could and should be practiced in other keys as well.
broken thirds up
broken thirds down
combination of broken thirds up
combination of broken thirds down
Open MIDI file
Open mp3 file
Play file
We haven't covered rhythmic notation yet, however the pitch element of this exercise should be understandable. This exercise should be memorized and practiced daily. Shown below is the exercise in both C and G major. The MIDI file goes through 12 different keys (only one version of each of the enharmonic scales F#/Gb, Cb/B, and C#/Db is used). The order of the keys is as follows: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, and F.
below is the exercise packaged in quicktime.
Open MIDI file
Open mp3 file
Play file
This is a similar exercise that is more suited for the jazz style. Memorize this exercise and sing it everyday. Shown below is the exercise written in both C and F major. The MIDI file goes through 12 different keys in the following order. C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, and G. Just think how good you will feel knowing you have sung in all 12 keys today.
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The one below is not required, but maybe useful.
For Mac users. Here is a JavaScript quiz.
Remember the JavaScript quiz is just for practice. The only required test this week is Test 4 (Major Scales) accessible via the Quizzes area.
Examine the following scales, they are either major scales that are spelled correctly or they contain one wrong note. Click on the answer menu (currently set to "select") and select the choice that is appropriate for each scale.