EPISODE 05

MAJOR SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES

HOST- Jeremy Burns, Matthew Scott Phillips

GENRE- Music Theory

DURATION- 41:41

BUMPER MUSIC  "Mjr. Cool" (Area 47 Music)

ANNOUNCER- Mike Cunliffe

LISTEN

DESCRIPTION

Listen as we dig a little deeper into the major scale. We will also discuss key signatures and how to identify them by using the order of sharps or flats and a few other tricks we've picked up along the way. The circle of fifths will make its brief debut as will the concept of diatonic and chromatic steps.

KEY WORDS

SCALE- A pattern of notes, arranged in whole steps and half steps, that span an octave.

KEY- A representation of a particular scale or group of notes that a piece, or section, of music is based on.

KEY SIGNATURE- A set of sharps (# ) or flats (b) at the beginning of the staff that indicates what key a piece of music is in.
SHARP (# )- A natural note is SHARPENED when it is raised, in pitch, by a half step. A natural note can also be DOUBLE SHARPENED (notated as " × " when it is raised, in pitch, a whole step but the letter remains the same.

FLAT (b)- A natural note is FLATTED when it is lowered, in pitch, a half step. A natural note can also be DOUBLE FLATTED (notated as ", " when it is lowered a whole step, in pitch, but the letter remains the same.

NATURAL (4)- This is a note that has not been sharpened or flatted. For example, C, D, E, F, etc.. all the white keys on the keyboard.

ENHARMONIC EQUIVALENCE-More than one name being given to the same note. For example, C# and D, may refer to the same note (the note that is a half step up from C and a half step down from D).

CHROMATIC HALF STEP- A half step, up or down, in which the letter name of the note DOES NOT change. Instead, an accidental ( #, b, x or bb ) is added to the same note. An example of this is when a C moves up to C# or down to Cb.

DIATONIC HALF STEP- A half step, up or down, in which the letter name of the note changes. In this case, an accidental ( #, b, x or bb ) may be added to the next or previous letter, depending on the circumstance. One example of this is when a C moves up to D, or down to B.

EXAMPLES

CHROMATIC HALF STEP

Here we see a C moving up a HALF step to C# without changing it's letter or moving up on the staff. Because we didn't change letters, this is considered a CHROMATIC half step.


DIATONIC HALF STEP

Here we see a C# moving up a HALF step to D while changing it's letter and moving up on the staff. Because we changed letters, this is considered a DIATONIC half step.


WHOLE STEP

Here we see a C moving up a WHOLE step to D while changing it's letter and moving up on the staff.


GOING FROM C TO B AND E TO F

These are two exceptions where there is only a half step between two white keys.


ENHARMONIC EQUIVALENCE

In the below example, the first measure shows a G note moving up a half step to G#. The following measure shows the same G note moving up a half step to Ab. In both measures, the second notes in the sequence (G# in measure 1 and Ab in measure 2) is the same note. It just has different letter names and accidentals. These notes are said to be ENHARMONIC to each other.

THE MAJOR SCALE (PIANO)

In the below example, we see the major scale pattern on a piano keboard (C major in this case). Most important, we see the pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H): W-W-H-W-W-W-H

THE MAJOR SCALE (NOTATION)

Below, we see the C major scale in music notation along with the whole note/half note pattern. This pattern will apply to any major scale, regardless of the key.

IDENTIFYING KEY SIGNATURES

Here are 4 methods to help you identify and understand key signatures.

THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS METHOD

THE ORDER OF SHARPS

The following example will focus on the circle of fifths graphic below, beginning on the key of C and moving clockwise.

-The C major key signature has no sharps or flats.

-Go up a 5th from that point. So, count up from C: 1 (C) 2 (D) 3 (E) 4 (F) 5 (G)

-We landed on G.

-Count up the G major scale to the 7th note:

1 (G) 2 (A) 3 (B) 4 (C) 5 (D) 6 (E) 7 (F)

-Sharpen the 7th note you land on (F becomes F#)

-So the G major key signature has one sharp (F#).

-Each time you go up a 5th, from your new note, you add one sharp to the 7th scale note from that point.

-This will reveal the next note to sharpen, in the order of sharps, and add one more sharp to the new key signature.


THE ORDER OF FLATS

The following example will focus on the circle of fifths graphic above, beginning on the key of C and moving counter-clockwise.

-The C major key signature has no sharps or flats.

-Go up a 4th from that point. So, count up from C: 1 (C) 2 (D) 3 (E) 4 (F)

-We landed on F.

-Count up the F major scale to the 4th note: 1 (F) 2 (G) 3 (A) 4 (B)

-Flatten the note you land on (B becomes Bb)

-So the F major key signature has one flat (Bb).

-Each time you go up a 4th, from your new note, you add one flat to the 4th scale note from that point.

-This will reveal the next note to flatten, in the order of flats, and add one more flat to the new key signature.

MNEMONIC DEVICES METHOD

THE ORDER OF SHARPS

-F# is always the first sharp in a sharp key signature.

-Each time you go up a 5th, you add another sharp.

-The resulting order of sharps is as follows:

1 (F#) 2 (C#) 3 (G#) 4 (D#) 5 (A#) 6 (E#) 7 (B#)

-Think of a sentence where all the words begin, in this order, with the given letter names:

Fat Charlie Goes Down And Eats Breakfast

THE ORDER OF FLATS

-Bb is always the first flat in a flat key signature.

-Each time you go up a 4th, you add another flat.

-The resulting order of flats is as follows:

1 (Bb) 2 (Eb) 3 (Ab) 4 (Db) 5 (Gb) 6 (Cb) 7 (Fb)

-Think of a sentence where all the words begin, in this order, with the given letter names:

Big Ed And Dan Go Camping Frequently


REMEMBER THAT THE ORDER OF FLATS IS ALSO THE ORDER OF SHARPS IN REVERSE

OBSERVING THE KEY SIGNATURE

SHARP MAJOR KEYS (LAST SHARP METHOD)

-The last sharp in sequence is the leading tone (scale degree 7) to the MAJOR KEY given in the key signature.

-Below we see a key signature with 4 sharps.

-Notice the last sharp in the sequence, D#.

-D# is the leading tone to E.

-Therefore if we are in a MAJOR KEY, it is the key of E major.



FLAT MAJOR KEYS (2ND TO LAST FLAT METHOD)

-The 2nd to the last flat in sequence is the root (scale degree 1) of the MAJOR KEY given in the key signature.

-Below we see a key signature with 5 flats.

-Notice the second to last flat in the sequence, Db.

-Db is the root of Db major.

-Therefore if we are in a MAJOR KEY, it is the key of Db major.


THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS METHOD IS THE KEY OF F MAJOR (1 FLAT)

However, it's easy enough to remember that one flat represents the key of F major.
F major is the ONLY major natural key with a flat in the key signature.

FLAT MAJOR KEYS (LAST FLAT METHOD)

-The last flat in the sequence is a PERFECT 4TH above the note of the MAJOR KEY given in the key signature.

-Below we see a key signature with 4 flats.

-Notice the last flat in the sequence, Db.

-Db is a PERFECT 4TH above Ab.

-Therefore if we are in a MAJOR KEY, it is the key of Ab major.



THE PEN STROKE METHOD

(This method is strictly for identifying MAJOR keys.)

You can relate the first five keys, in the order of sharps, to the number of pen strokes it takes to draw the letters of those keys


This method falls apart at 6 sharps (F#) and 7 sharps (C#).
But that leaves only 2 key signatures that you have to memorize compared to 7.


SCALE DEGREES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

1) TONIC- Scale degree 1 is the root, or the foundation, of the scale. This is the note for which the scale is named. The C note is the tonic of the C scale.

2) SUPER TONIC- Scale degree 2 is a whole tone above the tonic.

3) MEDIANT- Scale degree 3 is the midpoint between the tonic (scale degree 1) and the dominant (scale degree 5).
This is the middle, or "third", of a triad.

4) SUB DOMINANT- Scale degree 4 is the note a whole tone below the dominant.

5) DOMINANT- Scale degree 5 is roughly at the center of the scale. This note is second most important note only to the tonic.
It often precedes tonic in a chord progression.

6) SUB MEDIANT- Scale degree 6 is the same distance below the tonic as the mediant (scale degree 3) is above the tonic.

7) SUB TONIC or LEADING TONE- The note below (and that often precedes) the tonic in a chord progression. It is only considered the LEADING TONE when it is a HALF STEP below the tonic. If it is a WHOLE STEP below the tonic, it is still considered the SUB TONIC but not a LEADING TONE.