Time to learn major and minor scales
Knowledge of major and minor scales is one of the most important things a musician can develop. If you are reading/performing music in the western European tradition, the vast majority is derived from these scales. If you are interested in composition or jazz improvisation, these scales form the first fundamental step to understanding the building blocks of western music.
Once my students have developed enough skills to be able to confidently play in the "regular" range of their horns, I require them to learn these scales and memorize them. It is pretty easy task, but it can be intimidating for young players, so I have made a video walking through the process!
Once my students have developed enough skills to be able to confidently play in the "regular" range of their horns, I require them to learn these scales and memorize them. It is pretty easy task, but it can be intimidating for young players, so I have made a video walking through the process!
The summary
We will approach the scales using a concept called the Circle of Fourths and Fifths. This site has a great image.
The concept is based on one of many beautiful patterns that emerge in western European music theory. If you start at C Major (no sharps or flats), then go to the fourth note of that scale (F), you can build a new major scale from that note by adding one more flat than you had before. In this case, C Major (0) + 1 = one flat for F Major.
Alternatively, you can move in fifths (going the other way around the circle). Starting with C, count up five notes to G, and build a scale. Going around in fifths means you add a sharp to the previous key signature. In this case, C Major (0) + 1 = one sharp for G Major.
The only other thing you really need to know is which sharps and flats to add. The order of flats is BEADGCF (I was taught "bead greatest common factor") and the order of sharps is the reverse, FCGDAEB. So, if you need five flats, you have BEADG. If you need four sharps, you have FCGD.
Most important rule: in diatonic (that is, major and natural minor) scales, every note name gets used exactly one time, and you cannot have both sharps and flats in the same scale. So, you cannot have G natural and G sharp in the same scale, nor can you have a D# in a B-flat scale (it would be the enharmonic pitch "E-flat").
The order of fourths starting from C is: C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb
The order of fifths starting from C is: C G D A E B F# C#
You may have noticed the BEADGCF/FCGDAEB pattern in in these orders, just starting from a different place.
So, an example...
To find the notes in D-flat major:
So, another example, in minor this time...
To find the notes in g minor:
The concept is based on one of many beautiful patterns that emerge in western European music theory. If you start at C Major (no sharps or flats), then go to the fourth note of that scale (F), you can build a new major scale from that note by adding one more flat than you had before. In this case, C Major (0) + 1 = one flat for F Major.
Alternatively, you can move in fifths (going the other way around the circle). Starting with C, count up five notes to G, and build a scale. Going around in fifths means you add a sharp to the previous key signature. In this case, C Major (0) + 1 = one sharp for G Major.
The only other thing you really need to know is which sharps and flats to add. The order of flats is BEADGCF (I was taught "bead greatest common factor") and the order of sharps is the reverse, FCGDAEB. So, if you need five flats, you have BEADG. If you need four sharps, you have FCGD.
Most important rule: in diatonic (that is, major and natural minor) scales, every note name gets used exactly one time, and you cannot have both sharps and flats in the same scale. So, you cannot have G natural and G sharp in the same scale, nor can you have a D# in a B-flat scale (it would be the enharmonic pitch "E-flat").
The order of fourths starting from C is: C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb
The order of fifths starting from C is: C G D A E B F# C#
You may have noticed the BEADGCF/FCGDAEB pattern in in these orders, just starting from a different place.
So, an example...
To find the notes in D-flat major:
- Find Db in the order of fourths (fourths because it is a flat scale). When we count (remember C is 0), we get five.
- Write out the note names with no accidentals: D E F G A B C D
- Determine which five flats you are using by looking at the order of flats: BEADG
- Add the flats to your note names: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
So, another example, in minor this time...
To find the notes in g minor:
- From the circle, g minor is two around from a minor (a minor, d minor, g minor), so it gets two flats.
- Write out the note names with no accidentals: G A B C D E F G
- Determine which two flats you are using by looking at the order of flats (it is the same for minor scales): BE
- Add the flats to your note names: G A Bb C D Eb F G
To do for students
- Make two lists of keys: one from the fourths/flat side of the circle, and one from the fifths/sharp side of the circle.
- Write the order of flats and the order of sharps.
- Write out all 12 major and 12 minor scales. You can write them with notation on staff paper, or you can just write out the note names with accidentals as in the examples above. The key is to write them, rather than download them or create them in music notation software. The physical act of writing them out while you think about the details will help you memorize the scales.
- Translate this knowledge to your instrument by practicing scales every time you get your horn out. I suggest keeping a tally of where you are on the lists of keys you made and making yourself work through two to four scales each time you practice. Remember: the goal is to develop instant recall/muscle memory for all 24 of the scales.