MUSIC MASTERY LESSON 7
THE MAJOR SCALE
The Major scale is really important! In this lesson we are going to be learning how to construct and play major scales in every key - in other words how to make a major scale from any note on the keyboard.
To start with, the keyboard is designed so that we can really easily play one major scale - C Major. To play C major, all you need to do is start on 'C' and then move up the keyboard, playing the 'white' notes one step at a time until you reach the next 'C'.
* Play this scale a few times until the sound of it becomes really familiar to you. It will help if you sing each note to yourself as you do it.
MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT PATTERNS!
How would you go about playing a major scale in another key? There are several ways you can go about this:
APPROACH 1: USING YOUR EAR!
The jazz approach is to use your ear to guide your fingers. Your brain is actually really good at recognising musical patterns, and it's usually just a matter of connecting what you hear with your fingers. Try playing a note other than 'C'(let's say Eb). Now SING up the major scale starting on this note.
Sing the scale up and down one octave until you've really got the sound of each note in your head. Easy isn't it?
Now sing it again, using the syllables
'DO -RE-MI-FA-SO-LA-TI-DO' as you're singing up the scale (ascending)
When your going down (descending) sing 'DO-TI-LA-SO-FA-MI-RE-DO'
Now try slowly playing up the scale as you sing it, using your ear to correct any mistakes. This is a little more challenging, but keep going and stay focused! If you make a mistake, correct the note, then start the scale from the beginning again. The trick is to do this SLOWLY. Repeat the exercise several times until you can correctly play up and down the scale, and then move to another note and repeat the exercise. If you do this daily, you'll quickly start to be able to play and hear major scale patterns in any key.
APPROACH 2: THE MAJOR SCALE PHONE NUMBER!
This approach requires you to analyse and memorise the relationship between each note - in other words to know the distance from one note to the next. Let's look at the C Major scale again.
If we start on C (we'll call this note 'DO'), we have to take a step of TWO semitones before we get to the next note (D). Our next step is another interval of TWO semitones, which takes us to E, the third note of the scale. Our next step is only one semitone: E and F are directly next to each other, with no black note in between them. From F, we go up another TWO semitones to G, TWO semitones to A, another TWO semitones to B and finally a step of ONE semitone takes us back to C.
This gives us a pattern I call THE MAJOR SCALE PHONE NUMBER. 0 - 2 - 2 -1 - 2 -2 -2 -1
We can apply this pattern to make a major scale from any note. For example, the Eb major scale goes like this:
MAJOR SCALES: EXERCISE 1
MAJOR SCALE PHONE NUMBER.pdfMAJOR SCALES EXERCISEs - LEVEL 2
In the following exercise, you will need to write out the names of the notes in each scale. Use the 'Major scale phone number to work out the notes in each scale, then write the note names in the boxes.
The black notes on the keyboard each have two names. For example the black note in between C and D can be thought of as either 'C#' (C Sharp) or Db (D Flat). To work out which name is the correct one to use, follow these simple rules:
1) Every scale is designed to have each of the letters A,B,C,D,E,F and G. If you have already used one of these letters, the next note in the scale will use the next letter in the alphabet. For example, the first three notes of the Eb major scale are Eb, F and G. The fourth note is the black key between G and A. Because we've already used the letter G, we would call this note Ab rather than G#
2) Major scales will either contain all flat notes OR all sharp notes. No major scale contains both flats AND sharps. As a rule of thumb, most scales starting on the white notes tend to be 'sharp keys', and major scales starting on the black notes tend to be 'flat keys'
Major Scales Letter Names Only 2 sharps and flats to Db muscteachingresources dotcom.pdfMajor scales 2
Major Scales Letter Names Only Flat Keys To Db musicteachingresources dotcom.pdfMajor scales 3
Major Scales Letter Names Only Sharp Keys To B musicteachingresources dotcom.pdfMajor scales 4
Major Scales Letter Names Only sharps and flats to A musicteachingresources dotcom.pdfMajor scales 5
MAJOR SCALES EXERCISES LEVEL 3
Now it's time to try writing your scales out on the staff (in treble clef).
You will notice that every degree of the scale is only one line or space above the note before it.
Remember that when adding sharps or flats(collectively known as 'accidentals') on the stave, they appear BEFORE the note they apply to, and are written on the same line or space as that note. For example:
Major Scales #and b keys 1 musicteachingresources dotcom.pdfMajor Scales 6
Major Scales C Ab Db Gb musicteachingresources dotcom.pdfMajor Scales 7
Major Scales C E B F# musicteachingresourcesdotcom.pdfMajor Scales 8
Major Scales C F Bb Eb musicteachingresources dotcom.pdfMajor Scales 9