Here we begin to enter into the realm of the melodic domain, sounds that have enthralled humankind since the dawn of time. Is there anything more natural in our creative arts than the melodic line? Are we simply emulating the songbirds of nature so as to become songbirds of our own enlightened consciousness? Can we share this enlightenment through our melodies? Here we begin to look at the various groups of pitches from which we can create our melodic ideas. Do you have a favorite melody? Can you sing it? Know what scale it was created from? Major? Minor? Scan the following topics, look for things your curious about, pick and click and off ya go! Do you need a place to start? Check the start or workbook pages for a survey of resources. What style of music are you playing or wish to play? Would you like some assistance in developing a curriculum of study? The following topics are listed so as to create a program of study for our melodic resources. Reference texts.
| theory of scales in this text | a brief discussion of how the various melodic resources created within the equal tempered system are organized within this text. |
| evolution of scales | creating a organic basis of melodic colors. |
| major / relative minor scales | examines the relationship between the major and natural minor scale as created within the equal temper system. |
| major tonality / scales | links to melodies, theory and intervals of various groups of pitches which create the major tonality. |
| minor tonality / scales | links to melodies, theory and intervals of various groups of pitches which create the minor tonality. |
| church modes | examines the history, theory and each of the seven church modes as contained within the equal tempered system. |
| blues scale | a look at the intervalic properties of the blues scale. |
| symmetrical scales | discusses various groups of pitches created with a symmetrical intervalic construction. |
| key signatures | examines the labeling by pitch of the 12 major and minor keys of equal temper. |
| cycle of 5th's / 4th's | how the 12 major and minor keys of equal temper are organized by these two perfect intervals. |
| musical intervals | examines the system of labeling of the musical distance between pitches. |
| permutation / sequence | fundamental ways to create melodic ideas from the major scale group of pitches. |
| chromatic scale | a look at the organizational and musical properties associated with this symmetrically created group of pitches. |
| location of the half steps | examines popular groups of pitches in regard to the location of the half step interval in the scale configuration. |
| melodic motion / devices | examines various ways the pitches of our melodies move and the terms we use to describe them. |
| the new scale | 5 + 1 = 6 / simply adding the leading tone into the pentatonic color / no fourth ... |
Oh, what about arpeggios? Or how we reshape our scales to become arpeggios which become chords? Don't our chords come from the scales? Is there a scale syllabus in this text? Of course, we have everything here.
Where do the melodies come from? Does the idea of "sing the line, play the line" play a part in creating nice melodies? Is there a greater joy for the creative musician than coming up with cool melodic ideas? Do we as artists have a responsibility to continue the search for the ultimate musical themes and share these ideas with those in our world so as to unite us all in peace and love? Do we already have these themes in our possession? Your ideas?
"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse. Anonymous