major scale theory

Think of your two favorite songs ..., good chance that one of these melodies was created with the major scale and depending on the music you dig, maybe both of them. Without knowing what experience you as the reader are bringing to this text, I'm a bit in the dark as how to begin to describe the incredible amount of cool musical art that has been created and preserved with the major scale grouping of pitches over the last few centuries. Suffice to say that as you discover the artistic essence and sound of this group of pitches, hopefully your own realization of the magnitude of its importance will emerge. Let's start the discussion of the theory of this group of pitches with a bit of a folk idea. Example 1.

Hear any other melodies in this last idea? Click it again? Sound a bit timeless? Epic perhaps, maybe in a folksy sort of way?

Years ago, a very advanced musical artist spoke to our jazz studies class about ways to create a vocabulary with which to speak musically. Two methods were discussed. First, to simply vocalize the musical idea we wanted to speak, then discover by trial and error how to articulate this idea on our chosen instruments, jazz trumpet master Clark Terry described this idea as simply to sing the line, play the line. The second approach was to examine the world of jazz as an organized art form. To study in depth the literature ( music ), the theory, the history and the biographies of the players and the societal times that they created their art within. Mr. Terry's combined approach of vocalizing our ideas and knowing the theory is the heart and soul of creating an internalized musical vocabulary with which to express our musical ideas in the improvisatory nature of the American styles. Is the major scale part of the core of the American sound? Absolutely.

So, what is the "major tonality", why is it important? The major tonality simply associates an ordered group of pitches with a musical environment characterized by a loving warmth, joy and light associated with the universal ascending goodness in the human spirit. We call this ordered group of pitches the major scale. Centuries ago it was known as the Ionian mode. Before that, some anthropologists think this group of pitches has been creating this major tonality for thousands of years, and it still continues today to provide one of the main resources to express the myriad of different artistic and emotional statements which personify our present level of anthropological and spiritual evolution. Cool with this?

The organization of the equal tempered system provides twelve ( 12 ) distinct starting points for the major scale. These twelve starting points comprise the pitches of the chromatic scale. Each of these twelve reference points denote tonal centers or keys from which our music may be created. Only one intervalic formula is used to create the correct intervalic distance between the pitches of the major scale, on all of the twelve reference points of the chromatic scale. This formula consists of musical half steps and whole steps and is "built right in" to the piano for the C major scale in the placement of the white keys. Here is the ancient interval sequence. Example 1.

Let's create the major scale starting on the pitch and letter name C, the root of the C major scale. Example 2.

Thus; C up a whole step to D, up whole step to E, up half step to F, up a whole step to G, up a whole step to A, up a whole step to B, up a whole step to C. Notice the half step interval between the pitches E and F and B and C in example 2? This situation physically corresponds to the absence of a black key between these pitches on the piano. The natural half step between the pitches E and F and B and C are integral and permanent components of the structure of our twelve-key system of tonal organization. To play this scale on the piano, simply start at C and use the white keys only. Here is a picture of the piano keyboard to illustrate the above ideas. Example 3.

Does the picture of the keys look familiar? Here is it's sound. Example 3a.

Sound familiar? Cool. Let's create a major scale one whole step up from C natural. So our starting pitch will be D natural? Yep. Example 4.

To correctly sound the D major scale, we must use two pitches represented on the piano as black keys. These are pitches are labeled with a # symbol. In our musical language this symbol, #, is known as a sharp and is referred to as an accidental. Here is a picture of the keyboard to illustrate the placement of the F# (F sharp) and C# ( C sharp ) needed to create a D major scale. Coolness emerges as we are beginning to expand our resource with the inclusion of the black keys. Sound out the D major scale. Does it sound like the C major scale? Example 5.

Here is its sound. Example 5a.

Find any difference? Part of the difference lies in what is termed the color of a particular key. Keys with sharps ( # ) in their makeup are said to be brighter. Flat ( b ) keys are thought to be darker, more somber, earthier? Who says? We do. Let's build a flat key. How about Bb major, a whole step down from C. Example 6.

Here is a picture of the keyboard to illustrate the placement of the Bb and Eb. We are continuing to expand our available pitch resource with the inclusion of more black keys. Sound out the Bb major scale. How does it sound like the C or D major scale? Compare the three groups. Example 6a.

Here is its sound. Example 6b.

Find any difference? Does choosing one key over another have to do with helping a composer to bring forth and fine-tune the emotional "character" of their songs? Could very well be. Have you ever written a song?

So in regards to the music your creating, where to begin? What aspects of this ancient color do you need? Are you using the major scale in the music you play? Perhaps to think of melodies that you already know. Maybe go back to the ones you learned as a kid? Think of one. Does it sound like it was created from the major scale? Sing it as best you can, then find the pitches on your chosen instrument. Can you determine from the letter names of the pitches what musical key your in? Create the magic of this melody on your instrument. Perhaps try to play this same melody in a different key? Pick another familiar melody and repeat the same process. 

If you have at least tried to do this exercise, give yourself an "A", for this playing by ear process can be a bit trying at first, especially if you are mostly comfortable with having all of the music written out for you. This approach might be kinda like the "blank canvas" for the painter, perhaps a bit intimidating at first? No worries, we all feel it when first venturing out. Continue this way of exploring your musical resources in a comfortable setting, try to recreate and capture the essence of the sounds in your minds "ear." There are a gillion melodies created from the major scale grouping of pitches, plus the ones to still be created! How many do you know? Begin a list of tunes you know and one's that you want to learn.

Essential concepts. In this potentially wonderful world we live in, there just might be some things that we should commit to the permanent hard drive memory located inside our heads. Is the intervalic whole step / half step formula used to create the major scale within equal temperament one of these essentials? Here it is again for those who wish to commit. Example 8.

Study the worksheet that follows spelling out the 12 major scales, arranged by the cycle of fifths. Try to keep in mind that when spelling out these scales, we use each letter name only once, excepting the octave of course and use only sharps ( # ) or flats ( b ) exclusively ( not both in the same scale ) to obtain the correct intervalic distance. Try to get as many of these 12 groups under your fingers. For not only is it a fine way to learn your chosen instrument, but depending on your artistic direction, at some point you just might need them all. Ya just never know eh? Example 9.

Are you hip to the term enharmonic? It simply implies another way to label any given pitch. Why would we want to do this? Compare the following major scales. Example 10.

Why one labeling of pitches over another? Out of a musical context, hard to say. Enharmonic equivalents are mainly used to ease notating and the reading of the music. Why is this knowledge potentially important? For jazz players the concept of substituting one color, chord, scale for another is potentially an integral part of one's artistic signature, and depending on the key of the music, we need to know all of the theoretical possibilities. Keys such as F# / Gb major are seldom encountered in the literature, but using a bit of Gb while converging towards F major is rather common for the jazz artist. Perhaps the important idea at this juncture is to simply have a sense that these different labeling of pitches and keys exists and to have the tools to create and decipher them when necessary.

Which of the 12 major keys do you need to create your music? There is only 12, why not simply learn them all and be done with it? Here are the 12 major scales of the equal temperament system written out to help with learning the major scale. Once under your fingers, begin to commit them to memory, they become part of the "bread and butter" of the improvising artist of American music. Using the holiday theme "Joy To The World", "musify" your shedding of the 12 keys. Example 11.

Comfortable with the pitches? So, ya got "Joy To The World" in 12 keys eh? Cool. Then perhaps begin to shape all of the twelve major keys in a similar way to the next musical idea below. Write them out if necessary, there is printable manuscript in the workbook section, but the idea is to play from memory. These scales are potentially a large part of the basis for our musical vocabulary and lay the groundwork for the interval studies, the next level of melodic challenge. The following idea is to start quietly on the tonic, then move up through the pitches of the scale, gradually getting louder through two octaves to the 2nd scale degree, then all the way back down, gradually getting quiet to the tonic again at the bottom. Example 12.

Too wide a range for you? No worries, simply tailor the scale to your best range and sound and expand outward from there.

One of the best ways to learn a key center and it's pitches is to learn a melody written in that key. Here is a beginning list of popular jazz compositions created in the major tonal environment and the key center we often find these songs published / performed in. Of course, one could transpose any song to any key eh?

So, any theoretical problems with the major scale? Well, yes and no. No in that way too much beautiful music is created from this group of pitches, so obviously no real insurmountable problems in the last couple of thousand years or so. But yes in that within the two tetrachords created from the pitches, the half step between the 3rd and 4th degrees creates a potential second leading tone, potentially reducing overall tonic stability of this major scale grouping. Example 1.

The pitch B, as the 7th scale degree, is the designated leading tone to the key of C major. The pitch E is the 7th scale degree and leading tone in the key of F major. So, two potential leading tones. Click colortone series to explore this "problem" further and explore a possible solution.

Where to next?

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Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Albert Einstein