Basic Scale Theory
Author: Jimi Savage
What's a Scale?
The term scale comes from the Latin name scala meaning ladder. By using the term scale or scales we mean to follow in steps or to play stepwise. The most common scale used today can be found by playing all of the white notes on a piano keyboard this scale is called C major. Once you have heard a major scale you should be able to recognise the sound of it. In scale order the sounds have names from the first degree of the major scale to the 7th and ending back at the root an octave higher will sound like this (play fig ion the guitar):
The Major Scale (the mother of all scales).
The notes of a major scale have certain distances between each note or step. These distances are called intervals. The intervals or steps of most scales are constructed of an arrangement of tones (2 frets 1 step) and semi tones (1 fret half step). The major scale is made up of this arrangement: Tone Tone semitone Tone Tone Tone semitone. This is the ingredient for the construction of the major scale. All other scales are diverted from the construction of the major scale hence the mother of all scales. The construction of the major scale is T T st T T T st. Work out (on manuscript paper) the following major scales using the T T st T T T st theory:
a) b major
b) F major
c) G major
d) A major
e) Bb major
1) E major
Pentatonic Scales
The term Pentatonic means a five noted scale hence the word "pent" (meaning five). There are 2 types of pentatonic scales: major pentatonic and minor pentatonic. Both scales have been taken from the construction of the major scale. Firstly the major pentatonic:
The major pentatonic is used for different kinds of music such as Country Celtic and Oriental. The minor pentatonic scale construction:
The minor pentatonic can be used for Blues (basic) Celtic Rock n Roll and basic Rock and Heavy Metal music.
Natural Minor Scale
The Natural Minor Scale (modal name = Aeolian) is taken from the construction of the major scale in 2 different ways. 1. The constructive rules of the natural minor are: a lowered 3rd lowered 6th and a lowered 7th difference from the major scale (T st T T st T T).
Take the 6th degree of a major scale. Use this note as the root note of the scale and build (in alphabetical order) a scale using the same notes you will find that you have found the relative minor scale from that particular major scale. For example take the key / scale of C major (C D E F G A B C) find the 6th degree of the scale (A) build the same scale but start on that note of A (A B C D E F G A). Compare this scale to the scale of A major and you will find that the 3rd 6th and 7th degrees have been lowered from it.
A Natural Minor Scale
A Major Scale
Relative Scales (major & minor)
| Sharps | Flats | |
| C major - A minor | C major - A minor | |
| G major - E minor | F major - D minor | |
| D major - B minor | Bb major - G minor | |
| E major - C# minor | Ab major - F minor | |
| B major - G# minor | Db major - Bb minor | |
| F# major - D# minor | Gb major - Eb minor | |
| C# major - A# minor | Cb major - Ab minor |
Relative keys can be used in both cases. For example if you are playing in the scale / key of B major you can also use the scale of G# minor. This also applies to pentatonic scales.
Blues & Country Scales
These scales are an advancement of the pentatonic scales with the major pentatonic sounding more Country and the minor pentatonic being more Blues(esque). For the Country scale you simply add a lowered 3rd degree to the existing scale:
For the Blues scale you add a lowered 5th to the scale thus becoming:
These added notes are to be treated as passing notes. Do not dwell upon them as they can make the music sound out of tune. The reason why they are there is to add texture and colour to the tonality of the scale. The more you experiment with these scales the more you will understand how to phrase these passing notes in the Blues & Country scales.
Conclusion of scales.
| Major scale | = | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 (TTstTTTst) |
| Major Pentatonic | = | 1 2 3 5 6 1 |
| Minor Pentatonic | = | 1 b3 4 5 6 b71 |
| Natural Minor | = | 1 2 b3 4 5bô b7 1 (TstTTstTT) |
| Country Scale | = | 1 2 b3 3 5 6 1 |
| Blues Scale | = | 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 1 |
All scales must follow alphabetical order for example:
| C major | = | C D E F G A B C |
| G major | = | G A B C D E F# G |
| F major | = | F G A Bb C D E F |
|
D major |
= | D E F# G A B C# D |
Intervals
It's important to understand interval distances (the distances between two pitches). This will help you understand how the scales are formed and which notes belong to them in alphabetical order.
