g debenedetti pathways to harmony chapter 4: half and whole steps, major scales and the circle of...
TRANSCRIPT
G DeBenedettiwww.gmajormusictheory.org
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Pathways to Harmony
Chapter 4: Half and whole steps, major scales and the circle of fifths
4.2 The Major Scale
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Some definitions
• A key note is the most important note of a piece of music. Pieces almost always end on the key note.
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Some definitions
• A key note is the most important note of a piece of music. Pieces almost always end on the key note.
• If eight notes of a piece are arranged in order without skipping lines or spaces and if the first note is the key note, then the notes form a scale.
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Some definitions
• A key note is the most important note of a piece of music. Pieces almost always end on the key note.
• If eight notes of a piece are arranged in order without skipping lines or spaces and if the first note is the key note, then the notes form a scale.
• A major scale is eight notes in ascending order which are separated from each other according to this pattern:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 whole whole half whole whole whole half step step step step step step step
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
W
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
WW
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
WHW
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
WHWW
&#
An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
WHWWW
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
WHWWWW
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An example: the E-flat major scale
• Scales are named after their first note, or key note.• As you progress through the next slides:
– LISTEN to the notes of an E-flat major scale
– WATCH the above illustration as it moves from note to note
– NOTICE the sequence
W W H W W W H
where W is whole step and H is half step
WHWWWWH
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• Here is an example of a scale used in "real" music, an intermezzo from Mascagni's opera, La Cavalleria Rusticana
• CLICK on the icon of the speaker and • LISTEN for the scale at the end of the excerpt
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Scales must be orderly
• The notes of a scale must be orderly
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Scales must be orderly
• The notes of a scale must be orderly• They must be in alphabetical order and
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Scales must be orderly
• The notes of a scale must be orderly• They must be in alphabetical order and• They must alternate lines and spaces when written
on a staff
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Scales must be orderly
• The notes of a scale must be orderly• They must be in alphabetical order and• They must alternate lines and spaces when written
on a staff• Therefore when writing a scale,
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Scales must be orderly
• The notes of a scale must be orderly• They must be in alphabetical order and• They must alternate lines and spaces when written
on a staff• Therefore when writing a scale,
– FIRST write the notes alternating lines and spaces
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Scales must be orderly
• The notes of a scale must be orderly• They must be in alphabetical order and• They must alternate lines and spaces when written
on a staff• Therefore when writing a scale,
– FIRST write the notes alternating lines and spaces– THEN add sharps or flats for the proper sequence
of half and whole steps
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• In the scale taken from the above minuet, the next-to-the-last note must be an F-sharp, not a G-flat so that:
Minuet from the Notebook of A. M. Bach
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• In the scale taken from the above minuet, the next-to-the-last note must be an F-sharp, not a G-flat so that:– The letter names continue alphabetically and
Minuet from the Notebook of A. M. Bach
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• In the scale taken from the above minuet, the next-to-the-last note must be an F-sharp, not a G-flat so that:– The letter names continue alphabetically and– The notes alternate lines and spaces
Minuet from the Notebook of A. M. Bach
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• In the scale taken from the above minuet, the next-to-the-last note must be an F-sharp, not a G-flat so that:– The letter names continue alphabetically and– The notes alternate lines and spaces
• PLAY this phrase
Minuet from the Notebook of A. M. Bach
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Now it's your turn
• DOWNDLOAD Chapter Four OR Expanded Chapter Four of Pathways to Harmony from this website http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Fundamentals/workbooks.html
• DO worksheets to 4.4 from Chapter Four OR worksheets 4Ex.6 and 4Ex.7 from Expanded Chapter Four