Scale Basics
The fact is that m ost songs never use all of the twelve notes in one song. Every song uses just a certain collection of notes. This collection of notes is called a scale. A song will use the notes from a scale it is supposed to be using, build melodies out of the notes of it's scale, and build chords out of the notes of its scale.
There are a few scales that you will learn. The reason for learning scales is that each scale can create a different sounding song. Some scale create sad songs, some create bright songs. Now we will construct a simple scale, the major scale.
The first thing we need to do is list the chromatics. We will list the chromatics in C and build the major scale out of it. Here are the chromatics in C:
C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C
Here is how we will contruct the major scale:
- The first note of the scale will be C.
- The second note will be the note a WHOLE-STEP above C, i.e. D.
- The third note will be WHOLE-STEP above D, i.e. E.
- The fourth note will be HALF-STEP above E, i.e. F.
- The fifth note will be WHOLE-STEP above F, i.e. G.
- The sixth note will be WHOLE-STEP above G, i.e. A.
- The seventh note will be WHOLE-STEP above A, i.e. B.
- The last note would be a HALF-STEP above B, i.e. C. This is not exactly the last note, as it has come before, we merely list it as the last to signify that the scale is complete.
Remember the sequence of whole steps and half steps: W,W,H,W,W,W,H. It is essential that you memorize this sequence.
Now, the notes we have chosen are C, D, E, F, G, A and B. C will be the 'root note', and the scale will be called 'C major scale' (as C is the root note). The first note (C) is also referred to as 'degree 1', note 2 (D) as 'degree 2', and so on. It is NOT absolutely necessary for a song to use all notes of the scale it is using. It may only use a part of the notes of the scale, as you will see later in this lesson.
Note: When a song uses a scale, say, C major scale, we would say 'The song is in the C Major Key'.
You will learn more about what a key is later.
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Comments
rajan
2009-06-24 10:23:18
hello sir,nw m again studying scale basics.nw mak me undrstand hw u mak d tabular form on top of dis page?
u said-2nd string,3rd fret-so it comes note-d.m i right.plz tel me abt dis.
rajan
2009-06-24 10:25:30
sry,i got it.
rajan
2009-06-24 10:36:39
M at 3rd page,scale basics.hw u r changin h.b.day tab into notes?m getin chord e bfore d#.plz make me undrstand!
rajan
2009-06-25 05:08:25
in b.day tune,d 2nd tab diagram, it comes e5th.it means a-note.bt u r saying dat it doesnot contain a note.y dis is so?
maujood
2009-06-25 08:47:13
@rajan: I haven't listed the notes in the order the tune uses them. I just wrote down all the notes the tune is using in alphabetical order.
If we were to write the tune in a note-by-note fashion, what you are saying would be true. Just for your reference, here's the tune written out note-by-note: B - B - C# - B - E - D#, B - B - C# - B - F# - E, and so on.
rajan
2009-06-25 09:59:25
Dear sir,m askin dat it doesnt hav 'a' note. bt u said it hav.m talkin abt h.b.day tune!
maujood
2009-06-26 03:17:33
The happy birthday tune DOES have an 'A' note. At 5th fret of the e-string. Did I say it doesn't have an 'A' note?
rajan
2009-06-26 07:04:22
sir,in twinkle tune,acc. to u it hav 'e' note.bt i havnt found it.plz solve my problem.
really thanks for ur help!plz dont irritate wid my ques. coz i m learning a lot by dis.
maujood
2009-06-26 09:59:35
We've played the open e string several times (e string at fret 0). This is the E note.
rajan
2009-06-26 15:59:30
really,it was my grt silly mistake!thanku vry much.gd nt.tk cr.bye!
rajan
2009-06-30 06:07:07
sir,u play c maj. scale.i got it.bt u start it wid a string.y u dont start it wid e6th string.coz m makin diff. scales bt nt getin dem properly.so plz mak me undrstand.
maujood
2009-06-30 08:38:53
@rajan:
I think you'll see what you're talking about in the 'scale positions' lesson.
The reason I started the C Major scale from the 3rd fret of the 'A' string was that I wanted to start the scale from the 'C' note.
rajan
2009-06-30 09:05:42
sir u r right.bt u can start c-note frm e6th-8th fret.y u start it frm a-string.giv me sm solid reason.
maujood
2009-06-30 14:37:56
yeah i could've done that :) .. both ways are perfectly all right. No specific reason for choosing the 'A' string!
rajan
2009-06-30 23:42:38
Den hw i get to knw whr to start.m confusing!
maujood
2009-07-01 05:01:00
Start from ANY C note, man! There's no difference at all as far as the scale is concerned! I could even have started the scale from 1st fret of the B string, as it is also a C note!
rajan
2009-07-02 14:14:27
k.right!thanku vry much sir,gd nt.bye!
Sagar Varule
2009-12-10 03:37:01
Sir in last paragraph u have left the discussion incomplete about whether to choose E-major scale or B-major scale. I m searching the answer for this question I m not getting it.
Where can i find answer for this...
This is important topic...... And I have came across this confusion couple of days back bt didnt seek the answer
maujood
2009-12-10 09:19:34
@Sagar Varule .. Have you read the lessons on root notes and modes? Try reading that one. The note on which the song appears to converge will define the scale!