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The Major Scale

by Courtney

Question: These are the questions that my music teacher asked me and I didn't quite know what he was trying to tell me.





Here are the questions:
  • Of what is the major scale composed?
  • What degrees of the scale are used to build the major scale?
Could you help?

Albert's reply: All scales are composed of intervals. Standard scales (major and minor) are all composed only of seconds; there are no thirds, fourths or any other intervals involved.

The interval between any of these notes and the next is a second:SecondsSince we don't have a clef, we don't know what notes these actually are—only that the intervals between them are seconds. We can ascertain this purely visually, since subsequent notes are all on the very next available line or space above the last.

Since we don't know the actual notes (only their relative positions to one another), we don't know what kind of seconds they are. Each second can be diminished, minor, major or augmented (each of these is one half step greater than the last.)

Intervals can be abbreviated as follows:
  • diminished 2nd: °2
  • minor 2nd: m2
  • major 2nd: M2
  • augmented 2nd: +2
The major scale is composed of the following intervals: M2, M2, m2, M2, M2, M2, m2.

There are seven notes in the major (and minor) scale, and they are referred to by scale degrees 1 through 7. The first note of the scale is scale degree 1, the second is scale degree 2, etc.

For more detail, please read How to Play a Piano Scale.




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The Major Scale

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Jul 02, 2010
Rating
starstarstar 		Scales - tetrachord method
by: Charlotte

Hello Albert,

Thank you for your very informative blog. I would like to share the way I was trained to teach scales. I find that it works well with both young and older students. It's the "tetrachord" method:

First I explain semi - and whole tones at the piano and then the student must show some or answer what I show. I print a picture of a keyboard and they must fill in the names, e.g. E-flat/ F-sharp, etc.

Then I start with C major. I explain that a scale has 8 steps which follow alphabetically & numerically; 1 & 8 are the same. I then write the letter names and numbers in their exercise book.

1 2 3 4    5 6 7 8
C D E F    G A B C.

The student uses the left hand (fingers 5432) for CDEF & right hand (fingers 2345) for GABC (on the piano). Then, with guidance, he works out where the whole- and semi tones and finds the following:

1 2 3 4    5 6 7 8
C D E F    G A B C

 1 1 ½       1 1 ½

I show him how to write it (on theory paper!). Then we go to G major (the 2nd tetrachord of C major) & he must work it out like above & so we advance to the next scales. I always do it at the piano, not just on paper away from the piano. To learn to play the scales, I let the student exercise to put the thumb under the hand. (e.g. CDEFEDC 1231321, etc.)

What do you think of this method?
Jul 03, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Re: Scales - tetrachord method
by: Albert

Charlotte,

Your method is clearly a perfectly good way to teach students the major scale. It also teaches them the circle of fifths.

My only caveat regards writing in the note names. Most students are hopelessly confused by enharmonic notes, and the F-sharp the student labeled in one harmonic context will be a G-flat in another context. For that matter, B will be a C-flat in another context; enharmonic white keys are particularly confusing to students.

I explain to students that all diatonic scales (major and minor) must include one and exactly one "form" of each letter name: There must be some form of A (natural, flat or sharp), some form of B and C, etc.

For example, if the scale is D-flat major, the student will easily understand that the first note is D-flat rather than C-sharp. When they reach G-flat, many will immediately say F-sharp since they will have already learned G major and will know F-sharp from that context. I then tell them that a scale can't include both F and F-sharp, so the latter key must be G-flat.

Personally, I find that both young and older students learn "whole whole half, whole whole whole half" very quickly, so this is one method I prefer to teach.
Dec 14, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Question about scales
by: Jusyine Reid

Good evening Sir. How is the major scale useful to teach students in the classroom and minor scales as well?

I am new to this, but I would love to get a quick answer.
Dec 14, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Re: Question about scales
by: Albert

I'm not sure I completely understand your question since I don't know the age or level of students you mean. if you're referring to grade school children, the major and minor scales are the foundation for all tonal music, from classical to contemporary pop. Teaching major and minor scales to schoolchildren is, after clapping basic rhythms, the best place to begin teaching music!

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