Music Education Fundamentals · 6 min read
Scales and Melodic Structures
A scale is an ordered series of pitches, and a melody arranges pitches from a scale into phrases. Questions ask you to name a scale, key, or interval from notation and to label the parts of a melody.
Major and Minor Scales
A half step is the distance between two adjacent keys on the piano; a whole step equals two half steps. Every major scale follows the pattern W–W–H–W–W–W–H, with half steps between scale degrees 3–4 and 7–8. The natural minor scale follows W–H–W–W–H–W–W, with half steps between 2–3 and 5–6.
The raised 7th of harmonic minor supplies the leading tone needed for a major V chord. Scale degrees are named tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone (called the subtonic when it lies a whole step below the tonic).
Modes and Other Scales
Each of the seven diatonic modes can be played on the white keys alone. Learn each by how it differs from major or natural minor.
| Mode | White keys | Sounds like | Characteristic tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | C to C | Major | Identical to the major scale |
| Dorian | D to D | Minor | Raised 6th |
| Phrygian | E to E | Minor | Lowered 2nd |
| Lydian | F to F | Major | Raised 4th |
| Mixolydian | G to G | Major | Lowered 7th |
| Aeolian | A to A | Minor | Identical to natural minor |
| Locrian | B to B | Minor, with a diminished tonic triad | Lowered 2nd and lowered 5th |
- Pentatonic: 5
- Whole-tone and blues: 6
- Major, minor, and the modes: 7
- Chromatic: 12, all half steps
Key Signatures
- Order of sharps: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯
- Order of flats: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭ (the sharps reversed)
- Sharp keys: the last sharp is the leading tone, so the major key is a half step above it.
- Flat keys: the next-to-last flat names the major key. One flat is F major.
- Minor keys: the relative minor lies a minor 3rd (three half steps) below the major tonic.
Intervals
An interval has a number (count the letter names from the lower note to the upper, including both) and a quality. Unisons, 4ths, 5ths, and octaves are perfect; 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths are major or minor, with minor a half step smaller. Augmented is a half step larger than perfect or major; diminished is a half step smaller than perfect or minor.
| Quality | Inverts to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect | Perfect | P5 becomes P4 |
| Major | Minor | M3 becomes m6 |
| Minor | Major | m2 becomes M7 |
| Augmented | Diminished | A4 becomes d5 |
| Diminished | Augmented | d7 becomes A2 |
Consonant intervals sound stable: unisons, 5ths, and octaves (perfect consonances) and 3rds and 6ths (imperfect consonances). Dissonant intervals sound unstable: 2nds, 7ths, and the tritone (augmented 4th or diminished 5th, six half steps). A perfect 4th above the bass is treated as a dissonance. Intervals larger than an octave are compound: a 9th is an octave plus a 2nd.
Melodic Structures
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Motive | The shortest recognizable melodic or rhythmic idea |
| Phrase | A complete musical thought that ends with a cadence, often four measures long |
| Period | Two phrases: an antecedent with a weak cadence (often half), then a consequent with a stronger cadence (often authentic) |
| Sequence | A motive repeated immediately at a higher or lower pitch level |
| Conjunct and disjunct | Motion by step; motion by leap |
| Contour | The shape of a line: ascending, descending, arch, or wave |
| Range and tessitura | Distance from lowest to highest note; where most of the notes lie |
- Identify major, the three minor forms, modes, pentatonic, whole-tone, blues, and chromatic scales from notation or step pattern.
- Name the major and relative minor key for any key signature; distinguish relative from parallel keys.
- Name an interval by number and quality, and give its inversion.
- Label motive, phrase, antecedent, consequent, and sequence in a notated melody.
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