Music Theory: Scales, Keys, and Modes Overview

What is a scale?

An ordered collection of pitches.

What determines the sound and character of a scale?

The placement of whole steps and half steps.

What is the chromatic scale?

A symmetrical scale where every adjacent pitch is a half step apart.

What is the pattern of a major scale?

W - W - H - W - W - W - H.

Where do the half steps occur in a major scale?

Between scale degrees 3-4 and 7-8.

What is the first step to construct a major scale?

Write the letter names from tonic to tonic.

What are enharmonic scales?

Pitches that sound the same but are spelled differently.

Give an example of enharmonic scales.

B major and C♭ major.

What is a key signature?

Shorthand for the accidentals used consistently throughout a piece.

What is the order of sharps in key signatures?

F C G D A E B.

How do you identify the major key for sharp keys?

The last sharp is Ti; go up one half step to find the major key.

What is the Circle of Fifths?

A diagram that organizes relationships among tonal centers and key signatures.

What is the pattern of a natural minor scale?

W - H - W - W - H - W - W.

What is the difference between relative major and minor keys?

They share the same key signature; relative minor begins on scale degree 6 of the major scale.

What is the characteristic of the natural minor scale?

Scale degree 7 is a whole step below tonic, called the subtonic.

What does harmonic minor do to scale degree 7?

Raises scale degree 7 ascending and descending.

What is the formula for melodic minor?

Raises scale degrees 6 and 7 when ascending and returns to natural minor when descending.

What are the three forms of minor scales?

Natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor.

What is a pentatonic scale?

A scale with five tones per octave.

What are the scale degrees of a major pentatonic scale?

1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6.

What is the chromatic scale's characteristic?

Every adjacent pitch is a half step apart.

What are the seven church modes?

Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian.

What is the Ionian mode?

The major scale.

What is the Dorian mode?

Natural minor with raised 6.

What is the Aeolian mode?

The natural minor scale.

What is the difference between parallel major and minor keys?

They share the same tonic but have different key signatures.

What is the meaning of 'subdominant' in scale degree names?

The pitch below the dominant, which is the perfect fifth above the tonic.

What is the raised 6th scale degree in melodic minor called?

Raised Submediant.