Scales theory
Scales are sequences of notes ordered by pitch, forming the basis of melodies and harmonies.
Degrees of scales
The notes that are part of a scale are denoted by their degree name.
Summary of degree names:
| Degrees | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Names | Tonic | Supertonic | Mediant | Subdominant | Dominant | Superdominant | Leading Tone | Tonic |
Types of scales
There are several types of scales with different intervals.
Here is a summary of the four main scales with their intervals:
| Scales | I→II | II→III | III→IV | IV→V | V→VI | VI→VII | VII→VIII | VIII→VII | VII→VI | VI→V | V→IV | IV→III | III→II | II→I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 |
| Natural minor | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Harmonic minor | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Melodic minor | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
Side note: chromatic scales rise and fall by a semitone
Scales keys
Keys are inherent parts of scales, as their number and nature define the tonic degree of the scale.
In the case of major scales, they have the following keys:
| Attribute | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | C | G | D | A | E | B | F# | C# |
| ♭ | C | F | B♭ | E♭ | A♭ | D♭ | G♭ | C♭ |
As for minor scales, their keys are:
| Attribute | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | A | E | B | F# | C# | G# | D# | A# |
| ♭ | A | D | G | C | F | B♭ | E♭ | A |