Scales, Tonality, Key, Modes

2CHAPTERScales, Tonality, Key, ModesScalePitch ClassDiatonic ScalesTonicScale Degree NamesMajor ScaleTetrachordTranspositionKey SignatureTOPICSNatural Minor ScaleHarmonic Minor ScaleMelodic Minor ScaleRelative MinorRelative MajorCircle of FifthsParallel RelationshipTonalityKeyPentatonic ScaleNondiatonic ScalesChromatic ScaleWhole-Tone ScaleBlues ScaleOctatonic or Diminished ScaleModeSolfeggioPitch InventoryIMPORTANTCONCEPTSPerformers often practice scales to develop their technique. The collections of pitches andrecurring patterns performers use to focus attention on technical aspects are the samebuilding blocks of musical composition.ScaleA scale is a collection of pitches in ascending and descending order. Musicians use a scaleas a convenient way of displaying the notes used in a melody or harmony. In Figure 2.1, themelody consists of 24 notes but only seven different letter names.A pitch class contains all notes of the same name regardless of octave. The pitch classesfor the melody in the second part of Figure 2.1 on page 28 are arranged in ascending orderto form a scale. The caret (ˆ) above each number indicates that the number represents ascale degree.Pitch ClassFigure 2.1Haydn: Symphony no. 94 in G Major (“Surprise”), III: Menuetto, mm. 1–8.œ œ œ œ#& 43 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ1 2345GA B G D678B G G9œ10 1112F# D CAŒœ œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œ œ13 14 15 16 1718 19 2021 22 2324D E F# D AF# D CB G GG27

Notes of the melody arranged as a scale:
ˆwG2ˆwA3ˆ4ˆw5ˆwwBCDEw6ˆTonic orKeynoteww7ˆ8̂ 1̂F#GOctave of Tonic(duplicate offirst letter)Although an infinite variety of pitch combinations is available, the following scalesrepresent those in most common use during the past 200 years.Diatonic ScalesScale DegreeNames28Diatonic (literally “across the tones”) defines a scale of mixed half and whole steps (andan occasional step and a half) in which each individual tone plays a role. The first tone ofa scale, the tonic, is a point of rest and is considered to be the most stable. Other tones leadtoward or away from it, creating varying degrees of tension or relaxation.Since the tonic is the focal point of the scale, the most stable note, and the point ofgreatest relaxation, diatonic melodies frequently end on the tonic note. At times the worddiatonic is used to indicate a tone that is part of a particular scale pattern—as distinguished from a nondiatonic tone that does not belong to the scale pattern.Each degree of the seven-tone diatonic scale has a name that relates to its function.Scale DegreeName1stTonicTonal center—the final resolution tone.2ndSupertonicOne step above the tonic.3rdMediantMidway between tonic and dominant.4thSubdominantThe lower dominant—the fifth tone down fromthe tonic (also the fourth tone up from the tonic).5thDominantSo called because its function is next inimportance to the tonic.6thSubmediantThe lower mediant—halfway between tonicand lower dominant (subdominant). The thirdtone down from the tonic (also the sixth tone upfrom the tonic).7thLeading ToneStrong affinity for and leads melodically to thetonic. Used when the seventh tone appears ahalf step below the tonic.7thSubtonicUsed only to designate the seventh degree ofthe natural minor scale (a whole step belowthe tonic).PART AMeaningThe Fundamentals of Music

Two different scales are shown in Figure 2.2 to illustrate the application of scale degreenames to diatonic tones.Figure 2.2&&1ˆ2ˆ3ˆ4ˆww5ˆwŵ6ˆw7w8̂ ediant1̂2̂3̂4̂5̂ˆbw6̂bw7̂8̂ 1̂SubmediantSubtonic(whole stepbelow tonic)TonicwTonicMajor ScalewSupertonicwwbwMediantSubdominant DominantLeading Tone(half stepbelow tonic)TonicwThe major scale is a scale of seven different pitch classes with whole steps separatingadjacent tones, except for half steps between the third and fourth degrees and between theseventh and eighth (or first) degrees. The eighth pitch has the same letter name as the firstand thus is treated as a duplication.All adjacent keys on the piano are a half step apart. Figure 2.3 shows that by beginningon C and playing in order only the white keys to the next C, you build a C major scale.Figure 2.3ƒC1̂& wD2̂wEF3̂wG4̂wAB5̂wCw6̂w7̂w8̂ 1̂whole whole half whole whole whole halfstep step step step step step stepTetrachordThe major scale includes two tetrachords (groups of four pitches) constructed with thesame arrangement of intervals—two whole steps followed by a half step. The two tetrachords of the major scale are separated by a single whole step.CHAPTER 2Scales, Tonality, Key, Modes29

Figure �halfstepTetrachordThe melody in Figure 2.5 utilizes the notes of the C major scale.Figure 2.5Hatton: “Duke Street.”& 443̂& 1̂3̂4̂œ œ 5̂6̂7̂8̂7̂6̂5̂5̂5̂5̂6̂œ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ w5̂œ œ .œ œ 3̂2̂Transposition1̂3̂5̂8̂6̂5̂4̂3̂2̂6̂ 7̂5̂4̂ 8̂4̂3̂2̂ w3̂2̂1̂ wœ This same major scale pattern of half and whole steps can be duplicated at any pitch. Suchrewriting is called transposition. In Figure 2.6, the major scale is transposed so that itsfirst tone is G. This is the G major scale.Figure 2.6#FG1̂& w2̂w3̂wABw4̂DCw5̂EGw#w6̂7̂whole whole half whole whole wholestep step step step stepstepw8̂ 1̂halfstepKey SignatureFrom Figure 2.6, it can be seen that a sharp is necessary if the major scale pattern of wholeand half steps is to be carried out in the transposition. Figure 2.7 provides a convenient wayto memorize the sharps or the flats needed when the scale begins on various pitches. The30PART AThe Fundamentals of Music

arrangement of the necessary sharps or flats is called a key signature and appears at thebeginning of each staff in a composition after the clef. Notice that each successive tonic, orbeginning note, is five scale degrees (called a perfect fifth) above or four scale degrees below the previous tonic. A new sharp is added to the key signature for each ascending perfectfifth (P5); in the flat signatures, a flat is dropped for each ascending P5 (see Figure 2.19).Figure 2.7Major Key Signatures&w w w w w w w w?w w w w w w w wC majorw w&b w w w w w w?bw w ww w w w wF majorb&bw w ww w w w w? bw w w wwwwb wB b majorbbw w& b w w w w w w? bbb w w w w w w w wE b majorw w wbb bwww& b w w? bb bw w wwwwwb wA b majorCHAPTER 2w w w wwww& w#?#w w w ww w w wG major##w wwwwww ww w? ## w w w w w w&D major&###? ###A majorw w w wwwwww w wwwwww# ##w w& # w w w w w w? ####E majorScales, Tonality, Key, Modesw wwwwww w31

b& b bbbw w wwwwwww w? bb b w w w w w wbbw w w ww w w w? #### w w w w w w w w#&D b major#### #w w& # w w w w w w? #### #w w# w w w w w w? bb b bw wwwwwbb w wbb& b b bbbF # major#### ##& #w w ww w w w w? #### ###? bb b bbbbw w wwwwwwbC # majorC majorMinor ScaleNatural Minor Scale#B majorbbw w w w& b b bb w w w wG b major####w w w wwwwww w w wwwwwThe minor scale is another common diatonic scale. It is more varied in pitch materialbecause there are two different versions of both the sixth and seventh scale degrees. Traditionally, the minor scales have been described as having three distinct forms, but in practice, composers use all the scale resources of the minor scale within a single composition.The three traditional forms of the minor scale are called natural, harmonic, and melodic.The natural minor scale contains seven different pitches with whole steps separating adjacent tones, except for half steps between the second and third degrees and between thefifth and sixth degrees. Its pitches are those of the white keys of the piano from A to A:Figure 2.8F&32GA1̂2̂wwB3̂wDC4̂wE5̂wFG6̂wwhole half whole whole halfstep step stepstep stepPART AThe Fundamentals of MusicAB7̂ww8̂ 1̂whole wholestepstep

The natural minor scale can be thought of as a major scale from the sixth to the sixthdegree.Figure 2.9C Major Scale&wwwwwwwwwwA Natural Minor ScaleThe excerpt from a familiar carol in Figure 2.10 employs the natural minor scale.Figure 2.10Carol: “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” (Refrain).4&43̂5̂3̂& 6̂4̂5̂5̂œ œ œ œ4̂Harmonic MinorScale4̂5̂6̂4̂2̂œ œ œ œ7̂8̂5̂œ œ œ œœ œ3̂4̂3̂1̂3̂ 2̂ 1̂ œ œ œ2̂œ œ œ œ1̂ .The harmonic minor scale has a raised seventh degree. The added impetus of a raisedseventh degree gives more melodic thrust toward the tonic. Raising the seventh degreecreates a step and a half between the sixth and seventh degrees, and a half step betweenthe seventh and eighth degrees. Accidentals used to raise the seventh degree do not appearin the key signature. The pattern of half steps (2̂–3̂, 5̂–6̂, 7̂–8̂) is shown in Figure 2.11.Figure 2.11#GA&1̂2̂wwB3̂wDC4̂wE5̂wFA6̂7̂w #wwhole half whole whole half stepstep step stepstep step and ahalfCHAPTER 2Scales, Tonality, Key, Modesw8̂ 1̂halfstep33

The Mozart excerpt in Figure 2.12 utilizes the harmonic minor scale. Notice the presence of G-sharps in every measure except 5 and 6.Figure 2.12Mozart: Sonata in A Minor, K. 310, III, mm. 1–8.3j2j 4 œjœœ . # œœ œ . # œj œ .œ œœ Jpœœ œ œœ œœœ.‰‰ .‰ #œ ‰Presto& 42? 42# œœ1Melodic Minor Scale5 œ .œœœ ‰ œj6œ œ .œœ‰ œjœ 7 œ.#œ.œœThe melodic minor scale appears in both ascending and descending form. Besides thehalf step between the second and third degrees, the ascending form includes raised sixthand seventh scale degrees, producing a half step between the seventh and eighth degrees.The descending form is the same as the natural minor.The melodic minor scale developed because composers liked the urgency of the raisedseventh, but found the step-and-a-half interval between the sixth and seventh degrees ofthe harmonic minor scale too harsh, especially for smooth vocal writing. In descendingmelodic passages, no need exists for the raised seventh, so composers most often used thenatural minor with the lowered seventh and sixth degrees.Figure 2.13# #FAB3̂DC4̂5̂GAE1̂2̂wwwww#w& w7̂6̂5̂4̂3̂&6̂7̂#ww8̂ 1̂whole half whole whole whole whole halfstep step step step step step step8̂ 1̂nwnwwww2̂1̂wwwhole whole half whole whole half wholestep step step step step step step34j8œœ œj# œœ œœJœœ œœ œ‰œPART AThe Fundamentals of Music

The excerpt in Figure 2.14 includes the ascending and descending forms of the melodicminor scale.Figure 2.14Chorale Melody: “Schwing’ dich auf zu deinem Gott,” (“Soar Upward to Thy God”), mm. 5–12 (transposed).1̂ 5̂ 1̂ 2̂U̇3̂ 1̂ 2̂&œ œ œ œ œ œUUœ œ œ œ œ œ # œ #œ #œ œ œ #œ Uœ œ œ œœ 7̂ 7̂ 7̂ 6̂ 5̂ 4̂5̂3̂ 3̂ 2̂ 2̂1̂ 2̂7̂5̂6̂7̂ 1̂1̂7̂ 1̂An examination of music literature, especially vocal and choral, reveals that composersconsider the natural, harmonic, and melodic minors as arrangements of the same scale,with each form to be used according to need. This excerpt by Bach utilizes the variousforms of the A minor scale in a single phrase of music:Figure 2.15Bach: “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut” (“Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Highest Good”),BWV 113, mm. 1–2 (transposed).& c œœ? c œœ œœœ# œœœœ œ œœ œ œœNatural orDescendingMelodic Minor&A Natural Minor orA Melodic Minor (descending)w w ww w w w wScale RelationshipsRelative Relationshipœœ# œœ # œœœAscendingMelodic MinorA Harmonic Minorw #w ww w w w wœœœ.œ# œœUœœjœ œœœHarmonic MinorA Melodic Minor (ascending)#w #w ww w w w wIt is important to associate and compare the patterns present in major and minor scales.Two significant associations are byproducts of the overall organizational scheme: the relative and parallel relationships.A major and a minor scale that have the same key signature are said to be in a relativerelationship. To find the relative minor of any major scale, proceed to the sixth degree ofthat scale. This tone is the tonic of the relative minor.CHAPTER 2Scales, Tonality, Key, Modes35