Fundamentals of
SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES

About this Course

This course is designed to teach you to identify and write scales and key signatures.

There are no prerequisites.

Major portions of the content has been provided by the U.S. Army Element, School of Music, Norfolk, VA.

Table of Contents
(Select a topic)

TETRACHORDS AND SCALES

Introduction

1 TETRACHORDS

1.1 Tetrachord Structure

1.2 Major Tetrachord

1.3 Minor Tetrachord

1.4 Natural Tetrachord

1.5 Harmonic Tetrachord

1.6 Scale Construction Using Tetrachords

MAJOR SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES

1.6   Major Scale Structure

1.7   Use of Chromatic Signs in Major Scale Construction

2 SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES

2.1 Scales

2.2 Key Signatures

2.3 Placement of Sharps in a Key Signature

2.4 Placement of Flats in a Key Signature

2.5 Circle of Major Keys

2.6 Deriving Major Key Names from Key Signatures

3 SCALE DEGREE

3.1 Scale Degree Names for Major Scales

4 SCALE DEGREE ACTIVITY

4.1 Scale Degree Activity in Major Keys

MINOR SCALES AND KEY SIGNATURES

Introduction

5 NATURAL MINOR SCALES

1. Natural Minor Scale Structure

2. Minor Keys and Key Signatures

3. Circle of Minor Keys

4. Deriving Minor Key Names from Key Signatures

5. Natural Minor Scale Degree Names

6. Natural Minor Scale Degree Activity

6 HARMONIC MINOR SCALES

6.1 Harmonic Minor Scale Structure

7 HARMONIC MINOR SCALES CONTINUED

7.1 Harmonic Minor Scale Degree Names

7.2 Harmonic Minor Scale Degree Activity

7.3 Melodic Minor Scale Structure

7.4 Melodic Minor Scale Degree Names

7. 5Melodic Minor Scale Degree Activity

8 PARALLEL AND RELATIVE KEYS

8.1 Parallel Keys

8.2 Relative Keys

MODAL SCALES

Introduction

9 MAJOR MODES

9.1   Lydian

9.2   Ionian

9.3   Mixolydian

10 MINOR MODES

10.1   Dorian

10.2   Aeolian

10.3   Phrygian

10.4   Locrian

10. 5 IDPLMAL

CHROMATIC, WHOLE TONE AND PENTATONIC SCALES

Introduction

11 CHROMATIC SCALE

11.1. The Chromatic Scale

12 WHOLE TONE SCALE

12.1 The Whole Tone Scale

13 PENTATONIC SCALES

13.1. Pentatonic Major Scale

13.2. Pentatonic Minor Scale