Scales

[johnnycage]

Hello everyone, new to the forum. Hopefully be here for a while though!

I am 21 and have recently started learning piano. I'll let you know where I am. I'm a beginner, although I can read music and play the music from sheet, and understand all the keys. What I don't understand right now is scales. How many scales are there? Should I worry about them all? Whats the best way to learn them? And what are arpeggios exactly?

Any help would be great thank you.

[dss62467]

Hi Johnny - welcome to the forum!   Here's a pretty nifty thing I just found that might help you out. 

https://www.pianoworld.com/fun/vpc/piano_chords.htm

[feddera]

Maybe this (attachment) will help.

[sharmayelverton]

Potentially as many as you can invent. A scale is simply a pattern of various intervals between two notes an octave apart. To do so you can use a maximum of 12 notes (chromatic scale) to any number less then that. Obviously if you simply jump from one octave to another you would have a hard job defining it as a scale. Conventional scales exist consisting of 5 notes (pentatonic), 6 notes (in the case of the blues scales and the whole tone scale). 7 (the most common number), 8 (the octatonic or diminished scale consisting of alternating half and whole steps).

Western Harmony is predominantly based upon the 7 note major scale. The harmonic minor scale exists to allow a semi tone leading note from the 7th (3rd of the V chord) to the tonic in a minor key.  Some other fictional harmony in jazz is derived from modes of the melodic minor scale. Model harmony isn't exactly functional in the same way but harmony is has often been derived from various modes. However Spanish harmony is relatively functional as derived from the phrygian and phrygian dominant modes although to our ears it sounds much like a tonal focus to the dominant chord if that makes any sense.

For the most part, Any other scales that are invented or used are generally not considered in a harmonically function manner, rather they are simple used to for color, exoticism and lyricism. That's not to say that interesting chords or harmonic relationships can't be found. In fact it's allot of fun to experiment with these ideas. As an experiment try dividing the octave up with various intervals using 8,7,6 or 5 notes. You will come up with some interesting scales. Then experiment to see what chord you can construct from them and see if you can find some interesting harmonic movement between them.

[proftom]

lol! i remember when i started and i always used to ask my teacher about scales!

Scales are the basis of all music and are hilgly IMPORTANT!  I'm doing my grade 4 in about 3 weeks and i haven't learnt all the scales so my advise is - LEARN YOUR SCALES!!!

Hope i helped!!

[rmbarbosa]

The distance betwen two different souns is called "interval". The interval between a white key and the next white key is = 1 tone; between a white key and the immediate black key is = 1/2 town.
If you look to the keyboard, you may see that in the scale of C major (only with white keys) you have 1 tone between C and D; 1 tone between D and E; a half tone between E and F; again one tone between F and G; 1  tone G - A; ! tone A -B; 1 half tone B - C. This is a Major scale "diatonic" - it is made by 1 tone intervals between all the notes except between 3º and 4º and between 7º and 8º (8º is the nex C).
Now, you may begin a scale, for example, with G. Try it. You may see that it will be: G - A - B - C - D - E - F sharp - G. OK?  This is G Major scale. Now you are able to play any other diatonic major scale.
there are also Minor scales: Harmonic minor scales and Melodic minor scales. In harmonic, half tones between 2º and 3º , 5º and 6º,and 7º-8º; in minor harmonic scales, therefor, there`s a 1+1/2 tone between 6º and 7º. Try this beggining with A: all the keys are white keys, like in C major, but it sounds a bit "sad"... Melodic scales are named "irregular" because the intervals are different is its ascending and discending way: Ascending - half tones between 2º-3ª and 7º-8ª. Descending - half tones 6º-5º and 3º-2º.
Now, play C - E - G - C in sequence - you have a C major Harp. Harps have "inversions": In C Major harp, the 1º inversion is E - G - C - E; 2º inversion is G - C - E - G.
In scales, de 1º grade is the "tonic"; 5º grade is "dominant". You may play, in C major, for example, this harp: G - B - D - F - G. This is called a "seventh Dominant " harp.
I must apologize for my English
Best wishes
Rui

[pianoladywong]

We have the basic scales; Pentatonic, blues scale, major, minor, whole tone, and chromatic. When we take the major scale and start building on top of each scale degree, we start getting into modes. For example, C major scale. The notes are C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C. If we start with the 2nd degree, D. We have D,E,F,G,A,B,C,D. That is D Dorian. Even though it has the same notes as C major scale, we are starting on D. The Dorian scale is a minor scale. The 3rd Degree is E,F,G,A,B,C,D,E and that is Phrygian. 4th degree is Lydian, 5th degree is Mixolydian, 6th degree is Aeolian and 7th degree is Locrian.

We also have natural minor, melodic minor, and harmonic minor.
Then the next one is whole tone scale and chromatic scale.
We also have hybrid scales, where we use a combination of notes from 2 different modes. For example, we can use Phrygian scale with a #4. E,F,G,A#,B,C,D,E. The #4 is technically from the Lydian scale.

We also have many different alterations of scales from different cultures around the world. For example, a common one is a middle eastern sounding scales, also known as the Egyptian minor scale, I, bII, #3, 4,5, b6, 7. To play a D Egyptian minor scale, the notes are D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb, C and D.

We also have microtones scales from Arabic world and Raggas from India.

You should know the basic scales and if you are really interested in other forms, you can consider studying them.

The best way to learn the scales is to play and practice your scale exercises. After that you can learn to improvise with the scales by playing a drone rhythm track.
Arpeggios are broken chords. For example, a C chord is C/E/G. If you play all 3 notes at once, it’s a chord. If you play, C, E, G, one at a time. That’s a broken chord or an arpeggio.