A scale is a ratio that brings real-world objects into a smaller dimension. It helps us navigate maps and create scaled drawings. It is a crucial concept in many fields, from architecture to biology.
Scale is a term that invokes all sorts of images. It is used in the lexicon of hobbies and crafts to describe miniatures and model materials.
Intervals
Intervals are the distances between pitches that make up a scale. They are categorized according to their size and quality, which determine the sound of the scale. The size of an interval is measured in terms of staff positions or pitch letter names that it spannes, while the quality determines whether an interval is major or minor.
Major intervals, such as the major third, fifth, and seventh, can create uplifting sounds, while minor intervals provide a more reflective mood. Both can be used to add depth and contrast to a song.
A common way to memorize intervals is by associating them with a song that you know well. This method is simple and effective for many students. However, it doesn’t fully address the underlying theory of intervals. It is better to learn the scale method, which teaches you how to count intervals by ear. This will give you a more comprehensive understanding of intervals and music theory.
Scales with more than one pitch
Two- and three-note scales occur in many cultures, including those of Ceylon, eastern Siberia, California Indian culture and the music of China. Such scales can also be found in some Western music, as well as in other types of music. These scales typically display a wide range of skips between adjacent pitches. This is largely due to the tuning system adopted in Western music, which creates 12 equal-tempered intervals per octave.
The most familiar type of scale in Western music, the diatonic scale, includes seven notes that repeat within an octave. Other scales include pentatonic, chromatic and major/minor. Several of these scales are based on the aeolian mode, the most common in tonal music from the Common Practice period (1100-1600). These scales can be modified using modulation, which involves systematic shifts from one pitch to another. Other scales are based on other collections of pitches, such as whole-tone and acoustic collections/scales. These scales tend to be more novel and are usually used in twentieth- and twenty-first-century compositions.
Scales with more than one octave
Scales are also referred to by their interval patterns, and most are named after a particular note called the tonic. These tonics are usually associated with specific melodic roles such as dominant, subdominant, and so on. In some cultures, these tones are known as the syllables of the solfege naming system (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, and ti).
The scales of most western musical traditions consist of a series of whole steps that span an octave. However, some of the scales used in Turkish and Middle Eastern music have a few or even dozens of half steps. The Hejaz scale, for example, has a single step that covers 14 of the 53 intervals of an octave.
The resulting scales often introduce the concept of modulation, which involves systematic changes from one scale to another. For example, a piece may begin in a diatonic scale and then move to a different major scale a fifth higher.
Scales with more than one tonic
There are several scales that have more than one tonic. For example, the B-flat major scale contains two distinct tetrachords. The first consists of a semitone and two tones, T-S-T, while the second consists of a semitone and three tones, S-T-S. These tetrachords form different sets of scale degrees, and each scale degree has a unique name. This concept is called polyscalarity.
The most common scale in Western music is the diatonic scale, which uses seven different pitch-classes to create a unique set of hierarchical relationships. Other scales, such as the natural minor and the harmonic minor, are also based on a diatonic scale but differ in the number of pitch-classes.
The tonic of a scale is a key note that establishes the key of a piece. It is the starting point of melodies and harmonic progressions. The dominant, submediant, and leading tone are other important scale degrees. They are used to create tension that is resolved by the tonic.