Tag Archives: scales

Scale Spelling: A Comprehensive Guide for Musicians

Posted on October 5, 2024 by songtive

As musicians, whether we’re songwriters, producers, teachers, or students, music theory is our foundation. Understanding the building blocks of music theory—like scales—is crucial for everything from composing to teaching. In today’s post, I’m diving into a concept that often confuses musicians: scale spelling. We’ll break down what it is, why it’s important, and how to master it using the Piano Companion app to support your learning journey.

What is Scale Spelling?

Scale spelling refers to the correct ordering of notes in a scale according to their alphabetical sequence and proper use of sharps and flats. In Western music, each scale follows a specific pattern of whole and half steps, and every letter name (A, B, C, etc.) should be used once. It’s like spelling a word—you can’t skip letters or use them more than once in a row. For example, in a C Major scale, you spell it as C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and then back to C.

When you’re composing or trying to analyze a piece, improper scale spelling can lead to confusion. That’s where Piano Companion really comes in handy. It ensures you’re working with correctly spelled scales in any key, and it’s a tool that I personally recommend to all my students. It can even help you visualize the scale by showing the notes on a grand staff, which is a game-changer when you’re learning or revisiting scales.

Why Scale Spelling Matters

It might seem like a small detail, but correct scale spelling is essential for clear communication in music. When you write or read music, understanding the correct notes in a scale prevents errors, especially when working with accidentals. If you’re a teacher, you’ve probably seen the confusion in your students’ faces when they encounter wrongly spelled scales. That’s why practicing this concept early on helps students build confidence in their theory skills.

For songwriters and producers, properly spelled scales make it easier to experiment with progressions and chord combinations. Imagine working in a studio session, and someone throws out a chord progression in F# minor. If you can quickly spell that scale correctly, you’ll have a clear understanding of compatible chords and harmonic possibilities.

Breaking Down Scale Spelling for Different Types of Scales

Here’s a quick guide to spelling different types of scales:

Major Scales: These follow a W-W-H-W-W-W-H pattern (whole step, whole step, half step, etc.). For example, the C Major scale is spelled as C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
Minor Scales: The natural minor scale follows a W-H-W-W-H-W-W pattern. For example, A minor is spelled as A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A.
Harmonic Minor Scales: These follow the natural minor pattern but with a raised seventh. For example, A harmonic minor is A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A.
Melodic Minor Scales: The melodic minor scale raises both the sixth and seventh notes when ascending, but descends like a natural minor scale. For example, A melodic minor ascending is A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#, A.

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the variations, you’re not alone! I always encourage my students to take it one step at a time. Using Piano Companion, you can spell out any scale, no matter how complex, and experiment with variations to see how they sound and feel.

How to Practice Scale Spelling

One of the best ways to practice scale spelling is through repetition and real-time feedback. If you’re just starting out, write out your scales on paper, but don’t stop there. Play them on your instrument, sing them, and most importantly, use a tool like Piano Companion to check your work. This app will help you visualize the scales, understand their structure, and get comfortable with spelling them correctly.

For advanced players and teachers, I suggest incorporating scale spelling into your daily warm-up routine. Practice scales in different keys, and use Piano Companion to explore less common scales, like harmonic major or the various modes. The app even offers a reverse mode, where you can input notes, and it will tell you which scale those notes belong to. It’s a fantastic feature for both students and professionals who want to deepen their understanding of music theory.

Common Mistakes in Scale Spelling and How to Avoid Them

Even seasoned musicians can make mistakes when spelling scales. Here are a few common errors and how to avoid them:

Using the wrong accidentals: A common mistake is using sharps instead of flats or vice versa. For example, when spelling an F Major scale, the correct notes are F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F—not A#.
Repeating note names: In any scale, each letter name should only appear once. For example, in an A Major scale, it’s A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A—not A, B, C, C#, D.
Skipping notes: Be careful not to skip any letter names when spelling a scale. The G Major scale should be G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G—not G, B, D, F# (which would be a G Major arpeggio, not the scale).

Using Piano Companion can help you avoid these common mistakes by providing real-time feedback and ensuring you’re spelling your scales correctly. Plus, with the app’s audio playback feature, you can listen to each scale and identify any inconsistencies in your spelling or sound.

How Piano Companion Can Help with Scale Spelling

Whether you’re a student or a seasoned musician, Piano Companion is a powerful tool that can help you master scale spelling. You can search for scales by key or notes, see their correct spelling on the grand staff, and even create custom scales if you’re experimenting with something new.

As a music teacher, I often use Piano Companion to help students visualize the structure of a scale and understand the correct note sequence. The app also allows you to practice scales in different keys and clefs, which is perfect for building up your knowledge of music theory.

Final Thoughts on Scale Spelling

Scale spelling is a fundamental skill in music theory that allows musicians to communicate clearly, compose effectively, and avoid confusion when reading and writing music. While it can be tricky at first, with regular practice and the right tools—like Piano Companion—you can quickly master the art of scale spelling.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend trying out Piano Companion. It’s a fantastic resource that’s been invaluable for my teaching, composing, and practice. And if you’re already a user, I’d love to hear how you’re incorporating it into your daily musical routine. Happy practicing!

Understanding Transposition: How a G on the French Horn is a C on the Piano

Posted on October 1, 2024 by songtive

As a music teacher and piano player who hasn’t had formal lessons in many years, I recently found myself in an interesting situation: trying to help my son with his French horn. The more I looked into it, the more I realized that understanding how different instruments interpret the same note differently is a bit of a rabbit hole, especially when it comes to transposing instruments like the French horn. So, if you’re in the same boat as me and wondering how a G on the French horn can be a C on the piano, this blog post will hopefully help clear things up.

What is a Transposing Instrument?

Before we dive in, let’s quickly cover what it means for an instrument to transpose. Transposing instruments play notes that are written differently from concert pitch. Concert pitch is the standard reference point where a C on the piano is the note C in written music. However, not all instruments follow this standard. Instruments like the French horn, clarinet, and trumpet read music in one key but sound a different pitch when played.

French Horns are “In F”

For example, a French horn is considered a transposing instrument in F. What this means is that when a French horn player reads a C on their sheet music, they are actually playing an F, according to concert pitch. To understand why, it helps to know a bit about how instruments were designed historically.

Why the French Horn Transposes

Historically, instruments like the French horn were built with specific “natural” resonant notes based on the length of the tubing. In the past, French horns didn’t have valves like modern horns do, and players would physically swap out parts of the instrument (called “crooks”) to change the length of the tubing and therefore the pitch of the instrument. This meant that each horn had a set of natural notes it could easily play, depending on its key. For example, a French horn in C would play a C scale naturally, while a horn in F would play an F scale.

Modern horns are a bit more advanced, with valves allowing players to access all the notes in the chromatic scale without needing to swap out crooks. However, the tradition of reading music as if the horn were in a specific key (like F) persists, which is why French horn players still think of their instrument as being “in F.”

How This Affects What You Hear

Here’s where it gets tricky. On a piano, middle C (C4) vibrates at around 262 Hz. But on a French horn, middle C (when read from the music) actually sounds like an F, which vibrates at around 175 Hz. To get the French horn to sound like a C on the piano, you would need to ask the horn player to play a G instead, because that G will sound like a concert C.

At first, this can seem a bit confusing, but once you get the hang of thinking in terms of transposition, it starts to make sense. Essentially, the French horn is always playing a fifth below the written note when compared to the piano. So, when the horn plays a G, you hear a concert C.

Why It’s Helpful to Know This

If you’re like me, trying to help someone with a transposing instrument, it’s crucial to understand these concepts so you can properly communicate between instruments. When I’m on the piano and I want my son to play a certain note on his French horn, I have to mentally adjust for this difference in pitch. For example, if I want him to play a C, I need to ask him to play a G.

How Piano Companion Can Help

Learning how different instruments transpose can be a challenge, especially if you’re trying to navigate music theory concepts across various instruments. Luckily, there are tools out there to make this easier, and one of my go-to apps for music theory is Piano Companion. As a flexible piano chord and scale dictionary, it’s a fantastic resource for both seasoned musicians and those brushing up on their music theory.

With Piano Companion, you can explore piano chords and scales by key or MIDI input, which is a lifesaver when you’re trying to remember the name of a specific chord or scale. For example, if you press C and G on your MIDI keyboard, Piano Companion will suggest C Major as the first result.

Custom Chords and Scales

One of my favorite features of Piano Companion is the ability to create custom piano chords and scales. This is perfect if you’re working on composing or experimenting with new progressions. Plus, it’s incredibly useful if you’re practicing transposition or working with a transposing instrument like the French horn.

Grand Staff Display and Fingering

The app also shows chord and scale notes on the grand staff, including fingering for both hands. If you’re like me and have been out of the music theory game for a while, this can be a huge help. You can even contribute your own custom fingering if you have a preferred way of playing a particular scale or chord.

Understanding Transposition Across Instruments

Transposing instruments are not limited to the French horn. Clarinet players, for example, have a similar system. A Bb clarinet will read a C on the staff but will sound a Bb in concert pitch. This system allows musicians to use the same fingerings across different instruments, even though the instruments are in different keys. This consistency helps musicians swap between different clarinets or horns without having to learn new fingerings for each instrument.

Trumpets and saxophones also follow this same concept. For example, a Bb trumpet reads a C on the staff, but it actually sounds a Bb. This is why musicians often have to transpose music when playing in ensembles with different instruments, especially when some instruments are in concert pitch (like piano) and others are transposing instruments.

The Historical Roots of Transposition

So, why did this system of transposition come about in the first place? The answer lies in the historical development of these instruments. Originally, instruments like the horn, trumpet, and clarinet could only play certain notes based on the physics of their construction. By swapping out different lengths of tubing or crooks, musicians could change the key of the instrument, but they had to use different instruments for different keys.

Over time, as these instruments evolved, they gained the ability to play all 12 chromatic notes, thanks to the addition of valves and keys. However, the system of transposition remained, making it easier for musicians to read music in one key while playing in another.

Final Thoughts

Helping my son with his French horn has been a rewarding challenge, and it’s opened my eyes to the fascinating world of transposing instruments. While it can be tricky to wrap your head around at first, tools like Piano Companion make it much easier to understand and apply these concepts in your music practice. Whether you’re composing, teaching, or just brushing up on your music theory, Piano Companion is a fantastic resource to have in your toolkit.

If you’re working with a transposing instrument like the French horn, remember that the key they’re reading is not necessarily the same as concert pitch. Once you get used to this idea, you’ll find it much easier to work with different instruments and help others navigate the complexities of transposition.

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The Most Common Cadences Every Producer Should Know

Posted on November 1, 2023 by songtive

Music is built on patterns and resolutions, and cadences are at the heart of these resolutions. Whether you’re a budding songwriter or an established producer, understanding cadences is essential to making your compositions flow naturally and creating emotional impact. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the most common cadences every producer should know, how they can elevate your tracks, and how tools like Piano Companion can help you master them.

What is a Cadence in Music?

In music theory, a cadence is a sequence of chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music. It can be compared to punctuation in a sentence — sometimes it offers finality (like a period), and other times it leaves things open-ended (like a comma or question mark). The type of cadence you choose can drastically affect the emotional feel of your music.

For a music producer, understanding cadences means having more control over how a song feels at crucial moments. Whether you’re aiming for a conclusive ending or a tense transition, knowing your cadences will enable you to produce tracks that feel polished and intentional.

Why Cadences Matter to Producers

As a producer, you already know that creating effective chord progressions is a huge part of producing a great track. But without the right cadence to wrap up or transition a musical phrase, even the best chord progression can fall flat. The cadence is where the resolution happens. It’s the final brushstroke that gives a phrase its meaning.

To help you get started, let’s explore the most common cadences used in music, and how you can practice and integrate them into your tracks using the Piano Companion app.

1. Perfect Cadence (Authentic Cadence)

The perfect cadence, also known as the authentic cadence, is the most conclusive and satisfying of all cadences. It occurs when the dominant chord (V) resolves to the tonic chord (I). This cadence gives a sense of finality and is commonly used at the end of a piece or section to signal a definitive conclusion.

Why Producers Should Use It: If you’re looking to end a section or track on a high, resolved note, the perfect cadence is your go-to. It provides that clear, undeniable closure that listeners love.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Using the Piano Companion app’s chord progression builder, try building chord sequences that end with a V-I progression in different keys. The app can play back the progression in loop mode so you can internalize the sound of the perfect cadence in various contexts.

2. Plagal Cadence

The plagal cadence occurs when the subdominant chord (IV) resolves to the tonic chord (I). This cadence is often referred to as the “Amen” cadence because it is frequently used at the end of hymns. While it doesn’t have the same level of finality as the perfect cadence, it still offers a sense of resolution but with a softer, less forceful sound.

Why Producers Should Use It: The plagal cadence is great for creating a sense of conclusion without the dramatic effect of a perfect cadence. If you’re working on a track that needs to wind down gently, this is the cadence to use.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Set up a IV-I progression using the Piano Companion’s chord library. Experiment with different inversions to see how it affects the feel of the cadence. The reverse mode in the app can help you explore various ways to voice these chords using your MIDI keyboard.

3. Imperfect Cadence (Half Cadence)

The imperfect cadence, also called the half cadence, is an unfinished-sounding cadence that ends on the dominant chord (V). It leaves the listener expecting more and is often used in the middle of a phrase or section to create tension and anticipation.

Why Producers Should Use It: If you want to keep your listener on edge, the imperfect cadence is perfect for adding suspense. It’s great for building tension before launching into the next part of your track.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Use the Piano Companion to explore V chords in different scales and practice resolving into them. The chord progression builder allows you to construct longer sequences that end with an imperfect cadence, helping you understand how to use this tension-building tool effectively.

4. Deceptive Cadence

The deceptive cadence occurs when the dominant chord (V) resolves to a chord other than the tonic, typically the submediant chord (vi in a major key). This cadence surprises the listener because it subverts the expectation of a resolution back to the tonic chord.

Why Producers Should Use It: The deceptive cadence is a powerful tool for keeping your listeners on their toes. If you want to avoid predictability and add an element of surprise to your chord progressions, this is the cadence to use.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Build a deceptive cadence by resolving a V chord to a vi chord in the Piano Companion app. Use the arpeggio feature to hear how this cadence sounds broken up and then as a full chord.

5. Phrygian Cadence

The Phrygian cadence is a type of half cadence that occurs in minor keys. It happens when the subdominant chord (iv) resolves to the dominant chord (V). This cadence is commonly used in classical and Spanish music, giving it an exotic, unresolved feel.

Why Producers Should Use It: If you’re producing tracks with darker or more complex emotional tones, the Phrygian cadence can add a unique flair to your music. It offers a sense of tension and an air of mystery.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: In the Piano Companion app, practice resolving from the iv to the V chord in minor scales. Experiment with different keys using the Circle of Fifths feature to see how this cadence feels across the board.

How to Incorporate Cadences in Your Productions

Now that you have a solid understanding of the most common cadences, how do you go about using them effectively in your music? Here are a few tips:

Experiment with Progressions: Don’t limit yourself to just one type of cadence in a track. Mix and match cadences within different sections of your song to create dynamic shifts.
Use Cadences for Transitions: Cadences are great for transitioning between verses, choruses, and bridges. They can smooth over changes in mood and key.
Loop and Practice: Use the Piano Companion’s loop function to practice cadences in various keys and progressions. Hearing them repeatedly will help you internalize the sound and use them more effectively in your tracks.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Music with Cadences

Cadences are a crucial element of music theory that every producer should know. Whether you’re aiming for resolution or tension, cadences give your music the structure and emotional impact it needs to resonate with listeners. With the help of tools like the <

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Mode Mixture

Posted on September 28, 2020 by songtive

The process of mode mixture involves borrowing of chords from the parallel minor key in the major mode. These borrowed chords are essentially those which contain the scale degrees that are different between two parallel major and minor keys, namely, the b3, b6, and b7 degrees. When combining this scale degrees with some of the native chords of the major scale we get the resulting chords of bVI, iiº, iv and viiº7.

The bVI chord is a major triad on the b6 scale degree. For example: in the key of C major, this chord would be A flat major. Its main usage is as a replacement chord for the major mode native vi chord, especially on deceptive cadences. It can also be used as a subdominant chord leading to degree V.

The iv chord is a minor triad over scale degree 4, changing the normatively major IV degree into its minor counterpart. For example: in the key of D major, this chord would be G minor. It is essentially used exactly in the same ways as a normal IV chord. As a subdominant chord in cadences, in the second inversion as a contrapuntal neighbor chord, and as a good pivot chord for modulations (this will be expanded upon later).

The iiº and ii half-diminished seventh chords are chords based on a diminished triad over scale degree 2. For example: in C major, these chords would be D diminished triad and D half-diminished seventh. The main use for these chords is essentially that of being subdominant leading to V or Vii. It is very usual to find them in the first inversion due to the fact that in this position the bass note is scale degree 4, the main subdominant note.

The Viiº7 chord is a fully diminished seventh chord over scale degree 7. For example: in the key of A major, a G#º7 chords. This structure owes its origin to mode mixture since it turns the otherwise half-diminished seventh chord over scale degree 7 into a fully diminished chord by adding the b6 scale degree. Due to its symmetric nature, this diminished seventh chord can appear in any inversion and has multiple uses. Among these are, as a contrapuntal chord joining two chords by smooth voice leading; as a dominant chord leading to I and last but not least, as an ideal chord for modulation (this idea will be expanded later).

Another common type of mixture chord is the bII, also referred to as the Neapolitan chord. This chord is essentially derived from the mixture with the Phrygian mode which has a naturally occurring scale degree b2. At its core, the Neapolitan chord is a major triad occurring on the b2 scale degree.

The Neapolitan chord is usually found in minor keys and in the first inversion. This close association with the minor mode can be attributed to its keener relationship to the sound collections found in these types of keys, essentially, the b6 scale degree which is native to the minor mode and is the fifth of the bII Neapolitan chord. The first inversion usage is better explained from a functional point of view. Fundamentally speaking, when the Neapolitan chord is in the first inversion, the bass note is scale degree 4, which is the main representative for the subdominant function. This fact leads to the strong pre-dominant function that the bII chord exhibits but with the special color that the b2 scale degree adds.

As you may have already noticed, most of these chords are members of the subdominant function. This fact is one of the main factors for the great usefulness that mixture chords display to produce modulations to foreign keys. Usually, for pivot chords, the best choices are subdominant chords since these are the least defined in terms of tonal resolution. While the dominant has an enormous amount of pulling towards the tonic, and the tonic has stability, the subdominant is less characteristic of any particular key and is, therefore, more susceptible to being reinterpreted in other keys.

When using mode mixture, the tonal spectrum broadens and the flat side of the circle of fifths becomes closer than before. For example, in the key of C major (no accidentals), the iv chord opens up possible modulatory space to go to flat keys like E flat major (3 flats), where it is ii; or A flat major (4 flats), where it is vi; or even D flat major (5 flats), where it is iii. Furthermore, by using the viiº7 chord the tonal space broadens even more since due to its symmetrical structure this chord can be used as the viiº7 chord in the keys of C and Cm, Eb and Ebm, Gb and F#m, and last but not least, A and Am. All of these keys are foreign to the original C major, a possibility that was nonexistent when using purely diatonic triads from the major scale.

To conclude, mode mixture is an enormously useful tool for composition and elaboration of simple chord progressions. They can add color to otherwise plain chords, they can be useful to modulate to very distant keys and they can even be utilized to exploit the rhetorical duality between major and minor tonality. By using these new chords, the tonal spectrum is broadened, and the possibilities are unlimited.

Feel free to check out our Piano Companion for iOS, Android, macOS. Additionally, if you want to learn notes, chords, the theory then you can check ChordIQ for iOS, Android.

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What’s the deal with the Circle of Fifths?

Posted on August 21, 2020 by songtive

The circle of fifths is a visual tool that demonstrates the geometric relationships between the twelve distinct pitches used in western music culture. These pitches can also be classified as members of the chromatic scale.

A circle is an amazing tool to teach and to conceptualize musical ideas that would otherwise be terribly complicated. Before delving into the deeper truths about music that the circle keeps, let’s familiarize ourselves with its inner workings.

First of all, at its core, the circle of fifths is just that. A circle. In the same way, as an analogic clock does with numbers that represent time, the circle of fifths possesses 12 equally distributed pitches ordered by the interval of the perfect fifth, thus cycling through the twelve distinct pitches of the chromatic scale in twelve steps. Each of these notes carries a lot of information within it. Not only do they represent a particular note in the projection of fifths, but they represent different keys.

A musical key is essentially a definite system of relationships between musical sounds that dwells around a particular key center which is always represented by a single note, in a similar way to how the solar system works, with several different planets orbiting around the sun. Every key possesses a unique key signature which, as the name indicates, is its own individual or signature collection of notes. For example, C major contains no accidentals or altered notes, meaning it contains the seven distinct syllables used to name pitches or the total content of the diatonic system, C D E F G A B, thus its key signature contains no sharps or flats, putting on the top part of the circle. Every time we move up or down (clockwise or counterclockwise respectively) the circle, we change the tonal or key center to a new tonic and thus change the key signature. By going up, we add sharps, by going down, flats. Furthermore, each successive fifth adds a single sharp or flat to the previous collection, meaning that the first note to either side of C will contain either one sharp or one flat, the second, two, and so on.

The circle of fifths is also a great resource to explain some of the properties that arise between key centers. Namely the two main relationships, that of relative and parallel keys.

The relative relationship arises between two keys of opposite mode that share the same collection of sounds but poses a different key center or tonic. For example, C major and A minor. To represent this relationship in the circle we produce a second smaller one within the first one.

Parallel keys are those who share the same key center or tonic but poses different collections, for example, C major and C minor. This relationship has a distance of three accidentals and it is represented by using the same color.

Last but definitively not least, the circle of fifths is by far, the best method to picture the distance between keys. These distances refer to the total amount of common tones between two given key centers. The larger the number of fifths that separate two given key centers, the less common notes between them. Yet, when we cycle through the circle in any direction, we eventually return to the original key center, therefore, there must be a turning point somewhere along the circle, a point of furthest detachment from the original key in which the least possible amount of notes are shared. Curiously enough, that point seems to be the exact opposite side of the circle, the bottom key, F# major or its enharmonic equivalent G flat major, a pair of tritone-related keys which have six sharps and flats respectively. Nevertheless, since there are only twelve distinct pitches and each key should have seven, there is no way to have more than 5 different pitches between any two given keys, this is due to the enharmonic principle which declares the idea that musical sounds with a distinct name can sound the same due to the nature of sharps and flats and how they alter the seven basic syllables. For example, the equivalency between C# and D flat, or between E# and F. Therefore, although C# major has seven sharps in its key signature and C major has none, two of the notes in C# major (E# and B#) are enharmonically equivalent to some notes in C major (F and C respectively). Furthermore, both C# major (7 sharps) and C flat major (7 flats) can be simplified to key signatures which are enharmonically equivalent that contains fewer accidentals, namely, D flat major and B major, both containing five accidentals respectively.

In summary, the circle of fifths is a central pedagogical resource for music education. It can be extremely useful to understand the tonal distance between different sections of a piece, to figure out the key signature, and even to learn a thing or two about the enharmonic principle. Yet, it is not limited to the instruction of harmony and basic theory, but it can serve as a starting point for deeper and more complex dwellings into the wonderful and mysterious set of properties and characteristics of the tonal system.

If you are looking for an interactive Circle of Fifths, feel free to check out our Piano Companion for iOS, Android, macOS. Additionally, if you want to learn notes, chords, theory then you can check ChordIQ for iOS, Android.

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Tutorial 3 – Explore New World Of Music with Scale Spelling

Posted on March 18, 2016 by songtive

In our previous posts (Tutorial 1 – Note Names, Placement and Major Scale and Tutorial 2 – Minor Scale Construction and Introduction to “Circle Of Fifths”) we were talking about a method of constructing Major and Minor scales, as well as we’ve introduced a very handy music tool – “Circle of Fifths”. Today, we are going to introduce another very important music concept – “Scale Spelling”. With a help of that we will discover the whole new world of music scales which is far wider than Minor and Major.

As everyone already knows, all notes in a scale have letters. We also know that there are 8 notes in a scale, with 7 distinct ones. Now, all notes/letters from the scale also have a corresponding number. These numbers are referred to as “scale spelling”. Please open a “Piano Companion” application and choose “Scales Dictionary”.

By the application default settings, the first scale that you see is a Major scale. Just have a look at the numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) – this exactly what we call a “Scale Spelling”.

Let’s choose “Aeolian” (Minor) scale from the list.

Can you see that the “Scale Spelling” for Aeolian scale is different from the Ionian one (Major)? As you may guess, if you chose any other scale from “Scales Dictionary” it will be different too. But let’s take a closer look at Ionian and Aeolian scale spellings.

It will be very helpful, if you take a piece of paper and write down a C Major scale and put 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (1) above every note of the scale. If you do it correctly, that’s how it should look like:

Each note of the scale has it is own number, which we always write above the note names. Let’s write a C Minor and the “Scale Spelling” for Aeolian scale above it.

Even if you never learnt music before, we’ve already mentioned that “b” – flats are responsible for bringing notes DOWN for one semitone, whereas “#” – sharps are responsible for bringing notes UP for one semitone. As you can see the spelling for Aeolian scale (Minor) has b3, b6 and b7 in it. The notes that are below these numbers, also have flats: Eb, Ab and Bb. Isn’t that simple? The scale spelling is like a clue for any musician. Let’s say, you know only a construction method for a Major scale using specific pattern (2-2-1-2-2-2-1) and have no idea how to create any other one, but there is a scale spelling for Minor scale in front of your eyes. By writing your Major scale and putting this scale spelling above the notes (1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7, 8) you’ll be easily able to add necessary flats to notes and finally get your Minor scale. The same method applies to any other existing scale in the music world. However, you should follow 2 simple rules:

1) The letters (notes) MUST always correspond to the assigned number (spelling).
2) There may not be notes that share the same name in the scale

What does it mean? Literally, you just need to choose correct enharmonic names for your notes. For example in C Minor (Aeolian) you can’t put “D#” under the number “b3” because “D” is already referred to your second note, the number “2” of the spelling. The same applies to “Ab” and “Bb”. You can’t put “G#“ and “A#” instead. We are quite sure that this fact is very obvious, but still sometimes people can forget, so keeping this tip in mind will help not to make mistakes.

Ok, the time has come, to find out why a Major scale is called “Ionian”, and why a Minor scale is called “Aeolian”. The reason why these scales have more specific names, simply because there are different types of Major and Minor scales. Most of the scales can be divided into Major and Minor families. So let’s have a look at 7 scales that are mostly used in today’s music:

SCALE SPELLINGS:
IOANIAN - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
DORIAN - 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
PHRYGIAN - 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
LYDIAN - 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
MIXOLYDIAN - 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
AEOLIAN - 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
LOCRIAN - 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7

The picture above points us to the different types of Major and Minor scales that have all white notes in it like C Ionian and A Aeolian. There is exactly the same thing for D Dorian, E Phrygian, F Lydian and etc. As we’ve mentioned earlier all scales can be divided into 2 families: Major and Minor. In this case we have:

Major scales:

Ionian
Lydian
Mixolydian

Minor scales:

Dorian
Phrygian
Aeolian
Locrian

The most used scales in Popular music are Ionian, Aeolian, Mixolydian and Dorian. Less used is Lydian, because of the #4 which gives quite dissonant sound, that may feel unpleasant the ears. The most famous example of Lydian scale use, you can hear in known by everybody “Simpsons” music theme. Phrygian and Locrian are common in soundtracks and background music for Horror movies. Just have a listen, and you will understand why! These scales often used in Metal music as well.

The most accurate definition of the scale family would by checking thr 3rd note of the mode. If the 3rd number of the scale spelling is flattened, then it belongs to the Minor scale family. By the way, have you noticed that there are more Minor scales than Major ones? There is exactly the same thing for chords. There are more Minor chords that you can construct from the scale, than Major ones.

If you have a proper look to the scale spellings of these modes (scales), you’ll see how easy it is to construct any mode you like, if simply have a scale spelling in front of your eyes. All you have to do is just to construct Ionian scale and flatten or sharpen necessary notes, according to the spelling. Isn’t that simple? It’s definitely is!

We believe that we’ve shared enough information for today and there is a lot to think about and experiment with. And don’t forget to check out your “Scale Dictionary” in “Piano Companion” which has so many more scales to play with!

Just keep an eye on our blog and you will find so much more interesting about music.

music-theory pianocompanion scales

Piano Companion has scale chords

Posted on December 6, 2014 by songtive

You Asked – We Listened!

This major update brings to you new engine which displays common supported chords for a selected scale. Moreover, it lists main analytical labels: Secondary Dominant and Secondary Leading-Tone to get even deeper overview of the scale. We ported colouring engine from Songtive app so chords are highlighted according to their root note. Take a look at D Minor scale chords:

Tap on the button to hear how chord sounds and tap on magnifying lens to see chord details. You can also toggle between triad and seventh chords in the top-right corner.

Circle of Fifths is smart enough to detect which mode (sharps or flats) should be enabled automatically (thanks Dr. Deborah R. S.) and it also contains scale chords engine too:

Many of you asked of Chord Progressions screen UI optimisations and we decided to integrate new Scale Chords engine as the first step to simplicity of progression input. You will be able to quickly add common chords into progression without switching between screens.

On that screen you can see that scale chords are available only for a new item (or when chord is not set). You can quickly add any chords by tapping plus icon (see label #2) and change scale from Piano Companion scale dictionary (see label #3).

This update contains major internal rework of UI and more improvements are coming with next update.

Looking for feature? Feel free to contact us: pianocompanion.ios@songtive.com

chords ios pianocompanion scales theory