Names of the notes of a scale

By this I don't mean a particular scale or all scales BUT each note of every scale has a name.

1st = Tonic

2nd = Supertonic

3rd = Mediant

4th = Subdominant

5th = Dominant

6th = Submediant

7th = Leading Note

8th = Tonic

Example - C Major:

C = Tonic

D = Supertonic

E = Mediant

F = Subdominant

G = Dominant

A = Submediant

B = Leading Note

C = Tonic

And so on...

Chord Inversions

For the ABRSM Grade 5 exam you have to know about chord inversions (got to admit, until about 3 months ago - I didn't even know they existed, despite learning various instruments from primary school age - about 6 years old). At first I struggled but now I think I have the hang of them!

The Chords you have to find for G5 are I, ii, IV and V (always use Roman Numerals!). Now that doesn't mean a thing to anyone until you know the chords! The chords are made up of the Tonic (1st note of the scale), Mediant (3rd note of the scale) and Dominant (5th note of the scale). Let's take a look at C Major...

C D E F G A B C - CEG

Now when working out the inversions that would be a Ia. Let's describe this in a bit more detail to get the inversions (read left to right):

Ia = CEG (root position)
Ib = EGC (first inversion)
Ic = GCE (second inversion)

See how the first letter moves to the end and the other 2 shunt forward to get the different inversions. (I am hoping to add some examples on the stave). Now let's find chord II

Take the second note up from C and do the same as finding the root chord - starting from the D, take the first (D), 3rd (F) and 5th (A):

C D E F G A B C

Now you have a IIa chord -  

iia = DFA (root position)
iib = FAD (first inversion)
iic = ADF (second inversion)

To find chord IV (count 4 notes along from C F and count from the F 3notes and 5 notes to make the chord)

C D E F G A B C

IVa = FAC (root position)
IVb = ACF (first inversion)
IVc = CFA (second inversion)

Now a chord V

C D E F G A B C D  (I have to go beyond the octave at this point)

Va = GBD (root position)
Vb = BDG (first inversion)
Vc = DGB (second inversion)

This works for any scale.

NB I will try and put some examples in which use the notes on the stave as well as the above!

Working out Relative Major and Minor Scales

Start again at C Major - it's easier, because it contains no sharps or flats. To find out its relative Minor (ie the Minor scale with no Sharps or flats) Count BACK 3. (to keep it short, instead of writing (for example) C major's relative Minor = I'll just write C Major = A Minor etc)

Starting with #s

C Major = A Minor (C B A) = 0#

G Major = E Minor (G F E) = 1#

D Major = B Minor (D C B) = 2#

A Major = F# Minor (A G F#) = 3#

E Major = C# Minor (E D C#) = 4#

B Major = G# Minor (B A G#) = 5#

F# Major = D# Minor (F# E D#) = 6#

Notice how the last 4 minors (F# C# G# D#) are in the order that the sharps would be in a piece. Remember the ditty:

Order of Sharps:
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle





Now for the relative Minors (bs)

F Major = D Minor (F E D) = 1b

Bb Major = G Minor (Bb A G) = 2b

Eb Major = C Minor (Eb D C) = 3b

Ab Major = F Minor (Ab G F) =4b

Db Major = Bb Minor (Db C Bb) = 5b

Gb Major = Eb Minor (Gb F Eb) = 6b

Order of Flats:
Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles Father

Don't forget with Minor Scales you have Melodic and Harmonic

Melodic Scales - raise the 6th and 7th  Notes when ASCENDING
And flatten them when DESCENDING

e.g. 

A Minor Melodic ascending: A B C D E F# G# A 
A Minor Melodic descending: A G F E D C B A 

Harmonic Scales raise the 7th note when ASCENDING and keep it raised when DESCENDING

e.g. 

A Minor Harmonic ascending: A B C D E F G# A
A Minor Harmonic descending: A G# F E D C B A 

D# Minor Melodic would be:

D# E# F# G# A# B# Cx D# - ascending
D# C# B A# G# F# E# D# - descending

Cx = C double sharp! The enharmonic of Cx = D, but you can't have 2 of the same notes in a scale (D and D#) therefore the C# has to be sharpened again thus making it a double sharp.

D# Minor Harmonic would be:

D# E# F# G# A# B Cx D# - ascending
D# Cx B A# G# F# E# D# - descending

Eb Minor Melodic 

Eb F Gb Ab Bb C D Eb - ascending
Eb Db Cb Bb Ab Gb F Eb - descending

Eb Minor Harmonic

Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb D Eb - ascending
Eb D Cb Bb Ab Gb F Eb - descending

Finding out which keys contain how many sharps or flats

There is a help called a Circle of Fifths to find out how many sharps and flats there are in a major or minor piece! I won't post that, but tell you how to find out if you don't have a circle of fifths handy. Basically it goes like this:

0# = C Major = no sharps or flats (so long as you remember this, then the rest is simple)

1# = G Major - from C (no sharps to 1# count 5 = C D E F G )

2# = D Major - now you know G has one # count 5 to find the scale with 2#s (G A B C D)

3# = A Major - (D E F G A)

4# = E Major - (A B C D E)

5# = B Major - (E F G A B)

6# = F# Major - (B C D E F#)

7# = C# Major - (F# G A B C#)


To find out how many flats (b) count the 4th note

0b = C Major

1b = F Major (C D E F)

2b = Bb Major (F G A Bb) (you just have to remember it's a Bb Major)

3b = Eb Major (Bb C D Eb)

4b = Ab Major (Eb F G A)

5b = Db Major (Ab Bb C Db)

6b = Gb Major (Db Eb F Gb)

7b = Cb Major (Gb Ab Bb Cb)

There is a pattern there as well - F contains 1b which is Bb - the next note along; Bb Major contains Bb and Eb - wow the next note along in the order of flats and so on!) Thanks to my flute buddy Kerina for showing me that pattern!

The order of sharps and flats can be remembered by saying this little ditty (thanks to my flute teacher, Deborah for this)

Order of Flats:
Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles Father

Order of Sharps:
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Therefore if you have a piece with 3 sharps and you're not sure what they are - refer to this ditty! 3#s would be F# C# and G#. 6# would be F# C# G# D# A# E#. 1 # would be F# 

Notice how the Sharps go backwards to the flats (hint if you don't get what I mean - read the ditty for the flats backwards and that's the order for the sharps!)

Music Intervals

I have spent weeks getting in a twist where music intervals are concerned but I think I've cracked it now. Below is a table of intervals. NB 4ths 5ths 8ths have no Major or Minor.

Key: 

Dim = Diminished
Min = Minor
Maj = Major
Perf = Perfect
Aug = Augmented

When counting intervals (major 2nd, minor 3rd etc) Start finding out what the interval is first. To find that count each note. e.g. C to E would be a 3rd, you count your starting note (ie C = 1, D = 2, E = 3) BUT to find out whether the note is Diminished, Major, Minor etc you count the semitones! This time C# is counted as the first step. So count:
1= C# 2 = D 3 = D# 4 = E Now look on the chart under 3rd and find the number 4 - 4 steps makes the interval a Major 3rd. 
This works for any scale and it works for transposing too. Even if you have a scale with a lot of sharps (or flats) e.g. F# Major has 6# - if you wanted to find the interval between F# and D# = then it would be a 6th (don't worry about the #s - just count F-D [even if the note is F#- D natural still count it as F - D) Let's go back to F# - D# = Now count the semitones, remember start on the next semitone from F#, which is G. It's 9 steps therefore the Interval is a Major 6th. Now if we were looking at F# - D natural this interval would be - Minor 6th because it's only 8 steps. F# - Db would be a diminished 6th as there are only 7 steps! 

2nd		3rd		4th		5th		6th		7th		8th
Dim	0	Dim	2	Dim	4	Dim	6	Dim	7	Dim	9	Dim	11
Min	1	Min	3	Perf	5	Perf	7	Min	8	Min	10	Perf	12
Maj	2	Maj	4	Aug	6	Aug	8	Maj	9	Maj	11	Aug	13
Aug	3	Aug	5					Aug	10	Aug	12