Keys, Scales and Their Note Values

by JazzMaverick (Feb 04, 2009)

So this lesson is basically covering the basics of four scales:

- Major
- Natural Minor
- Harmonic Minor
- Melodic Minor (Ascending & Descending)

I'll also be explaining a brief introduction into the modes.

The Major Scale


The Major scale as you hopefully know is:
Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major, Minor, Diminished. Try and remember that.

(England) = Tone, Tone, Semi-tone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-tone.
(North/South America) = Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half.

I'm going to use Tone and Semi-tone, as I'm used to it.

Tone means an entire note apart, e.g. C to D (two half steps/ semi-tone = a whole note/ tone), Semi-tone means half a step e.g. C to C#.]

Incase that's too confusing, take up your guitar and play fret 8 (6th string), this is C, now move to the 9th fret and this is C#. This means that they're a semi-tone apart (1 fret). Where as, C to D will be frets 8 to 10, so it's two frets apart which is called a Tone/Whole note.


Maj Min Min Maj Maj Min Dim
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII |
|-----|------|---------|-------|------|-------|-------|
| A | B | C# | D | E | F# | G# |
| Bb | C | D | Eb | F | G | A |
| B | C# | D# | E | F# | G# | A# |
| C | D | E | F | G | A | B |
| C# | D# | E# (F) | F# | G# | A# | B# (C)|
| D | E | F# | G | A | B | C# |
| Eb | F | G | Ab | Bb | C | D |
| E | F# | G# | A | B | C# | D# |
| F | G | A | Bb | C | D | E |
| F# | G# | A# | B | C# | D# | E# (F)|
| G | A | B | C | D | E | F# |
| Ab | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | G |
-------------------------------------------------------


If you don't understand why I put some notes in brackets, it's basically because they are the same note. The easiest way to show this is to look at a Piano.



This is basically where you start to learn the modes. For the easiest way to explain that we usually use C because there are no sharps or flats in this key.
As you can see from the table, I've numbered out each note, and each note can be a starting point. This is what we call modes. So to explain the modes we've given each mode a name so it's easier to remember.

I = Major scale = Major
II = Dorian = Minor
III= Phrygian = Minor
IV = Lydian = Major
V = Mixolydian = Major
VI = Aeolian = Minor (The Natural Minor Scale)
VII= Locrian = Diminished


Naturally, each scale will have different names for each mode.

Natural Minor



The Natural Minor is the 6th position in the Major scale, this is also known as the Aeolian mode. Take a look at this other lesson I wrote if you don't understand what I mean... http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/lesson.php?id=104

Tone, Semi-tone, Tone, Tone, Semi-tone, Tone, Tone.

6 7 1 2 3 4 5
Minor, Diminished, Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major


Min Dim Maj Min Min Maj Maj
| I | II | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
|------|--------|---------|--------|-------|--------|---------|
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | A is the natural minor (6th position) of C major.
| Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb(A#) is the 6th of C# Major.
| B | C# | D | E | F# | G | A | B is the 6th of D Major.
| C | D | Eb | F | G | Ab | Bb | C is the 6th of Eb Major.
| C# | D# | E | F# | G# | A | B | C# is the 6th of E Major.
| D | E | F | G | A | Bb | C | D is the 6th of F Major.
| Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb | Cb | Db | Eb(F#) is the 6th of A Major.
| E | F# | G | A | B | C | D | E is the 6th of G Major.
| F | G | Ab | Bb | C | Db | Eb | F is the 6th of Ab Major.
| F# | G# | A | B | C# | D | E | F# is the 6th of A Major.
| G | A | Bb | C | D | Eb | F | G is the 6th of Bb Major.
| Ab | Bb | B | Db | Eb | Fb | Gb | Ab(G#) is the 6th of B Major.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Harmonic Minor



1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7


| I | II | iii | IV | V | vi | VII |
|------|-------|-------|------|-----|------|-------|
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G# |
| Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | A |
| B | C# | D | E | F# | G# | A# |
| C | D | Eb | F | G | Ab | B |
| C# | D# | E | F# | G# | A | B#(C) |
| D | E | F | G | A | Bb | C# |
| Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb | Cb | D |
| E | F# | G | A | B | C | D# |
| F | G | Ab | Bb | C | Db | E |
| F# | G# | A | B | C# | D | E# |
| G | A | Bb | C | D | Eb | F# |
| Ab | Bb | B | Db | Eb | E | G |
----------------------------------------------------

I'm in the making of a more detailed lesson on this scale.

Melodic Minor


Ascending 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7

| I | II | iii | IV | V | VI | VII |
|------|-------|-------|------|-----|------|-------|
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G# |
| Bb | C | Db | Eb | F | Gb | A |
| B | C# | D | E | F# | G | A# |
| C | D | Eb | F | G | Ab | B |
| C# | D# | E | F# | G# | A# | B# |
| D | E | F | G | A | B | C# |
| Eb | F | Gb | Ab | Bb | C | D |
| E | F# | G | A | B | C# | D# |
| F | G | Ab | Bb | C | D | E |
| F# | G# | A | B | C# | D# | E# |
| G | A | Bb | C | D | E | F# |
| Ab | Bb | B | Db | Eb | F | G |
----------------------------------------------------

Descending b7, b6, 5, 4, b3, 2, 1

|| || || || || ||
|| || || || || ||
\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /
\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/
| I | vii | vi | V | IV | iii | II |
|------|-------|------|-----|------|-------|------|
| A | G | F | E | D | C | B |
| Bb | Ab | Gb | F | Eb | Db | C |
| B | A | G | F# | E | D | C# |
| C | Bb | Ab | G | F | Eb | D |
| C# | B | A | G# | F# | E | D# |
| D | C | Bb | A | G | F | E |
| Eb | Db | Cb | Bb | Ab | Gb | F |
| E | D | C | B | A | G | F# |
| F | Eb | Db | C | Bb | Ab | G |
| F# | E | D | C# | B | A | G# |
| G | F | Eb | D | C | Bb | A |
| Ab | Gb | Fb | Eb | Db | Cb | Bb |
---------------------------------------------------

To understand this scale in more detail, check out my other lesson:

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/lesson.php?id=139



Hopefully this is clear. It's important to know the notes that you're playing ontop of what fret and string you're playing, make sure to memorise the notes so you don't get confused during an improvisation!

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