50 Answered Questions for the topic Scales

05/24/19

When to use different scales or modes over chord progressions?
I know my major/pentatonic/blues scales pretty well, and I can apply it pretty fluently when playing over 1-4-5-min6 chord progressions, but I find that when I try to improvise over more... more
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05/07/19

Why do some arrangements of notes make a good melody and some don't?
A note by itself is not always particularly pleasant to hear. Why do some specific combinations of notes make a good, pleasant melody? Why are some people good at coming up with such pleasing... more
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04/29/19

How to know key of a melody?
How can you tell what key a melody is in if it uses notes found in multiple scales? And if a note is introduced from a different scale than the one it was in, does that change the key? What if it... more
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04/29/19

How to name more than seven scale tones?
When a scale has more than seven tones, is there any **standard** way to name the scale tones vis-a-vis the major scale tones? For instance, this applies to the two variations of the diminished... more
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04/27/19

Which scales have a major chord built on second note? Which scales have a minor chord built on the seventh note?
Which base scales (base scale meaning not modes) have a major chord built on the second note? (In which scales is the II chord a major? Is this the proper nomenclature?) Which scales have a minor... more
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04/23/19

How to name more than seven scale tones?
When a scale has more than seven tones, is there any **standard** way to name the scale tones vis-a-vis the major scale tones? For instance, this applies to the two variations of the diminished... more
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04/23/19

Can someone please tell me why there are 5 different patterns to Penatonic scales?
I mean if you can move them, why do you need more than one? All are movable up and down the fretboard? Right? So why does each need 5 patterns and how do you know which one to use? This has really... more
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04/18/19

Dominant Chord in minor key?
In a minor key, e.g. E minor, if you take the dominant triad, it contains the leading note. Is the leading note of the **natural minor** or the major for the dominant triad? So for E minor dominant... more
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04/08/19

Dominant Chord in minor key?
In a minor key, e.g. E minor, if you take the dominant triad, it contains the leading note. Is the leading note of the **natural minor** or the major for the dominant triad? So for E minor... more
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04/03/19

How to make melodies effectively?
Are there any tricks that help make melodies besides just experimenting until you find something that sounds nice?
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03/27/19

Is it possible to write a song without a key?
Is it possible to say "This song has no key"? Are there songs that have/follow no key? Is it possible to create song without adhering a key?
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03/26/19

Is it possible to write a song without a key?
This song is in F Major, "That song is in A Minor", "This song is in D Minor, but modulates to F Major in the middle", etc.Can we say "This song has no key"? Are there songs that have/follow no... more
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03/26/19

Key signature for writing in modes other than major and minor?
I have trouble deciding what accidentals to put in the key signature for pieces in Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian or Mixolydian modes. There seem to be trade-offs associated with each choice. For... more
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03/19/19

How to differentiate between relative keys?
So I'm learning that C major and A minor scales have the same notes. Then, if I look at, say, 10 consecutive single notes, how do I tell if they're in C or Am? It's easier when you see a chord,... more
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03/19/19

How to determine which (slash) chord to use?
I usually notice the patterns of making chord progressions with defining its root notes. These root notes actually the main notes that I will sing in and from there I can decide to use which chords... more
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03/19/19

Which scales have a major chord built on second note? Which scales have a minor chord built on the seventh note?
Which base scales (base scale meaning not modes) have a major chord built on the second note? (In which scales is the II chord a major? Is this the proper nomenclature?) Which scales have a minor... more
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03/18/19

What key to use for a certain meaning or theme in the song?
I know this might be considered a very vague question, but I don't know where else to go. I've started songwriting recently and I'm still a beginner. I was wondering, what key(s) should I write my... more
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03/18/19

Why are certain scales considered unstable?
The Locrian Mode is considered unstable - my question is what in it makes it unstable? What makes a scale stable (have better relation between the keys)?
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03/18/19

Do modes exist in the harmonic / melodic minor scales?
I'm trying to get my head around modes and the tonal center. In my understanding the natural minor scale is the same as the Aeolian mode. However, when considering the mix-up that happens in the... more
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03/18/19

What are ways to use the palindromic property of a palindromic scale?
A palindromic scale, as I've seen it described on a number of music theory websites, is defined as one whose sequence of intervals is the same when ascending and descending. For instance: D Dorian... more
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03/18/19

Is it possible to write a song without a key?
"This song is in F Major", "That song is in A Minor", "This song is in D Minor, but modulates to F Major in the middle", etc. Can we say "This song has no key"? Are there songs that have/follow no... more
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03/15/19

Do modes exist in the harmonic / melodic minor scales?
I'm trying to get my head around modes and the tonal center. In my understanding the natural minor scale is the same as the Aeolian mode. However, when considering the mix-up that happens in the... more
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03/14/19

What are the official modes from Ionian to Locrian?
I am having some confusion is respects to the formal definition of what the various modes are. I know that their defined in relation to their scale, however, I've come to realise this may not be... more
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03/14/19

The differences between natural, harmonic and melodic minors?
I'm studying scales and came across the natural, harmonic, and melodic minors. I understand the patterns for each scale but what other important differences exist between the three?
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03/14/19

Pentatonic Scales Question?
I'm learning the notes on the fret board and I just wanted to ask something about the pentatonic scales you see, A minor pentatonic is A C D E G on the 5th fret, but when I play it on the 2nd fret... more
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