Practical Music Theory
Presented by Mark Searles MWS Music Studio
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music Studio. All Rights Reserved.
1
Key Signatures Major Key
Sharps
Major Key
Flats
C
None
F
B
G
F
Bb
B,E
D
F,C
Eb
B,E,A
A
F,C,G
Ab
B,E,A,D
E
F,C,G,D
Db
B,E,A,D,G
B
F,C,G,D,A
Gb
B,E,A,D,G,C
F#
F,C,G,D,A,E
Cb
B,E,A,D,G,C,F
C#
F,C,G,D,A,E,B
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music2Studio. All Rights R
Key Signatures Major Key
Relative Minor*
Sharps
Major Key
Relative Minor*
Flats
C
A
None
F
D
B
G
E
F
Bb
G
B,E
D
B
F,C
Eb
C
B,E,A
A
F#
F,C,G
Ab
F
B,E,A,D
E
C#
F,C,G,D
Db
Bb
B,E,A,D,G
B
G#
F,C,G,D,A
Gb
Eb
B,E,A,D,G,C
F#
D#
F,C,G,D,A,E
Cb
Ab
B,E,A,D,G,C,F
C#
A#
F,C,G,D,A,E,B
*Same number of sharps of flats as the major key. Scale begins and ends on the 6th note of the major scale.
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music3Studio. All Rights R
Major Scale
C D E F G A B C = C Major Scale
Key of C Has No Sharps of Flats
Major Scale Formula = W W H W W W H*
Other Scales Are Derived From the Major Scale
* W=Whole Step, H=Half Step
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music4Studio. All Rights R
Minor Scales
Relative Minor The Relative Minor Scale is the 6th Mode (Aeolian) of the Major Scale Formed by Lowering the 3rd, 6th, and 7th Degrees of a Major Scale a ½ Step 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7, 8 or W H W W H W H
Harmonic Minor The Harmonic Minor is Formed by Raising the 7th Degree of the Relative Minor a ½ Step 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7, 8
Melodic Minor The Melodic Minor Scale is Created by Raising the 6th and 7th Degrees of the Relative Minor a ½ Step When Ascending and Lowering Them Back to Normal When Descending 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Ascending) 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7, 8 (Descending
* W=Whole Step, H=Half Step
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music5Studio. All Rights R
Other Scales
Pentatonic (5 Note) Scales Major Pentatonic 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8
Minor Pentatonic 1, b3, 4, 5, b7, 8 Blues Pentatonic 1, b3, 4, #4/b5, 5, b7, 8
(#4/b5 is referred to as the blue note and is used as a passing tone)
Lydian Scale The Lydian Scale is the 4th Mode of the Major Scale. It is Formed by Raising the 4th Degree of the Major Scale a ½ Step 1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Dominant 7th Scale (Mixolydian Mode) The Dominant 7th Scale is the 5th Mode of the Major Scale. It is Created by Lowering the 7th Degree of a Major Scale by ½ Step. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, b7, 8 Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music6Studio. All Rights R
Other Scales
Chromatic Scale Consists of 12 ½ Steps Within an Octave; It May Begin On Any Note 1, #1, 2, #2, 3, 4, #4/b5, 5, #5/b6, #6/b7, 7, 8
Whole Tone Scale The Distance Between Each Note is a Whole Step 1, 2, 3, #4, #5, #6, 8
Middle Eastern Scale Play This Scale Backwards for an Exotic Sitar-like Sound 1, b2, 3, 4, 5, b6, 7, 8
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music7Studio. All Rights R
Chord Theory C-Major Scale-Two Octaves 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Chord Hierarchy Key of C Major
Major Chords
Minor Chords
1, 3, 5 [C, E, G]ďƒ&#x;---------------------------Triads----------------------ďƒ 1, b3, 5 (flatted 3rd) [C, Eb, G] Major 7th 1,3,5,7 [C,E,G,B]
Dominant 7th 1, 3, 5, b7 [C, E, G, Bb]
Minor 7th 1, b3, 5, b7 [C, Eb, G, Bb]
Major 9th 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 [C, E, G, B, D]
Dominant 9th 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 [C, E, G, Bb, D]
Minor 9th 1, b3, 5, b7, 9 [C, Eb, G, Bb, D]
Major 11th 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 [C, E, G, B, D, F]
Dominant 11th 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11 [C, E, G, Bb, D, F]
Minor 11th 1, b3, 5, b7, 9,11 [C, E, G, Bb, D, F]
Major 13th 1, 3, 5, 7,9,11,13
Dominant 13th 1, 3, 5, b7,9,11,13
Minor 13th 1, b3, 5, b7, 9,11,13
[C, E, G, B, D, F, A]
[C, E, G, Bb, D, F, A]
[C, Eb, G, Bb, D, F, A]
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music8Studio. All Rights R
Chord Theory C-Major Scale-Two Octaves 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Diminished Chords
Chord Hierarchy Key of C Major
Altered Chords
Diminished Triad 1, b3, b5 [C, Eb, Gb]
Typically Dominant 7th Chords with b5, #5, b9, #9 tones added
Half Diminished 7th (aka Minor 7th b5) 1, b3, b5, b7 [C, Eb, Gb, Bb]
Augmented Chord 1, 3, #5 [C, E, G#]
Diminished 7th 1, b3, b5, bb7(6) [C, Eb, Gb, A] Notes: 1) The fifth can be omitted from most chords 2) The 2nd is the same as the 9th The 4th is the same note as the 11th The 6th is the same note as the 13th 3) A chord is a two or more notes sounded together. A Triad is a three note chord. 4)
The order of the notes in a chord can be inverted to achieve the desired sound. Experiment!
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Scale Theory Major Scales-Two Octaves 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
G
A
B
C
D
E
F#
G
A
B
C
D
E
F#
G
D
E
F#
G
A
B
C#
D
E
F#
G
A
B
C#
D
A
B
C#
D
E
F#
G#
A
B
C#
D
E
F#
G#
A
E
F#
G#
A
B
C#
D#
E
F#
G#
A
B
C#
D#
E
B
C#
D#
E
F#
G#
A#
B
C#
D#
E
F#
G#
A#
B
F#
G#
A#
B
C#
D#
E#
F#
G#
A#
B
C#
D#
E#
F#
C#
D#
E#
F#
G#
A#
B#
C#
D#
E#
F#
G#
A#
B#
C#
F
G
A
Bb
C
D
E
F
G
A
Bb
C
D
E
F
Bb
C
D
Eb
F
G
A
Bb
C
D
Eb
F
G
A
Bb
Eb
F
G
Ab
Bb
C
D
Eb
F
G
Ab
Bb
C
D
Eb
Ab
Bb
C
Db
Eb
F
G
Ab
Bb
C
Db
Eb
F
G
Ab
Db
Eb
F
Gb
Ab
Bb
C
Db
Eb
F
Gb
Ab
Bb
C
Db
Gb
Ab
Bb
Cb
Db
Eb
F
Gb
Ab
Bb
Cb
Db
Eb
F
Gb
Cb
Db
Eb
Fb
Gb
Ab
Bb
Cb
Db
Eb
Fb
Gb
Ab
Bb
Cb
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music10 Studio. All Rights R
Playing From A FakeBook A FakeBook usually has the melody of a song written out, with the chord names written above it Steps For Developing Your Own Song Arrangements 1. Determine the Key of the Song and Practice its Associated Scale (Major or Minor) 2. Develop a Bass Line Based on the Chords of the Song (The bass typically plays the root, 5th, or b7/7 of the chord and may lead into a note from a ½ step above or below. 3. Practice Playing the Melody By Itself and Then With the Bass Part Added 4. Build Chords Around the Melody Using the Information on Slides 4, 12, and 13 5. Be Patient and Have Fun!!
Copyright 2007-2009 MWS Music11 Studio. All Rights R