We all love music but do you know its composition? Music is composed of three elements: melody, harmony, and rhythm. All music has rhythm. On the other hand, melody and harmony are not compulsory parts of music composition but most music includes these two. In western music, melody and harmony come from 12 distinct pitches. These pitches are organized into scales. When you say a music scale, it is a sequence of notes from the 12 pitches.
A scale is a Latin word that means ladder. Without the scale composed of a set of tones, you cannot possibly create a melody or harmony. The tones of a scale depend on their pitches. Scales can be recognized by ear. In western music, a scale is composed of a sequence of small intervals. These are what we know as tones (whole steps or half steps). Before you can identify a scale, it is important that you know its sequence of intervals. In general, the diatonic scale is consists of 5 tones and 2 semitones. This will give you an idea that these scales can be recognized by identifying the position of these two semitones first.
The Major Scale
The major scale is a very important component in Western music scales as it provides a foundation where all other scales are formed. The most important notes in the major scale are the 3rd and 7th degrees. The 3rd-degree note provides a happy vibe while the 7th note gives the “leading tone” or the tone that is used to lead the listener back to the root of the scale. It is made up of seven notes which are as follows:
- The “root”
- One whole step higher from the root
- One whole step higher from the 2nd
- One half step higher from the 3rd
- One whole step higher from the 4th
- One whole step higher from the 5th
- One whole step higher from the 6th
The Minor Scale
The minor scale is as important as the major scale, especially in western music. It gives off the dark and sad vibes to the music. The notes of the minor scale are as follows:
- The “root”
- One whole step higher from the root
- One half step up from the 2nd
- One whole step higher from the 3rd
- One whole step higher from the 4th
- One half step up from the 5th
- One whole step up from the 6th
If you are planning to create music or write songs, start choosing a key and its corresponding scale and use the notes from your chosen scale. A music scale is like a palette of notes that you can choose from.
