Scales

A musical scale is a sequence of notes in ascending or descending order. Each scale is made up of 4-7 notes. The distance or rather the interval between two successive notes is called a scale step. For example, the distance between the two notes 'C' and 'D' is 1 whole step and the distance between 'C' and 'C#' is a 1/2 step ( C# is pronounced as 'C Sharp' and are among the black keys on the keyboard).

Scales are divided, based on the intervals between the notes they contain, into categories including major, minor, etc. For example, C 'Major' scale contains the notes C D E F G A B C (all white keys on a keyboard)i.e 1 step between C and D, 1 step between D and E, 1/2 step between E and F, 1 step between F and G, 1 step between G and A, 1 step between A and B and 1/2 step between B and C. That becomes 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1 and 1/2 step. Whereas the C 'Minor scale contains the notes C D D# F G G# A# C which is 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1/2, 1 and 1 step. So the 3rd note and the 6th and 7th note change.

                  

There are many types of scales that developed over the centuries. Music in the periods 1600-1900 used mostly three types of scale:

The daitonic scale (7 notes)
The melodic an harmonic minor scale (7 notes)

In the 19th and 20th century many other scales evolved:

The chromatic scale (twelve notes)
The whole tone scale (six notes)
The pentatonic scale (five notes)
The octatonic or diminished scales (eight notes)

That’s all about scales for now. With all the knowledge about scales, I say go explore, cause without music life would be a mistake...the way I see it!