Major Scale Theory

Thanks for the answer Jozsef.

2 Likes

Hi!

Can anyone please explain to me why for the F# major scale ā€“ E# to F# is considered a semitone?

Isnā€™t an E# known as a F note and that a F# known as a G note. By that logic, isnā€™t a F note to a G note a Tone?

Iā€™m so confused! I hope someone can explain this to me.

Thank you!

Hello @hassanuddinishak and welcome to the community.

E# is indeed an enharmonic equivalent with F.

F# is not enharmonic equivalent with G however.

On the guitar E# can be found at fret 1 of the string and F# is at fret 2. One fret or one semitone apart.

1 Like

Remember that thereā€™s only 1 semitone between the notes B to C and E to F. Like, you should remember that even without having to think about it.

Also, when writing out scales, each ā€œletterā€ has to be used only once, hence why degree VII is E# (i.e. F) and degree I is F#. Same with the notes B# and C# in the C# major scale.

1 Like

While looking around the community for some questions roaming in my mind, I came across this via a link somewhere:

Is this series outdated? I canā€™t seem to find it being part of the different grades or in the music theory.
I am just roughly going through it and have downloaded the booklet. Itā€™s excellent!

All covered in this series, is that covered elsewhere? I noticed some places, it says to go to a newer version of the same, so was just thinking that this might be the case with this one also, that there is a newer series replacing this one?. ( So much valuable stuff, its almost overwhelming. You people have really been busy, wow, what an amazing job! )

Justin does look a bit young and wild on those videos :wink: :smiley:

1 Like

@kimlodrodawa Thatā€™s the old DVD lessons. Justin has made it available on the new website.

The new version is split into grade 3 and 4 as Major Scale Maestro

2 Likes

@kimlodrodawa As @stitch says, this was previously paid-for content. Justin considered the AV quality to be outdated and he has filmed newer, improved versions of the content and made it all freely available. :slight_smile:

1 Like

Thnx a lot @Richard_close2u and @stitch also. Yes, I got that a newer version was made. Went there and had a short glance at it, still I want to keep the booklet from the old version. Itā€™s pretty cool and also itā€™s interesting to watch him teach at that time, not sure how many years ago that is. (We see some progress there also :wink: ) I did put a like at Stitchā€™s reply, as I assumed it was perceived as: ā€œOk, I saw your reply and got it, thnx a lot for your replyā€, ---- was little busy with all kind of stuff and my picks experiments, actually was very concentrated on that picky thingy, that was so damn funny and interestingā€¦Have You ever tried strumming with the end of your toothbrush??? - Nerd Mode :nerd_face:ā€¦ :rofl: :joy:

Luv the free available stuff. Couldnā€™t help drop a penny alsoā€¦ :rofl: :joy:

1 Like

I get it. Why did my high school music teacher not use the note circle. Maybe I just forgot

Hey @stitch, your explanation on the circle of fifths works till we get to C#. The fifth note of C# is G#, but the next key in the list is F and then the following keys are the fourth note from the previous key.
Can you help explain?
Much appreciated.
Bill

1 Like

@Weeman If I understand your question. If you continue around the circle of fifths clock wise the next key after C# is Ab(G#).
If you go around the circle of fifths counter clockwise it become the circle of fourth.
F is the 4th of C

2 Likes

The first seven rows follow the circle of fifths clockwise and they also match the order of the number of sharps in those keys.
image

Key - - - Sharps
C - - - - - - 0
G - - - - - - 1
D - - - - - - 2
A - - - - - - 3
E - - - - - - 4
B - - - - - - 5
F# - - - - - 6
C# - - - - - 7

C# as a note does not appear on the usually notated circle of fifths though it is next in sequence as it has seven sharps.
Beyond C# music theory enters the world of double sharps and that is beyond the limit of this lesson. It is therefore necessary to adjust the list and incorporate those keys containing flats.
It would make sense to see C# as a small but necessary step off the circle. It has all seven notes sharp and has an exact inverse in the key of Cb which has all seven notes flat. That is where to begin before moving back to the circle of fifths and resuming a clockwise movement around, starting the remainder of the sequence from the enharmonic equivalent of our last position, namely F# = Gb. The list would then have continued thus:

Key - - - Flats
Cb - - - - - 7
Gb - - - - - 6
Db - - - - - 5
Ab - - - - - 4
Eb - - - - - 3
Bb - - - - - 2
F - - - - - - 1

Instead, just as the sharps appear in the list in an ascending sequence, so the keys with flats match that. When referencing the circle of fifths, this order requires an anti-clockwise reading from F round to Gb.

image

Key - - - Flats
F - - - - - - 1
Bb - - - - - 2
Eb - - - - - 3
Ab - - - - - 4
Db - - - - - 5
Gb - - - - - 6
Cb - - - - - 7

Do you mean which key has 3 flats in the key signature? Flats appear in the order of fourths:

0 flats: C major
1 flat: F major
2 flats: Bb major
3 flats, etc.: continue the pattern

1 Like

Great video as always. But this time Iā€™m missing some bits and pieces. The video is very focused on the exercise. I would love to see an introduction to

  • what is a scale, where does it come from
  • why is a major scale like it is
  • where doess the major scale formular come from
  • are scales the same everywhere in the world or are they different in other cultural environments (e.g. asia)

Some of the aspects are covered in the text but I would love to hear Justin talk about them before diving into the exercise.

1 Like

For starters:

2 Likes

So nice to learn thisā€¦ I have successfully filled out the the Major scale worksheet. I am very y proud of myself as I did the math in my head!!! Oh, yeahā€¦great practice . However I noticed that the FB, A#, B#, D#, E# and G# are not there. In my mind I am led to believe that this is because they are enharmonic equivalents and are already on the list? I"m 90% sure this is the reason, but figured I should get it clarified just in case.

1 Like

Itā€™s also to avoid double sharps. The Key of A#, B#, C##, D#, E#, F## and G## the key of Bb avoids this by flatting everything Bb C D Eb F G A it the same with the rest that you mentioned.
Flat scales just work better.

Ahhhh, yesā€¦this is true, it would do that. This bit of info Iā€™m sure will come in handy. That may have been mentioned before now that it is said. Thank you! I know that you can find dbl #'s and bā€™s on standard sheet music notation, also commonly known as a score. So Iā€™m sure it will pop up somewhere. It will with the road I wish to take.

Glad I asked the question that would have bothered me till I knew for sure. Heading down a more Blues, keep in touch with rock and roll and becoming a ā€œSuper beginners teacherā€ both long term goals, kinda road and I am sure this will be all relevant to know this well.

If itā€™s not, for heavenā€™s sake, let me know!!!

From what I gather it is. Especially the way I wish to go.

1 Like

Iā€™m wondering, what is the relation between the notes in solfege and the notes in the note circle? Iā€™ve been watching a few lessons from the PMT course but it was not covered in the lessons Iā€™ve watched.

Hello Duarte and welcome to the JustinGuitar Community.

The Note Circle shows all 12 notes in consecutive order and can be read clockwise (the most common way of reading it) or anticlockwise.
Every note is at an interval of one semitone from a note either side of it.

Solfege is Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do and describes the major scale.
The major scale has seven notes, not twelve. The notes are at varying intervals, some a tone and some a semitone. There is a formula for this that you will learn. Once you know the formula, you can use the Note Circle, start from any note whatever and move around it using the appropriate interval jumps to know the notes in the major scale whose root note is your start point.

1 Like