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chromatic scale

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(@deanobeano)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 127
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I am i right in think that the chromatic scale showa all the posible notes that cabn be played on the guitar ? I think i'm right but just need to make sure, thanx[/img]


   
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 Mike
(@mike)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 2892
 

Yes, A - A# - B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G#


   
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(@jonnyt)
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Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 336
 

Now learn the Circle of Fifths along with the order of sharps and flats, and you can build chords and learn what notes are in each key.

E doesn't = MC2, E = Fb

Music "Theory"? "It's not just a theory, it's the way it is!"

Jonny T.


   
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(@deanobeano)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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What is the Circle of Fifths and what do u mean by the order of sharps and flats ?


   
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(@greybeard)
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Joined: 21 years ago
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Every scale is made up of to 4-note blocks called tetrachords. Count up and you'll see that the first position of the second tetrachord is the 5th position in the entire scale (which is where the circle of fifths comes from. The interesting thing about the tetrachords, is, that the second tetrachord of one scale is the same as the first tetrachord of the next scale in the circle of fifths. The other oddity, is that this sequence also counts up the number of sharps or flats in a scale, from 0 to 7.

First of all, you might want to go to this link as a reference
http://people.freenet.de/greybeard/CycleOfFifths.htm

So, we know (from both the diagram and experience) that the key of C contains no sharps or flats. OK, let's look at the key of C - C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Splitting that into the two halves (tetrachords), we get C, D, E, F and G, A, B, C. G is the 5th of C.
Right, let's look at the key starting with G - G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G. The 1st 4 notes (first tetrachord) are the same as the last 4 notes (second tetrachord) of the key of C. We also see that the key of G has 1 sharp in it, whereas C had none.
We'll now look at the second tetrachord of G - D, E, F#, G and use this as the start of our next key (D) - D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D. Notice that we've now got 2 sharps?
Follow the diagram, to see all the keys.
This diagram can be used for various things, such as determining the key of a tune, from sheet music. If the time signature shows 4 sharps (quick peek at my diagram), we know the key is "E". From this, I can also work out a simple I, IV, V chord progression - by going clockwise one position (e.g. from C to G), you get the root (I - "C") and the 5th - "G".
An interesting fact about keys, is that, any one note, looked at from the root, going upwards or root going downwards will always add up to 9. An example is, well,.... the root. It's position is always 1 and the position of the next root is at position 8. 1 + 8 = 9. Same with the next position (2). Counting downwards, you go 7 positions - 7 + 2 = 9. OK, so where am I going with this? By going up 5, I'm also going down 4 (5 + 4 = 9), so by going ANTI-clockwise (clockwise goes UP a 5th, remember), I'm going down a 4th.
The net result is that I can pick a root, go 1 position, on the circle of fifths, clockwise and get the 5th of that key and go one position anti-clockwise and get the 4th (giving a I, IV, V chord progression). An example is "C". Go clockwise 1 position and you get "G" - the 5th of C. Go one position anti-clockwise and you get F, the 4th of C.

Sorry if this seems complicated and long - use the diagram and it will be a lot easier.

I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN


   
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