Musical scale

A scale or scale in music, a number of the pitch after parent tones, which is limited by the context tones, beyond which the tone row is repeatable in general.

In most cases, a scale has the range of an octave and follows in many cases a heptatonic Tonskalenaufbau. As a scale is built, is set in the sound system.

The most common European and non-European scales are based on five or seven tones within the octave, which are called tone levels. Are widely used in major and minor diatonic scales or the church leaders. Scales are defined by pitch intervals. The notes contained in the actual scale is called the head of its own.

In non-European music such as classical Arabic or Indian music there sound systems and scales that divide the tonal space differently. So there are scales that contain more than seven pitches fixed, such as Mugam, maqam or raga.

Example

As an example, one of today's most commonly used scales in Central Europe: the major scale. It consists of tones at a distance:

One can begin a so- defined scale on any note. By specifying a concrete Anfangstons ( root note ) turns into a key as C major, D major, etc.

C major: C -D-E -F -G -A- B -C

D major: D-E - F #- G -A- B -C -D

The diatonic tones of C major are also called master tones and correspond to the white keys on a keyboard.

On a keyboard are the black keys "increased " or " decreased " diatonic tones assigned. In German-speaking countries, they are increasing Cis, Dis, F #, G # and Ais called and humiliated Des, There, Gifts, As and B. In other cultural areas are referred to the sounds with different name. Today, in most cases on keyboard instruments, the equal temperament is used, thus the half-tones can be exchanged enharmonically. That is, on a keyboard, there is only one button for C sharp and D, for Dis and etc. It thus corresponds to each of the twelve possible tones within a certain octave a certain frequency.

Examples of scales

  • The scales of the pentatonic ( five tones)
  • The whole-tone scale ( Hexatonik, six tones)
  • The scales of heptatonic ( seven notes ): The major scale
  • The various minor scales (pure or natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor)
  • The church scales ( Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian etc. )
  • The Phrygian dominant scale
  • The gypsy scales
  • The Harmonic Major Scale
  • The Mi- Sheberach scale
  • The altered scale
  • The enigmatic manager
  • The early Greek Aulos modes
  • The ragas of Indian music
  • The scale of the Persian Dastgah system
  • The twelve Lu of Chinese music
  • Slendro and Pelog the gamelan at the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali
  • The blues scale (see also Blue Notes )
  • The Shepard - scale
  • Japanese scales

Pictorial representation of scales

There are various pictorial representations, which - depending on what is to be illustrated - are more or less well suited to illustrate particular contexts. In many cases, the representations to the handle patterns or tablature of instruments lean on. A few representations have been introduced by well known music theorists in their works, in order to clarify certain theories. Representations, which are all aspects of justice, there is not.

The harmonious and pure tone lattice

After Leonhard Euler, published in " Novi Commentarii Academiae scientiarum Petropolitanae ".

It not only makes the tonal relationships of the harmonic just intonation from ( the sounds a, e and h sounded as a syntonic comma lower than in the Pythagorean fifths-chain ), but also very clearly the chord stock of any major or minor scale, which is particularly at harmoniously and melodic minor is very useful. In fact, our common major and minor scales are thought exactly as in an octave gebrachtem Tonvorrat the main harmonies ( here: F major (left), C major (middle), G major (right), ... In addition to harmonies just next to each see: Carl Dahlhaus "Investigations on the origin of harmonic tonality " In addition, with this tone lattice itself can be functionally harmonious relationships represent understandable; see: Renate Imig " systems of the function name in the theories of harmony since Hugo Riemann "

Representation in temperate Halbtonzirkel

The internal symmetry ( here as- d) is immediately apparent, which is particularly helpful in a representation of the modes of limited transposition possibilities. This graphic can be extended also to the presentation of twelve-tone rows or chords. However, this is bound to this version to a root. You can just leave out the tone letters, as long as you can tell where the scale begins and where it ends. This presentation requires the equal temperament, which of course is not historically correct in Kirchenmodi. But one could also instead of Halbtonzirkels the bottom spiral or similar. to use. It looks as if tones would be skipped and there is no distinction between diatonic and chromatic semitone, which is in any representation, based on the tempered scale.

Key assignments as a template

The following graphs represent different scales according to the less used keys occupancy of 6 -plus -6- instruments figuratively dar.

The adjacent diagram shows a chromatic scale. The bottom box represents the root represents the box above are the notes of the scale, named after their interval to the root. The "ladder" is therefore to read a zigzag pattern. The top box represents the same note as the root note, only an octave higher.

The scheme allows the recall of patterns. The patterns are distance pattern, it can be half steps, whole steps and half steps three easily recognizable.

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