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How to Spot Key Signatures and Explore Cool Music Scales

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How to Spot Key Signatures and Explore Cool Music Scales

A comprehensive guide to understanding diatonic and chromatic scales and pitch collections in music theory, focusing on scale patterns, key signatures, and musical terminology.

  • The guide explains the fundamental concepts of pitch collections, including diatonic and chromatic scales
  • Detailed breakdown of major scale pattern construction using whole and half steps
  • Comprehensive explanation of key signatures, their identification, and relationship to scales
  • Introduction to scale degrees and their specific names and functions
  • Special focus on pentachord and tetrachord formations within scales

1/21/2023

68

Pitch Collections Scales Maja Keus
Chromatic - ("chroma" - greek, color) pitches outside
of the diatonic
Diatonic-the collection of seven (m

View

Page 2: Circle of Fifths and Scale Degrees

This page details the circle of fifths and its relationship to key signatures, providing a systematic approach to understanding key relationships and scale degree names.

Definition: The circle of fifths is a clockwise progression counting up five notes, while moving counterclockwise counts down four notes.

Example: To identify keys with sharps, look one note above the last sharp. For flats, the second-to-last flat indicates the key.

Highlight: Key identification involves checking both the key signature and locating the tonic note at the beginning and end of the piece.

Vocabulary: Scale degrees include tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone.

Pitch Collections Scales Maja Keus
Chromatic - ("chroma" - greek, color) pitches outside
of the diatonic
Diatonic-the collection of seven (m

View

Page 3: Scale Degrees and Special Scale Forms

This page explores the meaning and function of scale degrees, along with special scale forms including pentatonic scales and tetrachords.

Definition: The major pentatonic scale omits the leading tone, using only do, re, mi, sol, and la.

Example: The major pentachord uses only the first five notes of the scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol).

Highlight: A major scale consists of two major tetrachords [1-4] and [6-8].

Vocabulary: The leading tone is called a "tendency tone" because it leads upward towards the tonic.

Quote: "The dominant 'dominates' tonal music."

Pitch Collections Scales Maja Keus
Chromatic - ("chroma" - greek, color) pitches outside
of the diatonic
Diatonic-the collection of seven (m

View

Page 1: Fundamental Concepts and Key Signatures

This page introduces essential concepts in how to identify key signature in music theory and scale construction. The relationship between diatonic and chromatic elements is explained, along with key signature fundamentals.

Vocabulary: Chromatic comes from the Greek word "chroma" meaning color, referring to pitches outside the diatonic scale.

Definition: A pitch collection is an unordered list of unique pitches without duplicates.

Example: The major scale follows a specific pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H): W W H W W W H.

Highlight: The order of sharps (FCGDAEB) and flats (BEADGCF) is crucial for understanding key signatures.

Quote: "Use solfege when able - it helps!"

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Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

Knowunity was a featured story by Apple and has consistently topped the app store charts within the education category in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Join Knowunity today and help millions of students around the world.

Ranked #1 Education App

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Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

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Students use Knowunity

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In Education App Charts in 12 Countries

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I love this app so much [...] I recommend Knowunity to everyone!!! I went from a C to an A with it :D

Stefan S, iOS User

The application is very simple and well designed. So far I have found what I was looking for :D

SuSSan, iOS User

Love this App ❤️, I use it basically all the time whenever I'm studying

How to Spot Key Signatures and Explore Cool Music Scales

A comprehensive guide to understanding diatonic and chromatic scales and pitch collections in music theory, focusing on scale patterns, key signatures, and musical terminology.

  • The guide explains the fundamental concepts of pitch collections, including diatonic and chromatic scales
  • Detailed breakdown of major scale pattern construction using whole and half steps
  • Comprehensive explanation of key signatures, their identification, and relationship to scales
  • Introduction to scale degrees and their specific names and functions
  • Special focus on pentachord and tetrachord formations within scales

1/21/2023

68

 

AP Music Theory

2

Pitch Collections Scales Maja Keus
Chromatic - ("chroma" - greek, color) pitches outside
of the diatonic
Diatonic-the collection of seven (m

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Access to all documents

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Join milions of students

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Page 2: Circle of Fifths and Scale Degrees

This page details the circle of fifths and its relationship to key signatures, providing a systematic approach to understanding key relationships and scale degree names.

Definition: The circle of fifths is a clockwise progression counting up five notes, while moving counterclockwise counts down four notes.

Example: To identify keys with sharps, look one note above the last sharp. For flats, the second-to-last flat indicates the key.

Highlight: Key identification involves checking both the key signature and locating the tonic note at the beginning and end of the piece.

Vocabulary: Scale degrees include tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone.

Pitch Collections Scales Maja Keus
Chromatic - ("chroma" - greek, color) pitches outside
of the diatonic
Diatonic-the collection of seven (m

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Page 3: Scale Degrees and Special Scale Forms

This page explores the meaning and function of scale degrees, along with special scale forms including pentatonic scales and tetrachords.

Definition: The major pentatonic scale omits the leading tone, using only do, re, mi, sol, and la.

Example: The major pentachord uses only the first five notes of the scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol).

Highlight: A major scale consists of two major tetrachords [1-4] and [6-8].

Vocabulary: The leading tone is called a "tendency tone" because it leads upward towards the tonic.

Quote: "The dominant 'dominates' tonal music."

Pitch Collections Scales Maja Keus
Chromatic - ("chroma" - greek, color) pitches outside
of the diatonic
Diatonic-the collection of seven (m

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Page 1: Fundamental Concepts and Key Signatures

This page introduces essential concepts in how to identify key signature in music theory and scale construction. The relationship between diatonic and chromatic elements is explained, along with key signature fundamentals.

Vocabulary: Chromatic comes from the Greek word "chroma" meaning color, referring to pitches outside the diatonic scale.

Definition: A pitch collection is an unordered list of unique pitches without duplicates.

Example: The major scale follows a specific pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H): W W H W W W H.

Highlight: The order of sharps (FCGDAEB) and flats (BEADGCF) is crucial for understanding key signatures.

Quote: "Use solfege when able - it helps!"

Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

Knowunity was a featured story by Apple and has consistently topped the app store charts within the education category in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Join Knowunity today and help millions of students around the world.

Ranked #1 Education App

Download in

Google Play

Download in

App Store

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

4.9+

Average App Rating

15 M

Students use Knowunity

#1

In Education App Charts in 12 Countries

950 K+

Students uploaded study notes

Still not sure? Look at what your fellow peers are saying...

iOS User

I love this app so much [...] I recommend Knowunity to everyone!!! I went from a C to an A with it :D

Stefan S, iOS User

The application is very simple and well designed. So far I have found what I was looking for :D

SuSSan, iOS User

Love this App ❤️, I use it basically all the time whenever I'm studying