Music Theory 101: Seconds and Scales
Today we’ll learn about the basic structure of a musical scale.
What is a scale? A scale is a series of of notes within an octave. An octave is the range of sound between a pitch (e.g. 200 Hz) and double it’s frequency (i.e., 400Hz). So if you pick out a few pitches between 200 and 400 Hz, you have a scale.
The basic structure of scales in western music is as follows:
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Each Syllable represents a different pitch on the scale, and the difference between each syllable is called a second.
A major second is an interval that measures 9/8 of the previous note’s pitch. So if “Do” were 200Hz, “Re” would be 200 * 9/8 Hz ( = 225 Hz).
With me so far? Good. We just explained an interval called major second, which can also be referred to as a whole tone.
Now comes the minor second, which is 16/15 of it’s previous note.
Now we have two building blocks: major and minor seconds. On a piano, moving from a white key to a black key next to it is a minor second. On the guitar, moving one fret is a minor second.
Two minor seconds give you a major second. The scale I show you above is built of these seconds.
Do Re Mi-Fa So La Ti-Do
Note that I have added dashes to Mi-Fa and Ti-Do. These are the only two minor second steps in the scale.
Digest all this and study it, it is the very basic stuff music is made up of. Mastering this will ensure your mastery of music one day, and if you have questions, ask away!
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