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Basic Theory Page 2

More on Scales

Before we move more into scales, for those of you looking for information on pentatonic scales, there a little something here for you: Pentatonic Scales. I'll be adding more in this section later on them.

The Circle of 5th's-There is a unique pattern that we find when we start with the 'C' major scale and then build scales using the 5th note of the present scale. The circle of 5th's is a cool pattern that will help you choose whether your scale is best using flats or sharps. It works like this:

C major scale: C D E F G A B C
Now let's take the 5th note (G) and build our major scale using our formula (w - w - h - w - w - w - h)
We get the following

G A B C D E F# G

You see that this scale has 1 sharp (F#)

Let's take the next 5th (D) and build our scale:

D E F# G A B C# D
This scale has 2 sharps (F#, C#)

Continuing on we get the following patterns:

A B C# D E F# G# A

E F# G# A B C# D# E

B C# D# E F# G# A# B

We are now up to 5 sharps, let's see what happens next:

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# - You're saying, "There's no such note as E#, E is followed by F..." Well you're right but we can only have one of each note in our scale, so F becomes E#. We also know that F# is also the same note as Gb. Let's try this scale with flats instead of sharps.

Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb - 6 flats

Back to our circle of 5th's, we were at C#:

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#- As we've seen, each new scale contains one more sharp than the scale before it. But this scale is ALL sharps! If we can't have more than one of each note in a scale then the next scale is going to have a double sharp. Try it.

G# A# B# C# D# E# F## G#

What about using Ab for our root instead of G#?

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

Let's continue using flats

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Bb C D Eb F G A

F G A Bb C D E F

C D E F G A B C

And we're are right back to C. So once we get to C# or Db we can continue easier by using flats instead of sharps. If we start on C and use the 4th in our circle instead of the 5th we get each new scale with one more flat than the one before until we arrive at Db

Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

Our next scale is:
Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb

And then...
Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb- and we have all flats. Since Cb doesn't make much sense to us we should start this scale with the B instead and use sharps. These double sharps and flats are the reason that we have flats and sharps, so we can name scales as easy as possible. As you play you will naturally lean towards the easier scales to use, (B instead of Cb for example) so don't get to caught up with learning them all now, just pay attention as you progress in your playing and take notice of this phenomena.

Homework- Here's your home work assignment: Draw two blank circles like the one pictured below. On the first one, starting at the C, replace each asterisk with the next scale using the 5th of the scale before it. Do this in a clockwise direction. Write down beside it how many sharps are in that scale. Ex.- G (1#)
Take the other circle and going counter-clockwise do the same thing using 4ths and flats. When you are finished, check your accuracy, and then compare the two circles. It will help you if you use the notes on your guitar to find each scale

Next

Theory page 1
Theory page 3 - Diatonic Triads