This scale is a melodic sequence of 7 notes constructed using the following set of intervals:
Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half
Or
Root - Major 2nd - Major 3rd - Perfect 4th - Perfect 5th - Major 6th - Major 7th
Or
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
It is pretty common for students to know this scale, but over the years I have noticed that they don't always have a good idea of the possibilities of this scale.
Thing is, as far as musical possibilities are concerned, it requires a longer and more interactive session (book online lessons with me: contact@subharaj.com).
However, the theoretical possibilities can of course be written out in a simpler format.
And that is what I plan on talking about in this blog.
What To Look Into?
There are 4 basic to intermediate methods of exploring a scale which every student must know.
Let's list them:
Intervallic Playing
By intervallic playing, we mean playing the scale in either diatonic 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, or 7ths.
We will use the standard syllables in western music (Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do) for reference.
To play the scale in 3rds, instead of playing Do Re Mi Fa, we play Do Mi Re Fa.
Here's what it looks like:
Do Mi Re Fa Mi Sol Fa La Sol Ti La Do Ti Re Do
As you can see in the above example, we are ascending the scale, skipping a note and proceeding to play the next one.
We will refer to these notes as 'scale tones'.
Please note that, these are all ascending patterns. I would like you to try and figure out the descending patterns by yourself.
When you try something by yourself, be it in class or not, you learn and remember these ideas better.
Anyway, in case of diatonic 4ths, we follow the same idea but skip 2 scale tones instead.
Let's look at that:
Do Fa Re Sol Mi La Fa Ti Sol Do La Re Ti Mi Do
In case of 5ths we skip 3 scale tones:
Do Sol Re La Mi Ti Fa Do Sol Re La Mi Ti Fa Do
In case of 6ths, we skip 4 scale tones:
Do La Re Ti Mi Do Fa Re Sol Mi La Fa Ti Sol Do
And finally, in case of 7ths, we skip 5 scale tones:
Do Ti Re Do Mi Re Fa Mi Sol Fa La Sol Ti La Do
As you can hear, they all create a different set of sounds and possibilities.
For further study, try mixing these different intervallic ideas to create a musical idea/piece of sort.
The best way to internalise something is to create something with it.
Diatonic Triads
The next thing to look into is diatonic triads.
In simple words, you build a triad starting from each degree of the scale by skipping 1 scale tone.
When we apply this idea on any Ionian scale, we get the following set of diatonic triads:
I Major - ii minor - iii minor - IV Major - V Major - vi minor - vii diminished
Please make sure to also play these chord tones as single note lines, which we refer to as arpeggios.
Diatonic 7th Chords
Building on the triads, when we add another 3rd to them, we get a stack of 4 notes. We call them 7th chords.
When we apply this idea on any Ionian scale, we get the following set of chords:
I Major 7th - ii minor 7th - iii minor 7th - IV Major 7th - V Dominant 7th - vi minor 7th - vii minor 7th b5
Again, please make sure to also play these chord tones as single note lines, which we refer to as arpeggios.
Some Chord Progressions
For internalising any scale, it is crucial to know some chord progressions or harmonic movements based on the scale.
This helps in ear training and absorbing the 'sound' of the scale.
We will use Roman numerals for identifying the degrees.
Be sure to apply the triads, 7th chords and arpeggios to them for exploration.
Let's look at such progressions based out of the Ionian scale:
V - I
ii - V
ii - V - I
I - IV
IV - V
Want To Learn Music?
If you wish to learn the art of music and express yourself your way, email me: contact@subharaj.com for pricing and details!
*Open to students from all over the world and all age groups.
Here are some of the things I talk about in class:
Music fundamentals and theory
Ear-training
Composition
Improvisation
The guitar as a solo instrument
Musical, compositional, and improvisational philosophies
Artistry
Expression
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