Archive - October, 2014

Symmetrical Scales – Geometry in Music

October 24, 2014 in Arranging, Composition, General Music, Improvisation, Music Theory, Piano/Keyboard with 0 Comments

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In the previous article, we examined seven-note scales, arguably the most “familiar” sounds in tonal music. Since 7 doesn’t divide evenly into 12, these scales can’t be symmetrical, meaning they don’t repeat an interval sequence. (except at the octave, of course) Today, we will examine scales that are formed using interval patterns, with numbers of tones other than 7.  Continue Reading…

How Many Scales Are There, Really?

October 17, 2014 in Arranging, Composition, General Music, Improvisation, Music Theory, Piano/Keyboard with 5 Comments

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One thing my students often ask about is “scales” and which ones to learn. In an effort to clarify this, here are some permutational ways to look at this question. Keep in mind, I’m not really talking about which ones are most useful, or how to practice and apply them. What we will do here is do a little surveying, to see what’s out there. First, let’s establish some boundaries:

Continue Reading…