(MJS) Major Scales Module Overview

Major Scales

04_MajorScales_WordCloud.jpgThe major scale is the most commonly used musical scale and is a building block of music. It is comprised of 7 different note names that occur between one octave. In this module we will learn how to build major scales by patterns of half and whole steps as well as by key signatures. Included in our discussion of major scales, we will study the circle-of-5ths and the chromatic scale.

Essential Questions

  • How do you construct a major scale?
  • How do you construct a chromatic scale?
  • How do key signatures work?
  • What are the proper names given to notes of a major scale?
  • What is the circle-of-5ths?

Key Terms

  1. Chromatic Scale - is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a half step above or below another.
  2. Circle-of-5ths - is a visual representation of the relationships among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys.
  3. Half Step - is the smallest musical interval commonly used in music.
  4. Key Signature - is a set of sharp or flat symbols placed together at the beginning of the musical staff to determine the key.
  5. Major Scale - a scale comprised of 7 different note names that occur between one octave.
  6. Whole Step -is an interval spanning two half steps.

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