When it comes to the world of music, scales are a group of musical notes that are collected in both ascending and descending order, and they are responsible for providing material for musical work, including a combination of both harmony and melody that can be converted into instrumental play. Scales are ordered based on either pitch or pitch class, and their ordering is designed to provide a measure specifically of musical distance. When you have a distance that is between two different successive notes in a single scale, what you have is known as a scale step.

Typically, scales are listed from the lowest to the highest. Scales are octave-repeating when their patterns of notes are the same from one octave to the next. Octave repeating scales are capable of being represented as circular arrangements of pitch classes that are ordered by either increasing or by decreasing pitch class. For example, the increasing scale in C major is C D E F G A B C, but the last C is a full octave higher than the original note. A decreasing scale in C major would appear as C B A G F E D C, but the second C, again, would be an entire octave lower than the original note in the scale.

A single scale is capable of being manifested in a wide variety of different pitch levels. As an example, a scale in C major is capable of being started at middle C or C4, an ascending up an octave to C5, or it can begin at C6 and then ascend an entire octave up to C7.

Scales are capable of being described according to whatever intervals are contained within them, such as with diatonic scales, chromatic scales and whole tone scales. They are based on the number of different pitch classes that are contained within them, in the case of pentatonic scales, hexatonic scales or heptatonic scales, which are five pitch class, six pitch class and seven pitch class containing scales respectively. In prehistoric forms of music you will find ditonic, tritonic and tetratonic scales, which are two pitch class, three pitch class and four pitch class containing scales respectively. In jazz music and modern classical music you will find octatonic scales, which contain eight pitch classes.

Scales are capable of being abstracted from composition or from performance. They are also commonly used in a precompositional manner in order to guide or to limit a particular composition. The explicit instruction in these scales has long been a part of compositional training for several centuries now. One or more scales is capable of being used in a single composition.

Photo Credits: Brian Finifter

Originally posted 2009-09-16 12:16:12. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Brief History of the Accordian The accordion is a potable acoustical musical instrument that is box shaped, and is derived from the hand held bellows-driven family of free-reed aerophone instruments. The accordion is sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays this particular instrument is known as an accordionist. The accordion is played......
• Introduction to the Bodhrán and Bouzouki Instruments There are musical instruments that you hear a lot about, and then there are many that do not find their way into the limelight much at all. The Bodhrán and Bouzouki instruments are examples of unique musical instruments that are still being played but that do not get a lot......
• Chords 101 pt 3 Scale Degree Chords are also capable of being distinguished as well as notated based on the scale degree for their root note or their bass note. For example, since the C major scale's first scale degree is the C note, a triad that is built on top of this note......
• Musician Profile for Maria Kliegel Maria Kliegel is one of the leading cello virtuosos of all time, with an international career that began in 1981 in Paris. She is the best selling cellist in the entire world, and has a variety of recordings which have been welcomed by the public with great enthusiasm. Her many......
• Learning to Play the Violin pt 2 This is a guide to playing the violin, and is a continuation from part one, which touched on the first five steps in the process. For more information about learning how to play the violin well, keep reading! * Keep in mind that more pressure is going to create a......

Related Websites

• 3 Things to Know about Buying the Right Silver Dollar Coin One of the most sought after coins which collectors are looking for these days is the Morgan silver dollar coin. This is a highly collectible coin for a few different reasons. One of the biggest reasons why it is so valuable is because of the fact that it is made......
• French Open Finishes with Nadal On Top This year’s battle at Roland Garros was truly one for the history books. There was a lot of speculation going into the final days as to exactly who would be able to even be in the finals, let alone who would win the championship trophy. The three big names that......
• Musical Instruments: Drums for Sale The unique thing about drums when it comes to making music is that there are so many different elements that change the sound you create when you play them. The size, shape and composition of the drum will all alter the sound that it creates. Whether you beat on the......
• Ancient and Modern Drums Drums can be traced back to 6000 BC and have been used in almost every culture throughout history for a variety of purposes. Is it any wonder that the drums have such an appeal today? They've been used as a form of communication, a call to arms, and as important......
• Introduction to the IRA The IRA is an Individual Retirement Account that was originally created by the United States Congress as a means of providing retirement savings with tax advantages to workers that were not already being covered under an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Unlike the standard 401(k) plan, the purpose of an IRA is......

Online Stores

• Movies, TV Sheet Music Sheet Music & Song Books
• Salter Scales Bath Home Store
• C-Class Mercedes-Benz Hybrid Vehicles
• Sheet Music Baritone & Tuba Brass Acoustic Musical Instruments
• Gold Certificates Small Size Notes Paper Money: US Coins & Paper Money

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, music, scales

Tags:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, c major, c4, c6, chromatic scales, circular arrangements, diatonic scales, harmony and melody, intervals, middle c, music scales, pentatonic scales, pitch class, pitch classes, pitch levels, tone scales, whole tone, world of music