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Scales and Key Signatures
This category is about major, minor and other musical scales, and keys and key signatures in musical notation. All questions should relate to forms and construction of scales, and key signatures within these forms.
2,369 Questions
What is the difference of a melodic scale and a harmonic scale?
The difference between a melodic minor scale and a harmonic minor scale is that in a melodic minor scale, the sixth and seventh scale degrees are raised on the way up, and on the way down they are the same as they would be in natural minor. In a harmonic minor scale, only the seventh scale degree is raised and stays the same on the way down.
What is the leading note in the key of d?
The leading tone in the key of D, whether major or minor, is C#.
it depends on what form of C# minor you are using. There are three forms (natural,harmonic,and melodic) of minor scales. Here are the notes for each:
Natural minor (no changes): C# D# E F# G# A B C#
Harmonic minor (raised 7th): C# D# E F# G# A B# C#
Melodic minor (raised 6th and 7th going up,then they go back to normal descending)
ascending: C# D# E F# G# A# B# C#
descending: C# D# E F# G# A B C#
No. Homonyms are words that sound the same, like pair and pear. Flat is a homograph; it's spelled the same but has different meanings.
What is the subdominant of the C sharp major scale?
The subdominate refers to the fourth note of the scale ( assuming it is a diatonic scale). In this case the subdominate of the C sharp major scale would be F#.
What are the 3 notes in a D minor key signature?
There is not three notes in any scale or key, if you are asking about the accidentals, there is one flat (Bb) in the key signature plus an additional C sharp for the harmonic minor scale.
The key with 7 sharps is B major. In this key, the notes are B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, and A#. The relative minor of B major is G# minor, which also contains 7 sharps.
What is the interval from the tonic to the 3rd of a major scale is?
The interval from the tonic note to the third note of a major scale is a major third.
What is the genre of organ fuge in G Minor?
This composition is in fugue form. It has a principal theme called 'subject' which recurs in multiple voices. It is composed according to the element of counterpoint.
How is the ascending form of the melodic minor scale different from the descending form?
When ascending, the melodic minor scale has a raised 6th and 7th scale degree, but those two notes are lowered when descending.
How do you figure out the key signatures for FLATS?
The tip on finding the key signature for flats in major keys is by counting up 4 notes from the tonic note, that is the last flat, then count back down 4 scale notes, and that is the key.
BTW - this tip doesn't work for the minor keys with flats.
When a songs melody begins in the key of C major it should end in the key of?
The answer to this question is not always simple, however if you want a definite answer, look at the tips below:
If you wanted to end on a perfect cadence, you should modulate to a G major chord and then move down to the tonic chord (C major).
If you wanted to end on a plagal cadence, you would modulate up a fourth to a F major chord and then resolve on a C major chord.
If you wanted to end on am imperfect cadence you simply modulate to the dominant chord (in this case G major) and end there.
Finally, if you wanted to end on an interrupted cadence you modulate from the tonic chord (C major) to the relative minor, an A minor chord.
So in most cases a song which began in C major should end in the tonic key (C major), however a song in C major can end in G major (an imperfect cadence) or in A minor (an interrupted cadence).
Hope this helps.
A minor (no sharps/flats)
The flat keys with the note D as a natural are:
D minor
G minor
C minor
F minor (melodic minor, but not included in the key signature), as is is Db.
The sharp keys with D as a natural are:
E minor
B minor (relative minor to B major)
F sharp minor
