Piano Scales: What is a Scale?

What is a Scale?

A Scale is a collection of pitches that work together in order to achieve some melodic and harmonic purpose…

There are many kinds of melodic and harmonic purposes; there are many types of scales:

1. Each scale type has a unique personality.
2. Each scale type sounds different.
3. Each scale type feels different.

Think of each scale as a distinctive palette of musical sound-colors that work together to create a certain mood or feeling. Never think of a scale as an unbendable or unbreakable rule.

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Each note in a scale has a particular musical function:

1. Some notes establish the key center.
2. Some notes define the tonality (major, minor, mixolydian, dorian, blues, etc.)
3. Some notes create melodic-harmonic tension.
4. Some provide melodic-harmonic release.

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This will all make sense when you study the music theory and ear training for a variety of scale types–major, minor, mixolydian, dorian, and more–by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle.

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learn more… Scales