Chapter 2 - Scales, Tonality, Key, Modes

Question 1

Scale

Answer 1

Collection of pitches in ascending and descending order.

Question 2

Pitch Class

Answer 2

Contains all notes of the same name regardless of octave. .

Question 3

Diatonic Scales

Answer 3

Scales of mixed half and whole steps (occasionally a step and a half) in which each individual tone plays a role. Tonic is most stable- pieces usually end on tonic

Question 4

Tonic

Answer 4

1st

Tonal center- Final resolution tone.

Question 5

What are the scale degrees in order?

Answer 5

Tonic

Supertonic

Mediant

Subdominant

Dominant

Submediant

Leading Tone (1/2 step) or Subtonic (1 whole step)..

Question 6

1st Scale Degree

Answer 6

Tonic

Question 7

2nd Scale Degree

Answer 7

Supertonic

Question 8

3rd Scale Degree

Answer 8

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Question 9

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Answer 9

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Question 10

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Answer 10

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Question 11

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Answer 11

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Question 12

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Answer 12

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Question 13

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Answer 13

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Question 14

How is a major scale composed?

Answer 14

WWHWWWH

Two tetrachords (groups of four pitches) constructed with the same arrangement of intervals- 2 WW and then 1 H. Tetrachords separated by 1 W.

Question 15

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Answer 15

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Question 16

What is transposition?

Answer 16

Same major scale pattern of half and whole stepes can be duplicated at any pitch- doing so is transposing the piece.

Question 17

What is a key signature?

Answer 17

The arrangement of the necessary sharps or flats. Appears at the beginning of each staff in a composition after the clef.

Question 18

What is the natural minor scale?

Answer 18

WHWWHWW

1 whole step followed by HWW twice.

Question 19

What is a harmonic minor scale?

Answer 19

WHWWH3/2H

Question 20

What is a melodic minor scale?

Answer 20

Ascending: WHWWWWH

Descending: WWHWWHW

Question 21

How do you find the relative minor of a major key?

Answer 21

Go to the sixth degree (La).

Question 22

How do you find the relative major of a minor key?

Answer 22

Proceed to the 3rd note of the scale (Mi).

Question 23

What is the circle of fiths?

Answer 23

It is a way to visualize the relationship between the major scales and their relative minors.

Question 24

What is a parallel relationship?

Answer 24

A major and a minor scale that begin on the same tonic note.

Question 25

What is tonality?

Answer 25

An organized system of tones in which one tone (the tonic) becomes the central point to which the remaining tones are related. In tonality, the tonic (tonal center) is the tone of complete relaxation.

Question 26

What does the word key refer to in music?

Answer 26

The tonal system based on the major and minor scales. Most common tonal system.

Question 27

What is a penatonic scale?

Answer 27

A 5-tone scale. Example of a gapped scale- one that contains intervals of >1 step between adjacent pitches.

Question 28

What is a nondiatonic scale?

Answer 28

A scale that doesn’t observe the interval sequence of the diatonic or pentatonic scales.

Question 29

What is a chromatic scale?

Answer 29

A nondiatonic scale consisting entirely of half-step intervals.

Question 30

What is a whole-tone scale?

Answer 30

A six-tone scale made up entirely of whole steps between adjacent scale degrees.

Question 31

What is the blues scale?

Answer 31

A chromatic variant of the major scale with flat 3rd and flat 7th. These notes, alternating with the normal third and seventh scale degrees, create the blues inflection.

Question 32

.What is the octatonic scale?

Answer 32

An 8-note scale composed of alternating whole steps and half steps. Jazz musicians refer to it as diminished because the chords resulting from this scale’s pitches are diminished.

Question 33

What is a mode?

Answer 33

A series of pitches within the octave that make up the basic material of a composition.

Question 34

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Answer 34

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Question 35

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Answer 35

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Question 36

What is the order of the six authentic modes?

Answer 36

Dorian (D)

Phyrigian (E)

Lydian (F)

Mixolydian (G)

Aeolian/Hypoaeolian (A)

Ionian/Hypoionian (C)