half diminished
Senior Member
- 1,261
I'm probably going to embarrass myself here as most, if not all of you will know this and say doh! And/or by making a mistake!
But in my defense I have been playing for less than 18 months and never read music before.
So my tips are...................
1. Learn your 12 major scales well. Flatten the 7th and you now know all dom7 scales. Now flatten the 3rd and you have all your dorian minor scales.
2. Looking at Pete's 'Cycle of fifths' wheel, moving anti-clockwise you can see the II-V7-I progression clearly.
For example in the scale of Bb major: II (C-) V7 (F7) I (Bb) - all these share the same notes and there are the same two flats (Bb and Eb) in all three.
Another - Ab major - II (Bb-) V7 (Eb7) I (Ab) again same 4 flats all three.
If you know your 'Cycle' you can easily spot II-V7-Is and you'll know how many flats/sharps.
3. Each major scale has one note/letter ABCDEFG and you should think in those terms and not mix flats and sharps like I did. :ashamed
Don't think C#major (Db major) is: C# Eb F F# G# Bb C
Think Db major = Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C
or C# major = C# D# E# F# G# A# C
4. On the same theme, when in a scale/key - think in that key. Don't think G# when playing Db major think Ab. I know, I know, I'm really embarrassed to admit this.
5. How to work out a key signature? If no flats or sharps it's C major
If there are sharps, the key is the note immediately above the last sharp so if there is just F# then it must be in G major. If the last sharp is G# then it must be in A major.
As for flats, remember F has just 1 flat (Bb) - thereafter, the key signature is the previous flat to the last flat. So 2 flats (Bb & Eb) - the key is Bb. With 4 flats ( Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) the key must be Ab major.
Hope this is helpful and correct
But in my defense I have been playing for less than 18 months and never read music before.
So my tips are...................
1. Learn your 12 major scales well. Flatten the 7th and you now know all dom7 scales. Now flatten the 3rd and you have all your dorian minor scales.
2. Looking at Pete's 'Cycle of fifths' wheel, moving anti-clockwise you can see the II-V7-I progression clearly.
For example in the scale of Bb major: II (C-) V7 (F7) I (Bb) - all these share the same notes and there are the same two flats (Bb and Eb) in all three.
Another - Ab major - II (Bb-) V7 (Eb7) I (Ab) again same 4 flats all three.
If you know your 'Cycle' you can easily spot II-V7-Is and you'll know how many flats/sharps.
3. Each major scale has one note/letter ABCDEFG and you should think in those terms and not mix flats and sharps like I did. :ashamed
Don't think C#major (Db major) is: C# Eb F F# G# Bb C
Think Db major = Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C
or C# major = C# D# E# F# G# A# C
4. On the same theme, when in a scale/key - think in that key. Don't think G# when playing Db major think Ab. I know, I know, I'm really embarrassed to admit this.
5. How to work out a key signature? If no flats or sharps it's C major
If there are sharps, the key is the note immediately above the last sharp so if there is just F# then it must be in G major. If the last sharp is G# then it must be in A major.
As for flats, remember F has just 1 flat (Bb) - thereafter, the key signature is the previous flat to the last flat. So 2 flats (Bb & Eb) - the key is Bb. With 4 flats ( Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) the key must be Ab major.
Hope this is helpful and correct