including on post

    –Definition Of Half & Whole Notes
    What is an Interval formula
    Interval formation for some Scale we use
    Defintion of a diatonic scale

Definition of Half & Whole Notes

A half step/note is the movement of note to the closest note e.g C-Db
it is the smallest interval in traditional western music.it is also the “one-half of whole note…. The octave consists of twelve
semitones and the diatonic scale includes two
semitones.”(The natural minor scale and the major scale are diatonic minor)
Let’s make an experiment
piano

  • Look at the diagram above and notice how the
    sharps and flats are laid out. A sharp is defined
    as the note that is one half step higher then
    the note you are starting on. A half step on the
    piano is the very next key. So, C# is the very
    next key to the right after the C and it happens
    to be a black key.
  • Logically enough, flats are defined as the note
    that is one half step lower than the note you
    are starting on. So, Db is the next key to the
    left of D.

  • Did you notice that C# and Db are the same
    key??? All notes have more than one name. The
    formal word for this concept is enharmonic
    tones. C# and Db are enharmonic tones (on the
    piano they sound the same, but have different
    names i.e Equal temperant).

    • What is An Interval Formula

    Scales are built on interval formulas. Diatonic scales use only half steps and whole steps.
    When you get into the harmonic minor,
    melodic minor, blues scales & some of the
    “ethnic scales” like the Ahava Raba mode used
    in Klezmer music, then you run into scales that
    have whole steps, half steps, a step and a half,
    and more.
    The first note of the scale is called its root:

  • the root of the C major scale is a C
  • the root of an Eb major scale is an Eb
  • the root of a G minor scale is a G

    • Using white keys only, a major scale starting on
    C has no sharps and no flats. Look at the
    keyboard and see that this scale follows the
    whole step / half step pattern of
    root, whole step, whole step, half step, whole
    step, whole step, whole step, half step
    C D E F G A B C

    Scales Formula

  • Major Scale: R, W, W, H, W, W, W, H
  • Natural Minor Scale: R, W, H, W, W, H, W, W
  • Harmonic Minor Scale: R, W, H, W, W, H, 1 1/2,

    • H (notice the step and a half)

  • Melodic Minor Scale: going up is: R, W, H, W, W,
    W, W, H
    going down is: R, W, W, H, W, W, H, W
  • Dorian Mode is: R, W, H, W, W, W, H, W
  • Mixolydian Mode is: R, W, W, H, W, W, H, W
  • Ahava Raba Mode is: R, H, 1 1/2, H, W, H, W, W

    • A minor pentatonic blues scale (no sharped 5)
    is: R, 1 1/2, W, W, 1 1/2, W

    Diatonic Scale