Scale Degrees Sound the Same Regardless of Type of Key Center

Scale Degrees Sound the Same Regardless of Type of Key Center

Q: I have been using your Lines Volume One: Sight Reading and Sight Singing Exercises and Ear Training One Note Complete books. I have had correspondence with you before and your insight was great. Currently I have memorized the sounds of notes in the major scale (not the intervals but the unique sound of the notes). I have taken a break from learning new notes to explore the major scale (very slowly) while using my new skills. Next week I get back to learning new scale degrees but now they will be outside the diatonic scale for the major 7th cord. I was wondering if there was a reason that we do not learn notes such as the minor third against a minor chord. I have listened to a 5th against both a major and minor chord and it seems to take on a different character. How do you address this in your series of books?

P.S. My musicianship is improving by leaps and bounds.

A: All notes sound the same no matter what type of key center they are heard in. You may not be able to distinguish this at your current ability but you will if you keep working at the ear training.

You will begin to work with minor keys when you do the book Key Note Recognition . For now I would concentrate on getting to know all pitches against a major key center. I also caution you from spending too much time on just the notes of a C major scale and not listening to the other 5 notes. To use an analogy, you can’t truly know what the color Blue looks like until you also know the color Red.

Keep up the practicing and I’m glad to hear you are improving.

It is also recommended that you read Bruce Arnold’s Blog at his artist site. It contains more discussion of the musical topics found in these FAQs as well as other subjects of interest. You will also find the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located here which shows you the historic significance of the music education products found on the Muse Eek Publishing Company Website.