Hi. In this lesson I'll teach you a very simple way to understand how all scales, that are well suited for building up harmonies, are ordered and related to each other. We'll end up systematizing 33 scales in total. First we'll have the theory section learning the very big picture and how all scales can be so very nicely ordered. Then we try out the scales in practice and we learn when to use each scale and maybe we'll end up playing something like thisā¦ or like thisā¦ or maybe this rather crazy scale progressionā¦ My name is Oliver Prehn by the way and this is a NewJazz lesson. So here we have the Major scale, in this case in C. Let's make a circle above... and add the Major scale to that circle... And then we mark up each scale note on the circle, like this: first note, second note, third note, fourth, fifth, sixth and the seventh note. Now, all scales in this world can be grouped into families. So the first family I'll introduce to you is Family 1, also called the Major Modes. The single scale members of this family are derived by playing our Major scale in different degrees. So here we have the second degree scale, third degree scale, fourth degree, fifth degree, sixth degree and the seventh degree scale. So the Major scale contains 7 notes and by using each of the 7 notes as separate starting points we can create 7 different family members, right? Now look at the interval steps on our Major scale. Whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step and a half step. On our circle we have written down the interval stepsā¦ So all the scale members of a family have the same circular interval pattern, right? The individual scales just have different starting points on that pattern. Now let's write down the interval steps of each scale... Now let's move on to "Family 2". Before we used the Major scale as basis. Now we'll use the ascending melodic minor scale. This scale also contains 7 notes. And the interval steps are: whole step, half step, whole, whole, whole, whole and a half step. Now once more we can make 7 degrees, 7 different family members. So here we have the second degree, third degree, fourth degree, fifth degree, sixth degree and seventh degree. Again, all these 7 scales belong to the same family because they all have a specific starting point on the same circular interval pattern. Let's write down the interval steps of each scale... Now let's proceed to "Family 3". Let's do another type of scale with a different interval pattern than the other 2 familiesā¦ This is the Harmonic minor scale. The interval pattern contains this exotic one-and-a-half step. Now let's locate our family members; second degree, third degree, fourth degree, fifth degree, sixth degree and the seventh degree. Let's write down the interval steps of each scale... So already now we have 3 families each containing 7 members. Thatās 21 different scales in total. Each scale is defined by 1) the family and its circular interval pattern and 2) the starting point on that pattern, right? Now let's move on to "Family 4". This is the Harmonic Major scale. This scale contains a brand new interval pattern... So with this scale as basis we can derive the second degree, third degree, fourth, fifth, sixth and finally the seventh degree. Let's write down the interval steps of each scale... Now what we're about to do in this lesson is to make a very well-defined set of families and scales that all comply to some very simple rules that make sure that each of our scales are well suited for building up straightforward harmonies or chords. But more about the rules and the chords later on when we are going to try out the scales in practice. For now, we still need to add 3 very small families. So let's move on to "Family 5". Here we got the diminished scaleā¦ an 8 note scale when framed by an octave. But look, the scale actually has a repeating interval pattern on only every second note... So let's only make two markers on our "Family 5" circle... Look, we have whole step - half step and then we simply just repeat that interval pattern; whole-half whole-half and again whole-half. So with this whole-half repeating pattern of our scale we got only ONE other family member; the second degree inverted diminished scale that starts up with a half step instead of a whole step. Let's write down the interval steps of the two scales... "Family 6" is very special and contains only ONE member. Now this is the whole tone scaleā¦ a six note scale when framed by the octave. But this scale has a repeating interval pattern for only every ONE step. Look whole step whole step whole step whole step whole step and again whole step. Only whole steps. So we got the same interval pattern, the same scale, the whole tone scale, no matter the degree. Look, this is a whole tone scale, this is also a whole tone scale and this is a whole tone scale and so on. So Family 6 has only ONE member. Let's write this down. And finally we got "Family 7". This is the augmented scale... a six note scale when framed by the octave. But like the diminished scale it has a repeating interval pattern for every second note; whole-and-a-half - half, whole-and-a-half - half, whole-and-a-half - half. And then we got this very rare second degree family member starting up with a half stepā¦ Let's write down the interval steps of the two scalesā¦ Now the thing is that we can just keep on inventing new families of scales. Therefore I have made up a very well-defined field of study that limits our total number of scales and that makes sure that our scales are well suited for building up straightforward harmonies. So our families must comply with a small set of rules that I made up. Rule number 1: the interval pattern may only contain half, whole and whole-and-a-half steps. Rule number 2: Half steps cannot be neighbors. Rule number 3: Whole and whole-and-a-half steps cannot be neighbors. And finally rule number 4: Whole-and-a-half steps cannot be neighbors. And by the way, let's also make a rule number 0. This rule may seem obvious, but it isn't really: The scale must be frameable by an octave. So when hitting the octave the scale must start over and repeat itselfā¦ in another NewJazz lesson we learn to improvise in a very modern free jazz style and we actually play scales that go beyond the octave. I'll paste a link to that lesson below. Now if we comply with these simple rules the result is our 7 families above containing in total 33 scales. No less, no more. The idea is that all these scales are all well suited for building up straightforward harmonies and that's just the thing we need now because we are going to get practical improvising over some chords. Now look at the Major scaleā¦ on what 7th chord can we use this scale? Well we simply just pick out every second note... and we got the CMa7 chord. We can do that approximately on every scale above. So let's write down the 7th chords that fit each scaleā¦ Almost every scale got only ONE chord attached. We have a few exceptions where enharmonic chord interpretations are possible and therefore these scales have two options. But we never go crazy with a whole bunch of enharmonic chord interpretations. So isn't this just great? Because of our few simple rules we obtain a pretty good behavior of the scales when building up comprehensible 7th chords. So, now we know what scales we can use when improvising over different types of 7th chords. So let's do a chord progression. In the previous lesson we improvised over the 2-5-1 chord progression in Major so why not try out the 2-5-1 in minor this timeā¦ So what scales can we play on top of this progression? Well, on the mi7b5 chord we can do these scalesā¦ on the 7 chord we can play these scalesā¦ and on the miMa7 we have these optionsā¦ so let's try out some of them. What about D Locrian with a raised 6th step to G Phrygian dominant to C Harmonic minor... Or what about D Altered to G Aeolian dominant to C Melodic minorā¦ Or what about this crazy one: D Half diminished to G Lydian dominant to C Lydian b3... Ok, if you wanna support my work with a small amount you are so much welcome. And thank you so much to everybody who has donated so far. You make my dream come true. I can cut down the working days as a bus driver and in return make free and public music lessons on the NewJazz YouTube channel. Thank you so much. And thanks a million for all the wonderful comments and likes. I have such a great moral support in all of you. If you wanna help me out you can also translate the English subtitles. All my lessons are open for translation and corrections. With translated captions my videos reach out to a much broader audience. So thanks a lot to all of you who have contributed with the translation work. I'm just so grateful. Ok, are you still here? Great, then I'll present to you this fantastic and very smart and handy tool made by "nupfe", a subscriber and patron. On this cardboard tool you can look up all the members of the first 4 families in every tonality. Look, we have the circle of Major Modes, Harmonic Major, Harmonic minor and melodic minor Modes. Now this is very smart; just turn the inner wheel to pick a tonality... So if we for example wanna look up the Mixolydian scale in C we locate Mixo... and turn the inner wheel to Cā¦ and then we got all the notes pointed out by the other members of the circular family: c, d, e, f, g, a and bb. Now that's cool right? In another lesson we study this tool much more thoroughly. I'll paste a link to the lesson below and I'll also paste a link to a PDF so you can print cut and assemble this tool yourself. I'll also paste a link to just a simple list containing all the scales from this lesson. Well, that's it for now. See you in about 4 weeks. The best and warm regards from Oliver Prehn.
Oliver is the best piano teacher ever! His "hand grip" methods get you playing in a practical manner, then he explains theory after that very well. Also, he is such a nice guy. His videos inspired me to get back into music in my 60s. I am so happy I came across his channel. Please check him out and support him if you can. https://www.patreon.com/newjazz/posts
I think the Whole tone description text on the screen should say W W W W W W rather than W H W H W H. Just a typo. Otherwise, the most straightforward and explanation of chord and scale nomenclature I have seen. Good job.