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Author Topic: Scale Theory Question  (Read 3396 times)

Offline Eggs

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Scale Theory Question
« on: July 23, 2004, 12:32:02 PM »
Hi Everyone,

I have what are probably two questions that most beginners in theory have:

1. In a minor scale, like Aminor for example, is the G still the dominant?
    Or is some other note like E the dominant?  Is F the sub-dominant?  Or
    is some other note the sub-dominant?... etc. etc. etc.

2. Does the resolve stay the same?  For example, does the dominant still
    lead to the tonic, the sub-tonic to the mediant, etc. etc. etc.?

I am trying to modulate some progressions for example, from Cmajor to
Aminor, (or from Ionian to Aeolian if you prefer) but I just can't seem to
get it right.  There is a map, right?

TIA,

Eggs

Offline E-MAN

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Hope this helps?
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2004, 03:09:38 PM »
First of all, lets get something straight: when you are in A-minor the tonic is the note "A" and this would make the note "E" your dominant...you are confusing A-minor by relating the progressions and scale degrees to the C scale and key>remember A-minor is relative minor key of C major. G would only be the dominant in the key of C, but when you moved to the relative minor key, this changes the tonality from the C to the A...therefore "A" becomes the new tonic...from here you base all of the progressions likewise...hope this helps....A nice way to modulate is to simply use what is called common chord modulation...a chord that is common to both keys...IE..key you are inand the one you want to get to..I would also suggest you do some reasearch on secondary dominants because these are really the boys and girls you will use to do it....be cool!
 8)

Offline Eggs

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Scale Theory Question
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2004, 03:53:32 PM »
Thanks E-Man,

So you are saying?:

A     tonic
B     supertonic
C     mediant
D     sub-dominant
E      dominant
F      sub-mediant
G     sub-tonic


Does the circle of fifths/fourths apply here?  It sounds kind of strange!

TIA,

Eggs

Offline bug

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Major/minor key chord identification, function, modulation
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2004, 10:51:30 PM »
Eggs you areasking for a lot. E-Man helped explain it some. However this requires an indepth posting. And several pages of text. I'm going to be brief. I'll get you started. There are 3 forms of minor. Natural, Harmonic and Melodic. They all have the same starting pitch, but they are all different after that. Because each scale has different pitches, the chords that are formed from the scales are different qualities and have different roots.8x3=24 chordsfor Aminor alone.24x12keys=288chords.for the other 11 keys. You have to identify the chords first. Next you have a question about how they function. The circle of 5th and/or 4ths does not apply here, unless you want to get into trouble. Very few gospel tunes are in true minor keys from beginning to end. Even old Dr. Watts chants, which are minor in nature have Major aspects about their harmonies. If a gospel tune begins in minor, it will  modulate to its relative Major in some way before the tune ends. If a tune ends in minor, it usually has had some Major key modulation taken place along the way. There are vamps that may use a minor tonic to dominant 7th or minor tonic to Sub Dominant 7th. But those are vamps and not the whole body of the tune. J.S. Bach actually wrote some chorales in true minor. If you like this sound, study his work and analysize what he and some other classical composers do with true minor in a church music setting. Modulation is either1.direct-diatonic to the natural minor or from the natural minor to its relative Major.2.pivotal 3or chromatic.
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Offline Eggs

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Scale Theory Question
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2004, 10:24:43 AM »
Bug,

Thanks for the lesson... I don't know if I like this sound or not.  I'm just trying to learn how to use it, so I can know if I like it.  I have taken E-man's advice, and done some research on secondary chords, especially the diminished and dominant(s).  This really does open up a lot of options to spice up my playing.  And I can see how it might work in with what you are saying as well.

But would you be so kind as to give me a couple of simple examples of modulating into and back out of natural minor?  Cmajor/Aminor would be the easiest to follow.... you know, LH/RH format?

TIA,

Eggs

For every carnal problem, there's a Spiritual answer!
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