Practicing major scales. 2 2
Before I explain an easy way to play the major scales, 3 3
just remember that it is very important that you learn all these scales, 4 4
majors, minors, diminished, and so on. 5 5
Come into all of your right hand improvisations, melodies, ballads. 6 6
If you're sight reading, you'll need to know what key a piece is in, 7 7
you'll need to know how many sharps, flats, and whatever. 8 8
For these, you just want to play by ear. 9 9
These scales are important. 10 10
And just memorize it all for now. 11 11
Ask questions later. 12 12
Adults tend to want to know the why's and where for's of everything, and 13 13
they take far longer to learn. 14 14
So, let's start with Major Scales. 15 15
Everyone knows Major Scales through do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. 16 16
Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. 17 17
[SOUND] This is the all the white keys from C to C. 18 18
It's the easiest one to play. 19 19
If you wanted to play that exact formation of sounds, but 20 20
you move it up a pitch as if you were singing it, but higher. 21 21
Let's start in the next. 22 22
[MUSIC] 23 23
That's still do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do but, it's just moved up half a tone. 24 24
Take a different pitch as if you're singing it a bit higher but 25 25
you can see now it's not all white keys. 26 26
It's using either sharps or flats, and that's what we're going to figure out. 27 27
So each key uses a different set of combination of notes for 28 28
the sharps or flats. 29 29
Again, you don't have to know the theory behind it all for now. 30 30
Just memorize it and 31 31
then you'll be able to use it as you play different songs in different keys. 32 32
Like learning to drive, you don't need to know how the engine works. 33 33
Just learn how to make it go, and off you go. 34 34
Thing is, you will have to be playing songs in different keys eventually. 35 35
You may have to sing in a different key, 36 36
different songs are written in different keys. 37 37
So you will need to know all these things. 38 38
So, I'm gonna show you some memory tricks that'll help you learn all the scales. 39 39
If you look two pages ahead, you'll see that I've written the lettering out 40 40
in strange ways, and that's going to be a good memory trick for you. 41 41
It's going to help you remember how many sharps and flats are in each scale. 42 42
But first of all, it helps to know that there's an order of sharps and 43 43
an order of flats. 44 44
It's not just random, and that's useful later on. 45 45
So first, we'll start with sharps. 46 46
Going to be a sharp or no flats, which is C major. 47 47
[MUSIC] 48 48
So you're in the key of C, that's the main scale, C Major. 49 49
[MUSIC] 50 50
So then the scale with one sharp in it, which is G. 51 51
[MUSIC] 52 52
It's got F sharp in it. 53 53
So you're in the key of G. 54 54
That's the main scale for the mid G major. 55 55
[MUSIC] 56 56
Still do re mi fa so la ti do, as you can hear. 57 57
[MUSIC] 58 58
Then there's the scale with two sharps in it, which starts in D. 59 59
So if you're in the key of D, playing the D major scale. 60 60
[MUSIC] 61 61
It's got [MUSIC] 62 62
F-sharp and C-sharp in it. 63 63
And there's a scale with three sharps in it, which is A. 64 64
So if you're in the key of A, you're playing the scale of A major. 65 65
It's got three sharps in it, F-sharp, C-sharp, and G-sharp. 66 66
There's a scale with four sharps in it, which is E. 67 67
So you're in the key of A, or you're play the scale of E major. 68 68
[MUSIC] 69 69
It's got four sharps in it. 70 70
F sharp. 71 71
C sharp. 72 72
G sharp and D sharp. 73 73
And there's a scale with five sharps in it, which is B. 74 74
[MUSIC] 75 75
Okay? That's got F sharp, C sharp. 76 76
G sharp. 77 77
D sharp. 78 78
With A sharp in it. 79 79
So this is order to the sharps as they're added, right? 80 80
F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, and A sharp. 81 81
You're going to memorize that order. 82 82
Then, if you know how many sharps are in a key, and 83 83
you know what order the sharps come in, you'll be able add them up and 84 84
know exactly what the sharps are in that key. 85 85
So, for instance, if you know a key has two sharps in it, 86 86
the order of sharps is F and C, first of all. 87 87
So, that's the two sharps that are in that key. 88 88
Or, if a key has four sharps, they must be F, C, G, 89 89
and D, because that's the order of sharps. 90 90
So, I'm going to teach you a memory trick that will show you how to 91 91
easily remember how many sharps or flats are in each key. 92 92
So look at the page, Memory Tricks for All Scales. 93 93
If you look at the visual for 94 94
formation of the letters, this can give a clue to how many sharps. 95 95
So remember this is a trick. 96 96
Don't think that it's theoretical. 97 97
It's a pure visual memory trick. 98 98
So look at the G. 99 99
The G has a little line in it. 100 100
That's just a reminder that there's one sharp in the key of G or 101 101
the major scale of G. 102 102
The order of sharps is first of all, there's F sharp, so that's it. 103 103
That's the one sharp in G. 104 104
[MUSIC] 105 105
If you look at the letter D, it's made up of two lines. 106 106
So it's got two sharps. 107 107
And the order of sharps is F sharp, C Sharp. 108 108
So D, key of D, Major Scale of D has two sharps, F and C. 109 109
The letter A, made up of three lines. 110 110
It's got three sharps. 111 111
The order of sharps is F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, so 112 112
that's the three sharps in the key of A, on the major scale of A. 113 113
All right. 114 114
F sharp. 115 115
C sharp. 116 116
G sharp. 117 117
The letter E is made up of four lines. 118 118
That means the key of E has four sharps in it. 119 119
And the order of sharps is F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, and D sharp, 120 120
[MUSIC] 121 121
so four sharps. 122 122
The letter B could be constructed using five lines. 123 123
So remember that has five sharps all together. 124 124
Order of sharps is F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, and A sharp. 125 125
So the key of B with a major scale of B has all those sharps in it. 126 126
Basically, all the black keys in the octave apart from B and E. 127 127
[MUSIC] 128 128
Okay? 129 129
The other memory trick is that nearly all the keys with sharps start on 130 130
a white note. 131 131
The only key that starts on a white note that has a flat in it is F. 132 132
[SOUND] We'll look at that later. 133 133
Look at C. 134 134
White notes. 135 135
[SOUND] D has 2 sharps [SOUND] starts on a white note. 136 136
E has 4 sharps. 137 137
[SOUND] Starts on a white note. 138 138
[SOUND] Okay. 139 139
F, the odd man out, has a flat. 140 140
[SOUND] G, okay, it has one little line in it. 141 141
That's the one sharp. 142 142
[MUSIC] 143 143
A, okay, and that's a white note for the G. 144 144
A has the three lines, three sharps. 145 145
[MUSIC] 146 146
And finally, B starts on a white note again. 147 147
Think of an angular letter. 148 148
So it's got the five sharps. 149 149
[MUSIC] 150 150
So there's several ways of memorizing all this. 151 151
Remember the order of sharps, F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp and A sharp. 152 152
Then remember of formation of the letters. 153 153
So the letter has G has one line, 154 154
D is made up of two, A is made up of three lines and so on. 155 155
That'll give you the number of sharps in the key, or in the scale. 156 156
So then you can use the formation of the sharps. 157 157
And remember that all sharp keys start on a white note.