1. Key
9/6/17 - Part 1, Section 7

2. The Basics of Keys
Almost all familiar melodies are built around a central tone
Other tones of melody gravitate toward the central tone
Tonic (key-note): the central tone
Key: the central scale, chord, and tone of a piece
Every song is in a key
Piece in key of C has basic scale with C as do/tonic, C as the tonic triad, with C as the root/bottom tone

3. The Major Scale
Scale: tonal basis of music, means “ladder” in latin, set of tones arranged from low to high, or high to low
Major scale: W W H W W W H
Sounds happy!
Half steps - smallest interval traditionally used in western music
Whole steps - twice as large as the half step
Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, strong pull from ti --> do
Scale is a pattern of intervals
Conclusive quality we hear in the keynote is rooted in cultural conditioning

4. The Minor Scale Minor scale: W H W W H W W Sounds serious or sad :(
Are 3 types of minor scales
Natural minor
Harmonic minor
Melodic minor
Focus on Natural minor - Do-re-me-fa-sol-le-te-do b b - 7b -8
Tonic triad built from a minor scale is a minor chord!
Conclusive quality is not as final now!

5. Key Signature
To indicate key of a piece of music, composer uses a key signature
Avoids having to write a sharp & flat before every sharped or flatted note in a piece
If a piece uses a major scale, it is in a major key & vice versa for minor scales & minor keys
Order or sharps - FCGDAEB
Fat Cows Go Down And Eat Bluegrass
Order of flats - BEADGCF
Be Ever Aware During Guitar Class Forever

6. Chromatic Scale Chromatic scale: 12 tones within the octave
All the white & black keys - piano
Comes from Greek word chroma, meaning color
Does not define a key
Gives sense of motion & tension

7. Modulation: Change of Key
Short melodies remain in a single key from beginning to end, some longer pieces use more than one key
Modulation: Shifting from one key to another within the same piece of music
Temporary shift of gravity
Creates variety & contrast
Produces subconscious effects that increase our enjoyment of the music

8. Tonic Key
Tonic/Home key: No matter how often a piece changes keys, there is usually one main key
Tonic key is the central key whole piece is organized around
Traditionally, piece starts & ends in tonic key
Modulating away from tonic key is like visiting
May enjoy ourselves during the visit, but after a while we are glad to go home
Modulations set up tensions that are resolved by returning to the tonic key