The Music Theory Advantage TM
 Quickly Learn and Remember how to Spell
The Major and Natural Minor Scales

Created by
Max Maxwell
All Rights Reserved.

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How Maintain the Ability to Spell All of the Major and Minor Scales:

You should be able to spell any of the thirty major and minor scales for the rest of your musical life. You should review the information that let’s you spell the thirty Major and Minor scales at least once a week for at least a few months after completing this course. It is surprisingly easy to keep this ability alive.

To Practice:

See, then say, each Key / Note Image with its Number Images in the forward order.

Practice saying the images below. It is important to make sure that you are visualizing images and not just saying words. Do it from memory and use the list below to check your answers. For example, see the fin with the sticks balancing on top and the ton balancing on the sticks and say, "fin-sticks-ton."

1. fin-sticks-ton

5. arm-tree-fork

2. car- sore van - sore van

6. ear-door-tee

3. gear-bun-socks

7. bike-fife-tube

4. die-shoe-hive

 

With a little practice you can recite the list above in thirty seconds or less. Always try to “see” the images when reciting. Work them in numerical order from 1 to 7, which is the same order as the Key / Note Image list in the forward order.

Practice

After completing this course, at least once a week recite the list above from memory at least twice. Then recall the one exception (C Major) that has zero sharps and zero flats. Do not just recite the words VISUALIZE the images. Then select a major key and a minor key for which to spell the scales. Use the method described in Lesson Seven for the major key. When you know how to spell the major scales, you can spell all the minor scales with the key information of the relative major (minor 3rd up from the keynote of minor key).

If you have problems remembering what two major keys go with each Key / Note Image, you should practice exercise P2-3B mentally until you can easily name the two major keys that go with each Key / Note Image. The answers are below.

K/N Images

Sharp Keys

Flat Keys

     fin

F# Major

F Major

     car

C# Major

Cb Major

     gear

G Major

Gb Major

     die

D Major

Db Major

     arm

A Major

Ab Major   

     ear

E Major

Eb Major

     bike

B Major

Bb Major

To practice using scales charts to check your answers, go to the scales chart page.

 

WolframAlpha Practice Widget

  I created a practice widget below using the computational knowledge engine at WolframAlpha. You must allow Java Script to run it. Just type in the name of the scale you have spelled in the format of "C Major" or "A Minor" without the quotation marks. Click submit and the widget will give you the correct answers.

 

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Copyright © 2008-2011 Kenneth J. Maxwell Jr.