MAJOR, MINOR, & CHROMATIC
Elizabeth Aleksander, clarinet
MIDLAND SCALE ROUTINE
First-year students are expected to memorize the Klose page, which consists of all the major and minor scales.
Following the first year, students will utilize the following scale routine in the keys listed below:
Second & Third Years
Chromatic Scale
Major Scale
Major Arpeggio
Natural Minor Scale (Relative)
Harmonic Minor Scale (Relative)
Melodic Minor Scale (Relative)
Minor Arpeggio (Relative)
Whole Tone Scale
Whole Tone Arpeggio
Third Semester: C/a, G/e, F/d
Fourth Semester: D/bb, Bb/g, A/f#
Fifth Semester: Eb/c, E/c#, Ab/f
Sixth Semester: B/g#, Db/bb, F#/d#
Fourth Year
Major Scale in Thirds
Melodic Minor (Relative) Scale in Thirds
Octatonic Scale
Octatonic Arpeggio
Seventh Semester: C, G, F, D, Bb, A
Eighth Semester: Eb, E, Ab, B, Db, F#
In any subsequent semesters, students will learn melodic minor scales in thirds and/or the entire routine (second/third years + thirds).
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The three most common types of scales are major, minor (three slightly different forms), and chromatic. Each of these has a specific pattern of intervals, which is what allows us to hear the difference between them.
These interval patterns can be transposed, or retained, to start on any pitch; this is what gives us 12 major scales, 12 natural minor scales, etc... (For more information on minor scales, click here.) Note, however, that there is only one chromatic scale: when you transpose its intervals to start on any other note, you get the exact same notes. It’s simple to learn this one!
Note: Major scales are usually labeled with a capital letter, and lower-case is used for minors; this notation is used on this web page.
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WHOLE TONE SCALE
Aside from the chromatic, there are other scales that can only be transposed a small number of times. One of these is the whole tone scale, which is required for second- and third-year clarinet students. In this scale, every note is a whole step above the previous one. Because of this, there are only two whole tone scales, shown below.
The whole tone scale is somewhat different from the majors and minors, since it has six notes instead of seven. Because of this, there’s one place in the scale where you’ll skip a letter, and you may switch between sharps to flats at that point, depending on how you’re thinking of it.
DIMINISHED SCALE
Another scale that can only be transposed a few times is the diminished scale, also called the octatonic scale, which is required for fourth-year students. This scale alternates whole and half steps, beginning with a whole step; there are only three diminished scales, shown below.
The diminished scale (like the whole tone scale) does not have the typical seven notes; instead, it has eight. At some point in the scale, you'll have two notes with the same letter name, like B-flat and B-natural. In addition, you'll usually mix sharps and flats.
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Except for the chromatic, every scales has an arpeggio (also called a triad or tonic chord). To form the arpeggio for major, minor, and whole tone scales, simply play the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale, repeated over the range of the instrument. Since the diminished scale has eight notes, use the first, third, fifth, and seventh notes for the arpeggio.
The arpeggios for the C major, A minor, C whole tone, and C diminished scales are shown below:
Note that the minor arpeggio stays is the same for all forms of the minor scale (natural, harmonic, and melodic). This is because the only notes that are different in these forms are the sixth and seventh notes, which are not in the arpeggio.
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-Updated September 10, 2009.