Can anyone tell me how to construct a major scale and three different minor scales?

Question

Asked this before but hoping I can get an answer this time. Help is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

The major scale has seven notes (plus the inclusion of the tonic of the next scale to complete an octave, in practice), which in solfege are the syllables "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti (or Si) (and Do)." The simplest major scale is C major (see figure 1). It is unique in that it is the only major scale not to use sharps or flats on the musical staff and consequently uses only the white notes on the piano keyboard.

When writing out major (and minor) scales, no line or space on the stave can be skipped, and no note can be repeated with a different accidental. This has the effect of forcing the key signature to feature just sharps or just flats; ordinary major scales never include both.

Answer 2

Very easy, you just have to remember what makes a major scale different from a minor scale in the order of steps between each note...

Here's the Chromatic 12-note scale
C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B
Note that any one space (IE C to C# or E to F) is called a half-step.
And C to D or E to F# (twice as large a jump as a half-step) is called a whole step.

So a major key is
Base note + whole step + whole step + half step + whole step + whole step + whole step (7 notes total)

So if the base note is C then C-major is
C(base note),D (whole step up from C),E(whole step up from D),
F(half step up from E),G(whole step up from F),
A(whole step up from G),B(whole step up from A)
AKA
C,D,E,F,G,A,B


And if the base note is C# then C#-major is C#,D#,F,F#,G#,A#,C
And if the base note is E then E-major is E,F#,G#,A,B,C#,D#

Now for the Aeoleon minor formula (commonly used in pop music):
Base note + whole step + half step + whole step + whole step + half step + whole step (7 notes total)

So if the base note is C, C Aeoleon minor is C,D,D#,F,G,G#,A#
And if the base note is C#, C# Aeoleon minor is C#,D#,E,F#,G#,A,B
And if the base note is E, E Aeoleon minor is E,F#,G,A,B,C,D

another one minor mode (called Dorian mode...THE TYPICAL MINOR MODE FOR TEACHING MUSIC) is
Base + whole step + half step + whole step + whole step + whole step + half step IE C,D,D#,F,G,A,A#


Yet another one minor mode (called Phrygian mode, I believe) is
Base + half step + whole step + whole step + whole step + half step + whole step IE C,C#,D#,F,G,G#,A


No matter what the mode the real trick is to be able to remember QUICKLY how many steps in what order compromise the scales...this way you can create scales using base notes and intervals instead of memorizing ALL those notes by rote memory.

BTW, in case you are wondering
C,E,G (1st, 3rd, and 5th of a C-major scale) would be a C-major triad and C,D#,G (1st, 3rd, and 5th of a C-minor scale) would be a C-minor triad

All music really is...is different combinations of
A) major/minor intervals
B) gaps between notes in these scales IE 1sts,3rds,4ths,5ths...used for build the chord that can be, as shown above "morphed" to fit the scale

Music really isn't that complicated once you learn to think that way.