Recognize and transpose church scales

Church scales - what is it anyway?

• With a keyboard in mind, it is particularly easy to visualize the church scales. First, play a scale from d 'to d' '. Use only white keys for this. This is how the key of D Dorian is created.
• If you now play the white keys upwards again, this time from e 'to e' ', the key is E-Phrygian. The scale from f 'to f' 'is called f-Lydian, that from g' to g '' is called g-Mixolydian.
• The four scales Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian and Mixolydian are the most common church scales. If you start with the scale at c or a and only play white keys, you will notice something. These scales sound exactly like C major or A minor. Therefore, the associated church scales - Ionic (from c) and Aeolian (from a) - are rarely used in this context.
instagram viewer
• The church key, which starts with the tone b, is just as uncommon. It is called h-Locrian and although it belongs to the church tones (also called modes), it rarely occurs.

How can one recognize church scales by hearing?

• Major and minor scales have their own sound characteristics, which you can hear well with a little practice. The same applies to church scales, even if the sound impression here may seem a bit strange. The following rule applies to all scales: if you know how they are structured, you can tell them apart.


Circle of Fifths - Explanation

Every piano student knows the problem - the omens that have to be observed before ...

• Each scale is made up of semitones and whole steps. Semitones only appear in two places. You should make a careful note of these passages. In the case of a major scale, they dive between the 3rd and the 4th, and between the 7th and 8. Sound on. In the case of a minor scale, they are between the 2nd and the 3rd, and between the 5th and the 6. Volume. Better than just memorizing the arrangement, of course, it is better to have recognized it yourself. To do this, play a scale between d 'and d' 'on the piano keyboard. Just play the white keys. Now think about for yourself where semitones and whole steps are. You will get the following result: whole tone (d'-e '), semitone (e'-f'), whole tone (f'-g '), whole tone (g'-a'), whole tone (a'-h '), Semitone (h'-c' '), whole tone (c' '- d' '). As a result, the semitone steps lie between the 2nd and 3rd, as well as between the 6th and 7. Tone of scale.
• Compare the arrangement of the semitones with those of the major and minor scales. Do you notice something? The D-Dorian scale begins exactly like a minor scale, with the semitone step between the 2nd and the 3. Volume. This is the first way to hear them. If you hear a scale that starts out like a minor but sounds different in the second half, it's probably Dorian.
• Unfortunately, in contrast to major and minor, each church scale is structured differently. That said, you should know the order of the semitones on each scale. If you proceed according to the scheme just described, you will get the following result for E-Phrygian: The semitones are between the 1st and the 2. as well as between the 5th and the 6. Volume. Here too, however, there are certain characteristics. Here, for example, the second half of the scale sounds similar to minor, while the first is different. However, this is difficult to perceive by hearing. For this there is the crucial feature of the unusual small second at the beginning of the scale. It is also called the "Phrygian second". The Phrygian scale is the only one that starts with a semitone, so it can be easily distinguished from others.
• You can recognize the characteristics of the Lydian scale by comparing it with the major scale. The semitones are between the 4th and the 5. as well as between the 7th and the 8. Volume. The key note here is the leading tone to the fundamental tone, which you already know from the major scale. However, the beginning with four consecutive whole tones is just as characteristic. This is particularly the case with the 4th A tone that appears unusually high compared to a major or minor scale. With Lydian, just think of a whole-tone scale that develops differently after the first four notes and sounds like a major at the end.
• In the Mixolydian scale, the semitone steps are between the 3rd and the 4th as well as between the 6. and the 7th Volume. Analogous to the Doric scale, which in the first half was reminiscent of a minor, Mixolydic initially reminds of a major.
• The key to hearing recognition is not just knowing the semitone steps. This knowledge is extremely useful, but it is even more helpful to sing the scales yourself. This way you can visualize the process even more thoroughly. So if you hear a scale but can't match it right away, try singing it. This will make it easier for you to distinguish between semitones and whole tones and to pay attention to sound characteristics.

Transpose church scales - the circle of fifths helps

• After these theoretical considerations on the structure of church tones, the following problem arises: How can you quickly transpose church scales without laboriously counting half and whole steps? The good news: To be able to play church scales from all other notes, there is a simple trick. To do this, you do not have to count any tone sequences, but simply know the circle of fifths well.
• Recall the most important principle of the circle of fifths. Above is C major, an unsigned key. The sharp keys are drawn to the right, the B keys to the left. The signs gradually increase. To the right of C is first the key with a sharp, then the key with two sharp and so on. The same principle applies to the scales to the left of C, but here with the B-sign.
• You can find out which keys are involved by going up or down in fifths, starting with C. For the sharp keys you get the keys G, D, A, E, B and F sharp, the B keys are F, B, E flat, A flat, D flat and G flat. If you want to avoid counting fifths all the time, remember the two mnemonics: "Go on, old man Donkey Hole Fish "for the sharp keys and" Fresh Bread Eating Asse Des Gesangs "for the B keys.
• Think of the following example: You want to play a Doric scale, but not start with d but with e. The question that counts now is not about the arrangement of the semitones, but about the accidentals. The starting point in the circle of fifths is now the position in D major, because the original scale for Dorian begins with the tone D. The target key is E, two keys further to the right in the circle of fifths. From this you deduce that the E-Dorian scale has two accidentals because you go two steps further in the circle of fifths. It has to be two crosses because it is two steps to the right, not to the left. Since the order of the accidentals always remains the same, you automatically know which one it has to be: f sharp and c sharp. The e-Dorian scale therefore has the following tones: e, f sharp, g, a, b, c sharp, d and e.
• Try another example. For example, suppose you want to play a Mixolydian scale from the B note. The starting point is therefore G major, because if we start on the note G, the scale has no accidentals. The target key is B, three steps to the left in the circle of fifths. So now you know that B-Mixolydian must have three B-accidentals, because you have moved to the left. The associated signs are b, es and as. The corresponding scale has the following tones: b, c, d, es, f, g, a flat and b.
• With this simple trick, you can play all church scales from any note with ease.