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Music Theory - Scales
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| David Adams |
I'm reading a book right now on music theory. Since I've been doing this, I've always played in major scales.
I've just played some chord sequences using some minor scales and it can definitely change the mood of a song.
When it comes to trance style music, do you guys generally play in major scales, or do you also use minor?
I'm just curious.
Thanks,
Adam |
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| DJSentinel |
Well its hard to make Major not sound "Cascada" esque. You really have to work to make it sound good. White Sand from Sunlounger is a track where they pulled it off nicely. Minor scales usually work the best because they sound very powerful and emotional. The flashover remix of Corsten's Fire is a good example of how to use a Minor scale to make somthing sound more powerful.
I always use Minor and switch to the relative Major if need be.
A Minor = C Major is the relative major.
Peace,
DJS |
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| David Adams |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJSentinel
A Minor = C Major is the relative major.
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I wouldn't have understood that before today. Thanks for taking the time to explain. My next tune will have to be made in a minor scale - just because :D
Thanks again!
Adam |
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| Zombie0729 |
more minor than anything... but western influence on scales has really made a mess of things.
does your book go into the history of minor vs major scales? |
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| DJSentinel |
| quote: | Originally posted by David Adams
I wouldn't have understood that before today. Thanks for taking the time to explain. My next tune will have to be made in a minor scale - just because :D
Thanks again!
Adam |
Np man. Choon away!
L8r,
DJS |
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| tecnolover |
| I often use minor. It depends on the mood I want to create in the song. Seems im usually in a minor mood lol. Maybe im depressed or something hehe. j/k Uplifting type trance often uses the major key and can sound very nice with the right arrangement and melody. I would guess the majority of trance songs are prob minor based though of all i've heard. Seems most will vamp on a minor. |
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| DJSentinel |
| Minor can sound sad, but most of the time Minor sounds more powerful than sad. Major usually makes a track sound cheesy imo. |
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| JustinMead |
As i dont want to look it up because it can be easily said here, as i am retarded in music theory, wich notes are major and minor?
My bad, but still at 5 years of producing, i still dont know these things :p |
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| DJSentinel |
Well in Minor, you lower the third, the sixth, and the seventh a half step. So..
CMAJOR) C-D-E-F-G-A-B
CMINOR) C-D-D#-F-G-G#-A#
This applies to all Major and Minor scales. |
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| David Adams |
| quote: | Originally posted by Zombie0729
more minor than anything... but western influence on scales has really made a mess of things.
does your book go into the history of minor vs major scales? |
It doesn't go into the history, but it goes beyond just simple major and minor scales.
It goes into the following minors:
Natural Minor
Harmonic Minor
Melodic Minor
It also goes into the various modes - they date back to the ancient Greeks:
Ionian (same as a major scale)
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aeolian
Locrian
The book not only focused on giving me sheet music with the different scales, but it also gave me a table of the number of half steps - which is more valuable to me. I could personally care less about reading sheet music - although the book does explain that in detail.
For example, a Major scale has the following intervals. Each number represents the number of half steps to the next note:
2
2
1
2
2
2
1
This allows me the opportunity of not having to memorize scales based on notes e.g. CDEF.....
This way, I can just start with any note (tonic/root note) and figure out the keys for any scale I want.
I'm just not in the mood to have to learn all the different scales by heart. This give me a method to just figure it out on my own - I'm better with numbers anyway :D
Take care,
Adam |
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| pho mo |
| minor chords convey a sad or often mysterious emotion. Major chords are happy, and can be euphoric. The perfect mix imo is setting up a track using minor chords and then dropping to the major for that euphoric hit. For example, start the tune in A minor and then crank out that F major. The contrast between the two is key. |
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| tecnolover |
| quote: | Originally posted by pho mo
For example, start the tune in A minor and then crank out that F major. The contrast between the two is key. |
Yep, the classic 6-4 change up that used to death in trance/dance songs. It must the first two chord intervals every newb trance artist learns. Not sure what it is with that change up that makes it so popular. hmm... always seems to sound good in trance music though i admit. or maybe it's just that we've heard it so much in so many popular tracks that our ears associate this kind of music with that changeup. hmm... |
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