Scale Basics – Overview
Scales are the building blocks of music. There are thousands of different scales (sometimes called modes) and each one has its own peculiarities and functions. Having grown up on what we call “Western” music (music that had its origins in European countries), the major and the minor scales are the ones most recognizable to our American ears. But the blues scale, the dorian scale and the mixolydian scale are also used extensively in our music (especially jazz) whether or not we know anything about them!
A great way to learn scales is to play them on your instrument or a piano or keyboard. Using a piano or keyboard makes it easier to visualize the patterns.
New to scales – start here!
Looking to go to the “next level?”
Want to learn even more about the history and theory of scales?