About the course

The major scale in music is equivalent to the English alphabet. It's the source of every note used for constructing chords, single line scale patterns and chord/scale combinations. These are some of the reasons why this course, in many ways, is the study of scales. Melodic lines and chord progressions are devoloped by using combinations of notes in a variety of ways. The scale is used as a tool to measure the distance between notes of the scale, called intervals.

The numeric name of scale tones identify notes of the scale used to construct chords, or musical words, based on a combination of intervals needed to build a certain chord. Using the numeric names of scale tones make it easy to transpose ideas to different keys on the piano. This is one way to learn the piano keyboard in a short period of time. We use scales to establish the rules for constructing different types of chords, sometimes called harmonic structures, and for memorizing these rules and practicing recall.

What students learn

Melody                                     Scale extensions

Harmony                                  Modern harmony

Rhythm                              Jazz rhythmic figures

Technique                           Automatic response

Phrasing and                 Performance techniques

Dynamics                                   Sight reading