While you can certainly use the first flow chart to identify descending modal scales, the second chart will also help you to sort through information.Īs always, it is good to practice notating, playing, and singing all theoretical concepts. Many learners find it more difficult to identify scales when they’re presented in descending motion. Therefore, there won’t be a G-sharp – the seventh degree is G-natural.įlow Chart for Modal Scales in Descending Motion So if you identify a Mixolydian scale whose starting pitch is A, you’ll recall that a Mixolydian scale is like a major scale whose seventh degree is lowered to te.
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By using this method, you can avoid notation errors.Īlternatively, you can remember which scale degrees to alter. Therefore, when you write out a scale with the starting pitch A, you’ll add a C-sharp and an F-sharp. The key signature of D major is, of course, two sharps. For example, if you identify a Mixolydian scale, and the starting pitch is A, that means A is the fifth degree of the key of the key signature. Once you have identified the scale, you should ascertain what key it’s in. For ascending modal scales, this flow chart may help you to sort through information on your journey towards the right answer. Notice how the patterns of whole and half steps differ between each of the modes. This gives you auditory, visual, and tactile methods for recognizing, internalizing, and building fluency in these scales. Write out the modal scales, sing them, and play them on the piano.
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When you identify a modal scale, you can spare yourself a lot of work by having a method for grouping certain scale IDs so that you can exclude wrong answers immediately, leaving you more time to focus on identifying and notating the right ones.įlow Chart for Modal Scales in Ascending Motion Ear Training - Modal Scales, Ascending and Descending Motion Modal ScalesĪs with all topics in ear training, the key to successful identification and notation of examples played in class and in tests is having a step-by-step procedure.