THE MAJOR SCALE - Made Simple!

[00:00:01]This is a lesson on the major scale. The major scale. And this is your second lesson as a piano student. In fact, in the first lesson, normally I teach um basic intervals like the semmit tone and the um whole tone or half steps and whole steps. Okay. So after that we now look at the major scale. Now when we talk about the major scale uh if you've heard that is the major scale probably you heard that in a music school or somewhere some kids playing with that or something like that. So that is the major scale. And now we understand that we have 12 keys in music. These 12 keys I said earlier that they are like 12 different languages and in every language for you to be able to um speak or have a conversation in any language you first of all need to know the alphabet. Okay. Or let's say uh for you to be able to have formal communication in any language that includes reading and writing. you need to understand or know the alphabets in that language.

[00:01:22]Okay? And then when you know the alphabets, you now uh can put alphabets together and form words. Then you now put words together to form sentences.

[00:01:33]Okay? So after you knowing the names of the keys and their arrangement and how they are named and all that you now have to look at each of the keys as a language and then you pick each of them look at their alphabet. When we talk about the alphabets of every key as a language that is the major scale the do understand that as the alphabets in every key when you go to every key it has its own alphabet.

[00:02:06]Now the um exciting thing is that unlike normal languages like English, uh German, um Portuguese, whatever where we have different different different um symbols being added to the alphabets in in in music. When we talk about the alphabets of music, which is the major scale, the doi, they are all the same.

[00:02:34]Okay? They have a certain arrangement that it it appears the same. It's like a formula. It appears the same in all 12 keys. So you not struggle so much finding them. Just that the position of these notes in every key changes a bit because every key has its own position as you can see on the piano. So if I go into the key of F and I want to play the major scale, I'll go like [music and singing] but when I go into the key of A, I'll go like this.

[00:03:06][music and singing] You see that the um the succession of the notes are is the same. Okay? when you think about it or listen to it music- wise is the same but the positions of the notes when you go to every key changes and that's why we need a formula that's going to guide us to know or play the major scale in all 12 keys all right and this formula is very simple once we know half steps and whole steps okay we we'll be able to form this formula or uh use this formula to find the major scale or the alphabets of each of the 12 keys. So, let's just go into that. Um, there was a guy, a white guy that came to Africa and he had a a a black friend called Kufi. So, Kofi was also a musician and one day it was so hot. It was a Saturday and the sun was so hot.

[00:04:07]So they went out and they saw a lot of people wearing black shirts and stuff like that. They were going for a funeral. So the white guy was like Kofi, why are these people wearing black?

[00:04:22]Why won't he he saw one man and he was like, why won't he wear white when hot?

[00:04:29]Why won't he wear white when hot? And Kufi, let me write it here. Kufi as a musician was thinking about this and he was like this sounds like a formula we use in music.

[00:04:42]Let me write it here.

[00:04:46]He said why won't he white when hot? I'm going to put it on the screen very soon.

[00:05:09]Yes. Let me a minute, please.

[00:05:25]Okay, so this is why what the white guy said. Why won't he wear white when hot?

[00:05:34]And when you look at the W here, the there's a W here, an H here. You can, you know, um substitute these for whole steps and half steps. Okay? Because Kofi was a musician, he was able to do that.

[00:05:51]And you realize that in every key when you pick every key and you want to play the doi, you have to move a whole step from the do to get to the ray. Okay?

[00:06:02]Then you move another whole step from the ray to get to the me then a half step from me to far like that. That is how the major scale is arranged. So this sentence fits perfectly into that um uh um um what do we call it formula that we use. So I'm going to put another picture here that's going to help us to form or to play the major scale in all 12 keys using this phrase or sentence or whatever you call it.

[00:06:35]Yes.

[00:06:37]Um um um um um. Yeah. Let me get it from here.

[00:06:43]it add to the screen. Expand.

[00:06:49]Let me just alter it a bit and then expand it here.

[00:06:58]I hope that everyone can see it clearly.

[00:07:06]Good.

[00:07:07]So this is the formula.

[00:07:11]Why won't he wear white when hot? And I said whenever you see a W, substitute that for whole step as we learned in the previous lesson, whole step. Okay, whole step. Whole step. We know basic intervals in music which are whole steps and half step. So the H is for half step or semmit tone. And the W is for whole step or whole tone. So we going to use this sentence that perfectly fits into our formula. Why won't he wear white when hot to know or play the major scale of each of the 12 keys. Very simple. So let's look at this. You could see a a W here, red, another W here, red, an H here, a W here, a W here, a W here, and then an H. And then you could see that the names of the keys that we are looking at are also written here. in the key of C is very simple. So we're not going to touch that. We're going to the key of J. So let's pick the key of J.

[00:08:10]When we pick the J, the one is do, two is ray, three is me, four is uh far, uh five is so, six is la, seven is t back to one or back the eight is still one. Uh is is okay. So when you pick any key, let's look at the key of J. No, for us to get the array, we start reciting Y which is a whole step. So we we have to move a whole step. Okay. Forward. Then we get the me the ray. So do a whole step. We jump over this one to ray. Then from ray to me is also another whole step movement. So we jump over this and then we come here. me then from me to far is a half step. Why won't he [snorts] half step? So from me to far is a half step. So far that's a half step movement. Then from far that's a four to so which is the five is also a [music] whole step movement because we have why won't he where where so a whole step movement from far to so will be jumping over this one. So, so now we have [music] then from So, okay, which is the D to the la is also a whole step movement. You see a W here. So, why why won't he wear white?

[00:09:46]Okay.

[00:09:49]When Okay.

[00:09:52]Uhhuh. No, we are at the white. Yes. Why won't he were white? That's a W here in between the so and the la. So we move another whole step to la.

[00:10:04]Then finally uh um last but one we go to why won't he wear white when another whole step. So we jump over this one t.

[00:10:22]Okay.

[00:10:24]Then from the t to do back is a half step hot. Why won't he wear white when hot? So back to So now we have [music] [singing] in the key of G.

[00:10:41][music] I'm going to do that again. Let's pick another key. So for example, if in the key of D, we want to know the doi or the major scale [music] in the key of D, we pick the one which is the D itself.

[00:11:10]For us to get the ray, we have to move a whole step. So we recite Y. So a whole step. We jump over this one to why want. If you want to get to the me, we need to go to the next word. So why won't another whole step. So we jump over this one. Then we get to me.

[00:11:32]Then you see that the mi is what? This is F sharp. So in the key of D, the mi or the third the third note is F sharp.

[00:11:42]So for us to move from the mi to far we move a a half step. That's why we have why won't he? So a half step from here will just end us on the next note far.

[00:11:56]Then from far to so [music] is a whole step. That's why we have where over here. So why won't he where whole step?

[00:12:06]So we jump over this. So [singing] then from this is far so that's the A from the so to the la or the five to the sixth note is also a [music] whole step movement because we have why won't he wear white. Okay. So we go another whole step over this one.

[00:12:33]Now we are on the la which is the B.

[00:12:37]Then for us to get to the T, we need to move another whole step movement because we have why won't he wear white when so a whole step from here will end us on [music] T which is the C sharp. Then finally to get back to the do we move a a half step movement. That's a H over there. So why won't he wear white when hot? So a half step movement from here will end us on back. So in the key of D we have [singing] All right.

[00:13:23]So by the time you are done going through all the 12 keys, rehearsing them, playing them over and over and over and over and over again, you'll now be able to play the major scale in all 12 keys. That's where we can now put notes together to build chords in every key. Just like alphabets are put together to build words and then these words are put together to build sentences. That's when you can now play progressions of certain songs and then we start playing simple simple simple songs and by the time you realize you are a pianist you are playing gigs you are taking uh uh gig fee [laughter] don't mind me I'm just joking so yes and of course yeah you'll be taking gig fee that one is is is a must you'll be taking gig fee Yes. Yes. So, we are going to go to another key or let me let me go over everything I just said. So, in a previous lesson that I gave, we talked about half steps and whole steps. These are the basic intervals in music that you need to learn as a beginner. We talked about that. And now we also know the names of the keys. We know that um this is F#, this is G sharp, this is B flat, this is A. This B flat can also be called A sharp because it's ahead of or it's in front of A.

[00:14:59]Yes. So if you've forgotten, let me remind you. Whenever there is a black key behind a white key, that black key becomes the the flat of that white key.

[00:15:12]So this is a white key and there is a black key behind him like this. Now this black key behind this white key can now be called the flat of this white key. So this is G. This becomes G flat. Okay.

[00:15:31]If there is a a black key in front of a white key that black key becomes the the sharp of that white key. So this same G flat it's also in front of F. So now it becomes F sharp. So every black key can have two names. You can either call this F# or J flat. You can either call this um B flat because it's behind B or you can call it A sharp because it's in front of A. So that's how we learned or what we learned in the previous lesson. And in this lesson we are learning what we call the major scale. The major scale is like the alphabets in each of the 12 keys.

[00:16:19]Okay, as we said each of these 12 keys we are looking at them like a language on its own because music is full of language and symbols. So um in every language you first of all to be able to write, read, write and communicate better in every language you you you look at the alphabets in that language and then you put the alphabets together to form words and then you join some of these words to form sentences that make meaning. It's the same in in music. When you go to every uh one of these 12 keys in music, we look at it like a language. And as a language, it has to have alphabets. And the alphabets in each of these 12 keys is what we call the major scale. When you hear the major scale, don't be scared. If you've ever heard [music and singing] that is the alphabet in every or each of the 12 keys. Each of these 12 keys has this major scale in it. And the only difference is that the arrangement of that uh major scale defense when you go to every key. This is what I played in the key of B. [music] When I go to the key of G sharp, my finger positions are going to change.

[00:17:42]But you hear that the succession of the notes are the same. Listen, [singing and music] you get you hear that when I go to the key of C sharp.

[00:17:56][music] [singing] That is what we call theoretically the major scale. How are you going to be able to play the major scale in all 12 keys? There is a simple formula. This simple formula um we got it out of a certain story that we heard about a white guy that went to Africa had a friend called Kufi and on a Saturday they went out to just you know catch some fresh air and then they saw a lot of people wearing white black shirts sorry they were wearing black shirts and the sun was so hot that day. So the the white guy didn't understand why people were wearing black while the sun was still shining so hot. So he asked and mind you his friend Kufi was a musician.

[00:18:43]So he asked Kufi why won't this man wear white when hot because we all know that white shirts can reflect the the sun rays to some degree okay or to some percentage and make you feel comfortable even when the sun is so hot. So he said, "Kofi, why won't he wear white when hot?" And then Kofi being a musician realized that no, this sentence you just gave me is a formula we use to find the major scale in all 12 keys. So we also cut that and we put it down and we realize that why won't he wear white when hot can be substituted for the W.

[00:19:23]First one in the Y is a whole step. So anytime you see a W in this sentence you you you know that we are talking about our interval whole step and whenever you see the he or the hot being you know um using an H to write them we now know that every H is a half step. So we are talking basically about whole steps and half steps. So in every key when you pick the the one and you want to find the doine for or the major scale for that key you start then for you to be able [music] to get to the ray you move a whole step you start reciting the sentence why w the y is representing a w and the w is representing a whole step. From do to ray is a whole [music] step movement as you can see. Do then we move a whole step to ray.

[00:20:20]Then from ray to me why won't? So this is another whole step. So we jump over this one. Me then from me to far we have why won't he? So we jump a half step far. You see it's forming the duri in the key of ginga far now from far to so is why won't he where so another whole step so jump from here over this to here [music] so so we have so then from so to la is why won't he wear white another whole step so jump over here to Then for us to get from or move from la to t we also look at this why won't he were white when another whole step so jump over this t then finally we have hot why won't he wear white when hot so a half step from here to so we have >> [singing] >> solo.

[00:21:43]You get it? Yes, that is the formula you can use or you can use to find a dori in all 12 keys. Look at the chart I've put here. This one you realize that uh let's pick the key of A as I've written there and find the do remain in the key of A.

[00:22:01][music] Now the one is the A. Okay, when you go to every key, the do is the the key itself. So, we pick do [music] for us to get to the ray. You see that there's a W in front uh in between the one and the two.

[00:22:18]Mind you, the one in every key is the do. The two in every key is the R. The three in every key is the the me. The uh four in every key is the far. The the so in every key is five. Okay. Six is this the la seven is the t. So whenever you hear musicians playing and then they say oh we are the next chord we are playing is a five chord it means they are going to play so chord a chord for the note so when you hear them play oh let's play a two chord it means they are going to play ray chord all right so the numbers there are just representing back to do you get it so let's pick the key of a as you can see on the chart the key of a the one or the do is do is A do for us to get to the ray, we start reciting why the whole step. So we jump over this.

[00:23:15]Uh now we have ray. For us to get to um me, we have to go another why won't a whole step. So we jump over this me.

[00:23:26]Then for us to get from move from me to far is why won't he? So it's a half step.

[00:23:35]So we move from here half step the next note far.

[00:23:41]Okay.

[00:23:42]Then to get to the so from far we move why won't he where that's a whole step.

[00:23:52]So we jump over this. So so we have [music and singing] so then from so to la is also why won't he wear white. It's also a whole step.

[00:24:05]So we jump over this and then we get la.

[00:24:09]Then for us to get from la to t or the six to the seven notes is why won't he wear white when another whole step. So we jump over this and then we get to t.

[00:24:22]Then finally why won't he wear white when hot a half step. So half step from here back to do.

[00:24:30]So we have [music and singing] so that means that in the key of A the A himself is the do. Now the key of B comes to perform the function of ray for the key of A. The key of C sharp comes to perform the function of me for the key of A. The key of D comes to perform the function of F for the key of A. So it looks like in the in music or in the on the keyboard we have 12 people coming from 12 different lingua backgrounds staying in a certain community and they help each other okay in their daily activities. When you go to the house of another key you see that other keys will be coming there to perform other functions for him. Okay, this same A that we are in his house right now. We go to another key like in the key of F.

[00:25:30]A also comes there to perform the function of me for the key of F. So they are just helping each other. They are living on the piano like a community where everybody loves everybody and they help each other. All right. So when you pick a paper just write down or try to create a table like this and then you put down the major skills of all the 12 keys using this formula.

[00:25:57]Okay. Yes. And then uh from there we can now just as I said like the major scale is uh seen we are all or we are looking at it as uh um um alphabets in all the 12 keys. We can now put these alphabets together when we enter into one key to form chords. These chords are just two or three notes put played together like this. [music] This is a a triad. This is a triad or a chord.

[00:26:28]A chord that has three notes in them is called a triad. Okay? So this is a chord, but it is a triad because it has only three notes. This is also another chord. This is a chord.

[00:26:41]This is a chord. This is a chord.

[00:26:45]This is a chord.

[00:26:47]This is a chord. This is a chord. Okay.

[00:26:50]So, after we've been able to um know the major scale in all 12 keys, we enter into one key. We pick them that that key and then we look at it major scale. Then we put some of the notes in the major scale to form chords. And these chords, we see them like words. So we now put the words also together to form sentences in the keys and then from there you now start playing simple simple simple songs. All right. By the time you realize you are becoming a pianist.

[00:27:26]Okay. So the most important thing for you to do right now is build up the foundation properly. That's why I've taken my time to go through all these basic basic basic stuff. All right. In the previous lesson, we looked at the names of the keys, how they are arranged on the keyboard, and then um some basic intervals which include of course the whole steps and the half steps and octaves. Now, we've used that information in the first lesson to form uh or to understand and play the major scale in all 12 keys. In the next lesson, we are going to look at chords, some basic chords, and then we move forward. So stay tuned and um God bless you.