 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BassClarinetGirl
Date: 2005-01-16 21:48
Okay, I just wanted to check with everyone that I was doing this right-
For my All State Audition Scales, I wanted to make sure that on the minor scales, that the #s written in on the up side of the scale DO NOT carry through to the down side of the scale, even though they are in the arpeggio, and that I should play those notes as naturals on the way down.
The scales are here...
http://www.mmea.org/PDFs/All-State.docs/Scales/05%20Bass%20&%20CB%20Clar%2005.pdf
Am I right or wrong?
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2005-01-17 00:57
Correct, the raised 6th and 7th notes on the ascending minor scale, melodic form, do not carry on the way back down. As far as the sharps in the arpeggios go, the dominant (5th) chord in a minor key is a major chord. The descending chord in each arpeggio sequence on the scale sheet you link to is the dominant chord.
Good luck!
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Author: Robert Moody
Date: 2005-01-17 17:34
You are correct Becca. They have you playing the relative melodic minor for each Major scale.
There are three forms of minor scales: natural, melodic and harmonic.
~Natural~ refers to the minor scale that is created "naturally" from within it's related Major scale. For example in the first scale on your PDF sheet there, C Major is c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c. If we began that exact pattern starting with the sixth scale degree `a`, we would have C Major's relative minor, `a minor`. a, b, c, e, d, f, g, a. Same notes simply starting the pattern in a different place. So this is the natural form of the minor scale.
~Melodic~ refers to the raising the sixth and seventh notes of the minor scale when you go up the scale to make it sound major again. So with the same `a` minor scale, a, b, c, d, e, f#, g#, a. The c-natural in an `a` scale makes it sound minor and then by raising the sixth and seventh notes up a half step, we put that pattern into what would be the "Major" scale for `a`. But so we don't lose the minor scale altogether, we lower those two notes back to their minor sound on the way down. So we change the pattern back to a, g, f, e, d, c, b, a. This variation of the scale gives composers more liberty of melody while retaining the minor feel.
~Harmonic~ refers to the raised seveth note of the scale. In this variation of the scale, we are creating an odd 1 1/2 steps between the sixth and seventh notes. This gives the scale a particular sound that I'm sure you'd quickly recognize if you tried it. It also allows composers a dominant seventh chord without leaving the minor color too much as the Melodic minor scale might. Our example of a minor would look like, a, b, c, d, e, f, g#, a and then back down the same way, a, g#, f, e, d, c, b, a.
I think you will find that the reason they give you the Melodic minor for your audition is two-fold: It is used more than the other two in most of the music you will play. Secondly, it requires you to remain more aware as the pattern you played up the scale changes when you come down the scale.
You may have known all this and I do not mean to insult your intelligence. But if you didn't, I often find it makes things easier, more fun or just more comfortable to do when I understand why and how things work.
Take care and good luck.
Robert Moody
http://www.musix4me.com
Free Clarinet Lessons and Digital Library!
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-01-17 17:40
And even if she did know it, there are those out here that may not have. And now we know.
"And knowledge is power!"
"And knowing is half the battle!"
"The more you know!"
. . . .
And now I'm out of old "saturday morning special" cliche's. But all in all, thanks Robert for an informative post.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: BassClarinetGirl
Date: 2005-01-17 21:51
No, that post was very informative, and no, it didn't insult my intelligence at all, Thank You Robert! I knew that minors were the 6th note of the Major, but that was about it. Now, if anything about minor scales is ever a Knowledge Bowl question, I'll score a point for my team for sure! lol.
But Alexi (funny.. my Alto clarinet was deemed Alexi by my friend... but after the figure skater Alexi Yagudin, lol)... is "Knowledge is Power" or "Power is Knowlege" correct? Think about that one. (All thanks to my very strangly taught Themes of American History class last year...)
But thanks to everybody who gave me a hand with this, I'll let you know how I do!
Becca
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