Music Theory and major scales.

[Modulus2]

Hey this is great! :-)

My question is this. I know that an A major scale has 3 sharps. I know that the perfect cycle of 4ths or 5ths pertain to flatted or sharped keys respectively.

I was going through a tutorial on how to write all the major scales out. We know that it must have WWHSWWWHS to be a major scale by definition. This tutorial stated to start out with the root note(A) and then write all notes afterwards, then go back and adjust for the half steps as they correspond to their respective notes.
The exercise then stated to write an A major scale. There was a link to the answer. Well it had the bass clef signature, and according to the web site author this is why it showed it notated musically as starting out with F??? He stated that because it has the bass clef, it looks like an F note starting from the middle C position....hmmmm...I thought irregardless that the line names, and spaces were the same, whether a bass clef, or treble cleff?

Please help me to understand what it is that I don't know

Thanks,

Modulus2

[bobcat]

Hi! And welcome to Cyberfret.com!

You and the author are both correct! What you were seeing is really the A major scale. The author is correct with how he/she wrote it. The key is, you are reading Bass Clef and not Treble Clef. To better understand this, check out http://www.cyberfretbass.com/reading/primer/standard/index.html . This will teach you how to read bass clef.

You are correct that a major scale will always be WWHWWWH. It will be this pattern no matter if it is in Bass Clef or Treble Clef. Be sure to look at the clef and see what note you are starting on in order to determine what scale you are playing. For guitar you will always use treble clef...bass guitar will always use bass clef.

Hope this helps! :p

[Modulus2]

Ok thanks a lot. That makes sense...NOW I understand that the Bass Clef starts out with different line/space assignments it all falls into place. I just never realized that it would be different, always assumed the same notes from middle C, or Bass clef.
Appreciate the response Bobcat...Maybe someday I can replay(repay) the favor...heheehhehhe


Modulus2 ;-)