| LESSON 2. |
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| THE CIRCLE OF FIFTHS Why some scales have sharps in the key signature and others have flats? Lets analyse the organisation of ascending C major scale after adding high D which is just natural supertonic (2nd step) of this scale: |
| If we compare an organisation of the steps in I and II part of the scale, they appear identical. Using this principle we can built another major scale from the 5th degree (dominant - G) of the present scale: G major scale G~A~B^C~D~E~F+^G |
| On the 7th degree of this new scale sharp sign appears (F sharp) which becomes key signature of this scale: |
| Now, the creation of subsequent ascending scales using the same principle results in the following major scales with the sharp key signatures: |
| We can't create more major scales in ascending direction because of the rule of diatonic construction which dictates that the next letter of the alphabet be used in sequence. But we can still create major scales in descending direction using the same principle of adding a note as before. Lets start with descending C major: |
| If we compare an organisation of the steps in I and II part of the scale, the difference only is in the half step between low C and B. The creation of the new F major descending scale requires whole step between C and B, which is B flat. Using this principle, we will have F major scale with one flat in the key signature: |
| Now, the creation of the subsequent descending scales using the same principle results in the following major scales with the flat key signatures: |
| Now if we put C major (no sharps no flats) on the top of the imaginary circle, appears that the keys of the major scales are arranged clockwise in ascending fifths as the number of sharps is increased by one in each succeeding scale. Counter - clockwise, the keys of the major scales are arranged in descending fifths as the number of flats is increased by one in each succeeding scale: |
| There are 15 major scales and 3 of them are enharmonic scales (identical in sound but are called by different letter names: B C flat; F sharp G flat; C sharp D flat). So in general we have got 12 major scales: |
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