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→The Lesson
== The Lesson ==
Before getting into a lot of scales, we need to understand what scales are. '''Scales''' are most simply put an ordered series of pitches (relative to an arbitrary tonic pitch). What makes scales so interesting is both the ''sequence '' of intervals between adjacent pitches and the intervals each note forms ''against the tonic note'' or other notes in the scale. This gives a scale both a sense of melody and harmony. We build (tertiary) chords off each note of the scale by adding every other note above it, like we have in the major and minor scales. But with exotic scales, rather than getting basic major and minor triads with an occasional diminished, you often get quite a few strange chords. Even when played solo, a scale can convey emotion and cultural or personal association through its melody and harmony.
To understand a scale, you need to play it and listen to it in various registers and emphasizing various notes but particularly the tonic. This allows you to make a personal connection with it. I encourage you to try to play through all the scales below. As you become more and more seasoned in hearing scales, you'll be able to identify them more easily, and hear them in your head. And you'll feel a need to use one or more of them to express yourself. Scales are like a dialect or a language - to a foreigner it all sounds weird or goofy, but as you expand your musical palette, you'll notice the intricacies and see their beauty.
Like [[Modes|modes]], some scales can be thought of as variations from the standard major and minor scales. They can be applied over chord progressions diatonic to a major/minor scale, even if you only use them for the duration of one chord. This is a great way to add a unique feel to a song or solo without having to learn an entirely new way of thinking about melody and harmony.
== Pentatonic ==