This page was created as an introduction to the construction of scales and chords. Introduces to you, Interval Steps and how to use them for finding the notes that make up the different types of scales and chords used in music.

As we know it, in the world today, music is based on a 12 note system. The 12 notes that make up that system, are known as the Chromatic Scale. {see diagram below}

In music, not all 12 notes of the Chromatic Scale are played together, or with each other at the same time. That in itself would sound pretty boring. Instead, what we actually have here is a foundation of 12 notes. These 12 notes are drawn upon to construct, the different types of scales and chords that are in each of the Keys. Which are used for creating and playing music. A scale consists of 5 to 8 notes depending on the type of scale your playing in.

The notes that make up a scale or chord, are found by a system using Interval steps, that are performed on the Chromatic Scale. Interval Steps are the distance from one note to another. These distances are measured in halfsteps & wholesteps.

The halfstep, by looking at diagram below is the distance from C to C#, which is 1 note distance apart. The wholestep is the distance from C to D, which is 2 notes distance apart.

The Interval Steps used, in determining which notes are in a scale or chord, are a combination of halfsteps & wholesteps, which are performed on the Chromatic Scale.

Each type of musical scale and each type of chord in music has it's own unique interval step pattern. Which determines the notes that are in that scale or chord.

Every Interval Step you take on the Chromatic Scale, you will arrive on a note. And that note will be one of the notes in the scale. When you finish all the Interval steps, you will then have all the notes that make up that particular scale. The notes that make up chords are found the same way

Where you begin the Interval Steps on the Chromatic Scale, depends on the name of the scale. For instance, let's say you wanted to find the notes that made up the "A Major Pentatonic Scale". The { A } would be the name of the scale, and the "Major Pentatonic" is the type of scale. So you would begin the Interval Steps on the {A note}, and use a "Major Pentatonic interval step pattern" on the chromatic scale to find the notes that made up the A Major Pentatonic scale.

If you were looking to find the notes for the "B Major Pentatonic scale", you'd use the same type of Interval step pattern , but start your interval steps on the "B note".

If you were looking to find the notes for a { A Natural Minor Scale }, you would still start out on the Chromatic Scale with the { A } note, but you would use a { Natural Minor Scale } Interval Step Pattern. Which is a different Interval Step Pattern then the Major Pentatonic, or any other type of scale for that matter.

Coming up, is an example on how to find the notes that make up a scale. I know this all seems like alot to take in at one time. But believe me, it's actually a pretty easy operation once you get the hang of it! So stick around and keep strollin down!

The chart on the right has the Chromatic Scale with notes arranged in a circular pattern. I call this chart the Scale Cycle. This is the chart the Interval Steps will be performed on , to find the notes that make up the different scales in music.

Take notice of the five notes in the inner cycle. These notes are flat notes, and they have the same tone as the notes they share the space with. Depending on the Key your in, and the scale your finding the notes for, will determine which note will be used.

Moving around the cycle finding notes for a scale, is basically pretty simple. But there are some rules to follow, in order to make sure you come up with the right notes for that scale.

Rule No. 1, always move around the cycle in a clockwise direction.

Rule No. 2, the 1st note you start out with, is the name of the scale. An example being { A-Major scale } you would start out with the { A } note.

Rule No. 3, when you take an Interval step, Don't count the note your on. Always count your steps from the next note, that is in the clockwise direction.

Rule No. 4, every Interval Step you take, is a note, you arrive on, and will be a note in the scale.

Alright, now that we have the rules covered, will begin an example on finding the notes for the { C- Major } scale. This scale has no sharps or flats in it, so I believe it would be a good example scale. The following is the Interval Step pattern for Major scales.

Root | w/step | w/step | h/step | w/step | w/step | w/step | h/step

On the Scale Cycle we will begin on the { C } note. This is the 1st note in the scale, also known as the Rootnote.

The 1st Interval is a { wholestep } which takes us to the note { D }.

Now our next Interval Step which is a { wholestep } is taken from the { D } note. This will take us to the { E } note.

From the E note, we take the next Interval which is a { halfstep } and we arrive on the { F } note.

From the F note, we take the next Interval which is a { wholestep } and we arrive on the { G } note.

From the { G | note, we take the next Interval which is a { wholestep } and we arrive on the { A } note.

From the { A } note, we take the next Interval which is a { wholestep } and we arrive on the { B } note.

From the { B } note, we take the next Interval which is a { halfstep } and we arrive back on the { C } note. Which will be an Octave tone higher then the C note we started out with.

So,here you have it, the notes that make up the { C - Major Scale } are, C - D - E -F -G - A - B

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