How to identify in which scale the song is?

Discussion in 'Beginner's Q&A Forum' started by anilkrishna, May 4, 2006.

  1. anilkrishna

    anilkrishna New Member

    How to identify whether a song is in major scale or in minor scale.
    What I understand is if the song is in the signature of
    C D E F G A B C
    we call it is a major scale song.
    But the "C Major scale" relative minor scale is A Minor Scale. Then why we should not call it as a " A minor Scale" song.
    I hope somebody at IGT will make me to come out of this confusion.
     
  2. ronnieanand

    ronnieanand n00bier th@n th0u

    Play C D E F G A B C and also A B C D E F G A.. Though both the scales share the same note, they dont really sound the same... With chord progression, they will have the same chords but mostly you should look at the first chord. Take two chord progressions

    C Am G Dm ==> C Major Progression

    Am Dm C Em => A Minor Progression

    Not a strict rule but it's mostly like that... You are lucky if you can find a progression like this, which can be easily identified..

    Take for example

    F G Dm Em

    This can be confusing because even though it starts with F, it's not F Major Scale 'cos the next chord G which is the next note in the scale is also a Major. Normally two majors consitute a Lydian Mixolydian pair.... Now this is in a key of F Lydian or still rooted like the C Major or A Minor scale even though both these chords are not used....

    If it's confusing, forget what you read the things just before this and read and understand only the first part... The second part will come to your understanding naturally as you mature more...
     
  3. anilkrishna

    anilkrishna New Member

    Thanks, ronnieanand for giving some more clarity.
    I have tried playing the C major scael and A minor scale progression and found the difference.
    And as you told,
    C Am G Dm ==> C Major Progression

    Am Dm C Em => A Minor Progression

    I will play with these chords progression, to find the more difference.
    In the second example, which you have mentioned.

    F G Dm Em
    I dont' know in which mode it is. But at least I know that these chords are from C major Scale. so I can say that it is from Major scale.
     
  4. amit82cse

    amit82cse Silent observeR

    Major scales always have following sequence:

    major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, deminished

    your chords F G Dm Em represent pattern of C major scale
     
  5. ambush

    ambush _RASTA_man_

    whats extended
     
  6. amit82cse

    amit82cse Silent observeR

    I meant deminished..corrected now
     
  7. ronnieanand

    ronnieanand n00bier th@n th0u

    Dude, if you dont know, please dont misguide beginners who are asking for help...You are only confusing them more.........

    F G Dm Em ==> If you properly knew the G Major Scale progression, you will know that D is a major (V Chord or the Mixolydian Chord) and in this case, I have given D as Minor. This one is properly in the C Major progression and is of the Lydian Mode..
     
  8. ronnieanand

    ronnieanand n00bier th@n th0u

    It's diminished.........
     
  9. anilkrishna

    anilkrishna New Member

    Thank you guys, this conversation helped me a lot.
     
  10. amit82cse

    amit82cse Silent observeR

    Yeah...you are right...Dm Em F G is C major progression...something confused me too...G major is G Am Bm C D Em F# diminished...

    Thanks for pointing it out...
     

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