Useful tips

Does a song have to be in the same scale?

Does a song have to be in the same scale?

No. All instruments don’t have to use the same exact scale notes, though there is a limit to how different they can be and have the piece still be listenable. If the piano were playing chords in (say) C major, and the soloist is playing in (say) C Locrian, that’s going to sound dissonant, and it may not “work”.

Do melodies have to be in scale?

In music theory, a scale is any set of musical notes ordered by fundamental frequency or pitch. However, there is no need for scale steps to be equal within any scale and, particularly as demonstrated by microtonal music, there is no limit to how many notes can be injected within any given musical interval.

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Can you mix scales in a song?

Most rock songs use pentatonic scales for leads and major or minor chords in a given key. It is entirely possible to work in notes and chords from major or minor scales in a song or solo, if you take care to resolve it back to the key of the song.

How can I get better at writing melodies?

How to Write a Melody: 9 Tips for Writing Memorable Melodies

  1. Follow chords.
  2. Follow a scale.
  3. Write with a plan.
  4. Give your melodies a focal point.
  5. Write stepwise lines with a few leaps.
  6. Repeat phrases, but change them slightly.
  7. Experiment with counterpoint.
  8. Put down your instrument.

Are songs written in one scale?

Most songs are written in a key. A key is the whole system of chords and chord functionality (which we’ll take more about in upcoming posts) based on one of the so called diatonic scales, of which the major scale and the natural minor scale (with its varieties) are the most common.

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What scales can I play over chords?

Similar to soloing over a key, you can use the major and minor scales to solo over chords. The major scale can be used over major chords, and the minor scale can be used over minor chords. Both scales, however are considered modes using the names, Ionian and Aeolian respectively.

Do songs ever change key?

It really depends on what you mean by being “in a key”. Often, music will dwell on a minor set of chords for the verse, and then switch to a mainly major set of chords for the chorus. But whether or not the song changes key in the traditional sense of the word is just splitting hairs.

Can you mix keys in a song?

Key mixing is made easier for DJs with the Camelot wheel. This shows you every musical key there is. Here’s how it works: You find the key of the tune you’re currently playing on the wheel, and you can mix any tune into it that is the same key, or an adjacent key on the wheel.