How to use this Scales Screen

This screen permits you to generate a Musical Discovery tune, from any scale, arpeggio or triad chord, for any major or minor scale, and then listen to it, or store it for use later in assembling a composition.

Setting the Key
The default key is C major. If you want a different key for your scale, use the drop-down box labelled Key, in top left corner, to select a key for your scale, then click on the Play Scale button to hear it. You will see the notes depressed on the piano keyboard, and also the notes displayed in the treble and bass clefs. You may also type the name of a key (for example Eb) into this combo box.  There are 4 option buttons for major, melodic minor,  harmonic minor, or chromatic scales.

Choosing an instrument.
The default instrument is the piano. If you want your scale to be sounded on a different instrument, firstly, select an instrument family from the drop-down box at top of the screen. This shows groups of instruments such as strings, woodwind, brass, etc.   Next, choose an instrument from the drop-down box below. This will display only instruments belonging to the family selected previously. If you tick the check-box Show favourites Only, then only those instruments which are flagged as favourites in the instruments table, will appear here. (To modify your favourites list, go to the MENU Musicology - Instruments,   move to the instrument which you want to add as a favourite, click the green Unlock Editing button, then check the tick-box Mark this as a favourite.)

Octave,   Tempo and Time Signature.
The default octave is 4, which is the scale starting from middle C (i.e. C4). You may select any other starting octave from the list box labelled "Octave".   The Tempo list box allows you to speed up or slow down the scale generated. If you change the the Time Signature, your scale will have the first beat of each bar accented more heavily than the other beats. For example, if you choose 3/4 time, the scale will sound as if played in triplets. At top right, you mays specify how many octaves for your scale or arpeggio. The default is only one octave. You may also request that the scale start on a different note than the tonic, by filling in the box Start on which degree? with a number from 1 to 7.  (1 means the tonic, which is the default,  2 means the 2nd note of the scale, for example, this would be a D in the scale of C major). You can also change the default direction of the scale or arpeggio from up and down, to only up or only down.

Action Buttons.
These buttons at bottom right of the screen generate, as per highlighted colours respectively, a single tonic note, a scale, an arpeggio, or a block chord.  The stop button stops playing, and the Save onto database button brings up a screen for cataloguing and saving your scale as a Musical Discovery tune.  The purple button labelled Store as fragment for use in composing board   places an icon for this tune at the bottom of the composing board.


TheoryMelodyDiatonicScalesUserHelp.htm       Sunday, 08 October 2006 12:15