Unlocking the Mystery: Why Do Minor Scales Have 7 Notes?
In the complex and fascinating world of music theory, understanding how to build scales stands out as a fundamental pillar. For both novice and veteran musicians, a deep understanding of the intricacies behind musical scales will absolutely increase appreciation and competency in music. The major scale’s note structure is commonly understood as consisting of two tetrachords. The first tetrachord follows a sequence of whole step, whole step, half step, while the second tetrachord follows a sequence of whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. Its counterpart, the minor scale, however, often raises questions amongst aspiring musicians. How come it also consists of seven notes? In this post, we will dive into a harmonic exploration as we examine the reasoning between the seven-note structure of major scales. The Foundation: Musical Scales The concept of scales is quintessential to music theory and serve as the building blocks for melodies and harmonies. Scales can be defined as...