Hello I Play the synthesizer (not listed as in instrument on this site) and I decided that I wanted to learn more about the piano as it could only improve my skills.

I encountered something I don't quite understand. "Understanding Tones and Semitones.
To understand how to find other major scales we need to look more closely at the construction of our C Major Scale. Have a look at the keyboard again. By adding in the black notes, we can see that there are actually 12 notes between one C and the next."

What C should I not be counting the first C or the last C? If I count them both I get 13 and I don't count either I only get 11.

Am I correct in thinking that c to d is a Tone, but e to f is just a semitone?

Are there any good Books you recommend me reading?


Thanks for your help.

Also I am confused about this? Using C major as an example I wouldn't be including the first C as a tone right?

This pattern of tones and semitones is how the scale gets its particular colour. The major scale is formed out of the following mixture of tones and semitones :

tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.

I think you're talking about intervals - whole steps and half steps. if you look at all the notes in between an c major octave, you have:

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B <--- thats your 12 notes as the next higher C would be a repeat then starting the cycle over again.

C to D is a whole step, D to E is a whole, E to F is a half step, F to G is a whole, G to A is a whole and A to B is a whole. However, C to C# is a half step as would G# to A and so on. E and F is only a half step due to there not being any other key in between them.

The way all major scales are made is by going:

whole - whole - half - whole - whole - whole - half
c to d|d to e |e to f|f to g | g to a| a to b|b to c

You can prove this by reasoning out the G major scale which has one F#. Why and F# if its call a G major scale? Start on G and follow the w-w-h-w-w-w-h formula and you'll see:

G to A is whole, A to B is whole, B to C is half, C to D is whole, D to E is whole, E to F is only half and we need a whole here so E to F# is your whole step, then now you need a half and F# to G happens to be just that...a half step, which completes and proves the w-w-h-w-w-w-h theory. You can do that starting on any key and get a major scale. I hope this helps!

Justin

and i totally didnt proof-read that one bit, sorry hahaa

Can I just add to this a simple way of remembering the tones and semitones. If you just remember that the 3rd to 4th and 7th to 8th notes in a scale are all semitones. Try it out for yourself on each scale.

hallo!

good evening to all ! im just a new member on this site, i'm looking for piano tabs for "CROATIAN RHAPSODY by MAKSIM" , "EXODUS by MAKSIM", and "VICTORY by BOND".

i already tried searching at mx-music.com but they dont have it, i'll be using those songs for our marching band, maybe someone here would be kind enough to help me, my e-mail add is rigel_devera@yahoo.com and whiterabbit96ers@gmail.com...

hope someone could help me... thanks in advance.

Try here:
http://maksimmrvica.com/downloads/scores/