3/2_Major scale/1st Inversion

Basic

Quick recap: how many possible notes are there?

Right, 12. But just because you have all these possible notes to work with, doesn't mean that they will all sound good with each other.

A scale is a set of notes that sound good with each other.

The two most common scales are the Major and Minor scales. Generally speaking...

• the Major scale sounds happy/upbeat. You hear it a lot in pop music.
• the Minor scale sounds more sad or intense. You hear it a lot in hip hop and other harder styles of music.

What you should know about scales is that they are created by the way the notes are spaced out by the amount of space between each note. Take a look at the keyboard:


When two notes are right next to each other, it is called a half step (for example C to C#).
When two notes have a note in between them, it is called a whole step (for example, C to D).

How much space is in between E and F?

OK, so now that we know about whole steps and half steps, I'm going to reveal to you the formula that will let you make a Major scales from any key on your keyboard...

Major scale formula:

W-W-H-W-W-W-H

Once you know the formula for a scale, it doesn't really matter what key you start on. You can always make the kind of scale that you want. Today, we are only focusing on the Major scale, so let's hear for ourselves what I'm talking about...

For today's assignment, please do the following:

1. Copy the file called "Major scales.rns" to your folder from the Pickupdropoff.
2.Open the file.
3. Create an NN19 Digital Sampler. (There will already be an NN19 in your rack. Don't worry about this.)
4. Load a piano patch into the NN19. For example: Reason Factory Sound Bank>NN19 Sampler Patches>Pianos and Keyboards>BRIGHT PIANO.smp
5. Hit the Play button (spacebar) to listen to the tempo of the metronome.
6. Now practice playing the C Major scale up and down in time with the metronome - play a note in time with each click. If the tempo is too fast, slow it down.

This is the order of the notes you will play: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-C-B-A-G-F-E-D-C

7. When you are confident about being able to play this, go ahead and hit the Record button and then Play to start recording. When you are done, hit Stop.
8. Hit Play to listen to your performance. If you like it, move on to the next step, if not, then delete your performance and start again.
9. Now move your markers so that the L is on Bar 5 and the R is on Bar 9.
10. Pick another white key (I recommend G or D) and, looking at your Keyboard Worksheet, figure out the keys of the Major scale starting from this note. Mark them on your worksheet.
11. When you've got all the notes figured out, practice and record yourself playing this scale and show the instructor.
12. Save the file as "(your name)_Major scale.rns"

Remember the formula!

W-W-H-W-W-W-H

Advanced

Today, you are going to start working with inversions. Inversions are chords played with the keys in different orders. They are useful because they let you give the chord a slightly different sound while keeping the basic feel the same.

Today, you're going to work with what is called the 1st inversion.

Please do the following.

1. Create a Reason beat (or open one that you have already been working with).
2. Create a simple 4-bar drum beat with either Redrum or Dr. Rex.
3. Create a melodic instrument (NN19/Malstrom/Subtractor/etc.)
4. Decide whether you want to work with a Major or Minor chord.
5. Pick a note to start with and figure out the Major/Minor chord from that note.
6. Now take the 1st note off and find where the same note is, one octave up.
7. Move your hand so that your thumb is where your the 3rd finger used to be, your middle finger is where your 5th finger used to be and your little finger is on the high note that you just found. Play this new chord.
8. Record yourself switching between the original chord and this new chord inversion that you just figured out.
9. Save the beat as your name_1st inversion and turn it in to the dropoff folder.