Non-Standard (Synthetic) Keys & Scales

http://www.andrewwasson.com/

Andrew Wasson of Creative Guitar Studio answers questions from off of his Guitar Blog website...

Q). I'm stuck on a music theory problem where a scale (or I guess really a key) technically does not exist in the standard collection of musical keys. For the purpose of my question here, I'll propose the key of, "G# Major." If I were to do any kind of music theory off of the root of, "G#," what would be the method I would use to create a major scale off of, "G#" ? And, could you also explain how this process might apply to other keys as well, such as, "Fb Major"? ...Thank you!
• Simon -- Boulder, CO. U.S.A.

A). Keys that technically are not part of the standard set of musical key's, are often simply referred to as; synthetic or, "non-standard."

It's important to state that the terms "Synthetic or Non-Standard" only will refer to when (for example) the new scale was derived from a traditional diatonic major scale through the alteration of one degree by a semitone in either direction. Or, in the case of an entire key, by altering the entire key in one direction by a semi-tone. In order to help you to fully understand this concept through this video lesson, I will be taking a look at how this Synthetic Key theory can be applied using the keys mentioned in Simon's question to me.

As always, Thanks for writing in!

TWITTER FEED:
http://twitter.com/andrewwasson
____________________________________

CLOTHING: Visit our Creative Guitar Studio Zazzle page:
http://www.zazzle.com/creativeguitarstudio/gifts
____________________________________

OFFICIAL Creative Guitar Studio Products Website:
http://www.creativeguitarstudio.com/
____________________________________

ANDREW WASSON - Personal Website:
http://www.andrewwasson.com
(weekly postings - w/FREE Guitar Handouts)
____________________________________

2nd YOU TUBE CHANNEL: The Guitar Blog
Andrew's Popular "GuitarBlog" YouTube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/guitarblogupdate
____________________________________

Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Wasson/76585035288
____________________________________

Creative Guitar Studio on Blogspot:
http://creativeguitarstudio.blogspot.com/
____________________________________

MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/andrewwasson
_____________________________________

Category:

Music

Tags:

• scales
• keys
• fake
• note
• root
• tonic
• non
• standard
• non-standard
• synthetic
• key
• signature
• does
• not
• exist
• phony
• theory
• made
• up
• starting
• 12
• tone
• tones
• pitch
• interval
• hear
• ear
• training
• chord
• musical
• musician
• pitches
• Música
• guitarra
• guitarrista
• learn
• eso
• lo
• he
• aprendido
• por
• aprender
• algo
• de
• memoria
• song
• lessons
• school
• help
• tutorial
• tips
• teacher
• music
• creative
• fender
• gibson
• Learning
• Lesson

[MrNinjastab]

Of course in other music theory, such as the Indian scales, there are minor tones that do occur that are not in western traditional music because with a citar, tones can be changed to 1/3 or 1/4 tone....when you study other musical traditions other than western tradition you will see that it can have other notes between the normal western traditional methods. Solitdude needs to learn more on real music theory applications other than normal western traditional thought of music.

[MrNinjastab]

In response to solitdude, these notes do exist in non-fretted instruments. I have a degree in music theory and composition. it is called enharmonic notes.....so they do exist even in some of the manuscripts of early western music....they are rare but do exist and some are written differently down on script for ease the musician to play them.....get it right man!!!!

[asierraalta7]

@solitdude Also if your dealing with instruments like violin, cello etc that doesn't have frets, or physical separation between the notes, then notes like Fb and E or B# and C are different, not like in guitar or piano.

[asierraalta7]

@solitdude Because when dealing with scales (major, minor, the modes etc) it is incorrect to "write twice" a note, meaning, you can't have in a normal scale things like a Ab, A, C and have no B. You always have to write all the seven notes (the seven letters). Is just a notation convention. Of course in instruments like guita Bbb is indeed just regular A

[solitdude]

How come you don't think of the key of Fb Major as the key of E Major instead? Then you wouldn't have to worry about the double flat Bbb, it would be A.

[GdzieJestNemo]

@VeniceKing1,

That's what's bothering me. The is something between notes but i do not know why i cannot find anything about it theorywise...just as if those neither exist nor play any role.

[VeniceKing1]

@GdzieJestNemo Listen to Eric Clapton soloing during Cream era, he uses micro-tonal bends all the time.

[GdzieJestNemo]

@creativeguitarstudio,

And how about looking on the notes from the physics side - Guitar Tuners say that the sharps/flats are the notes of frequency between the "full" notes. From this side it looks as if the theory does not include the points between eg. E and F. On string instruments that enable bending u can get the frequency of something that is eg. higher then E but lower than F. Therefore, why it's not included in music?. What's the mistake in my assumption?

[creativeguitarstudio]

@GdzieJestNemo,

Valid question. In fact, much of this was quite baffling to me as a student at Music College 20 years ago... Theory, as we use it today, is very logical the more you actually learn about it. And, many of the principles are organized as they are for how music is notated upon a music staff. Sight-Reading music plays a massive role in the process. So, if you have never spent a lot of time dedicated to reading off of the staff, much of "why" things work as they do may be mysterious.

[GdzieJestNemo]

Somethings bothers me:

If F flat = E what's the point of having the flat/sharp system insteed of setting independent 11 letters/symbols/numbers? Is it because of how he piano keyboard is layed out? And if the system is due to the frequency of a sound why there's nothing between E and F? As a self-tought and newbie to the theory it sounds a bit akward to me. It may be a trivial question but it still bothers me a lot.