Scale Classification

The hexatonic scale is the six-note scale between the pentatonic and the seven-note scales you already know — catchy like a pentatonic, with the flavour of a full scale. Piano lesson with Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music. Three ways to make six notes: take a seven-note scale and leave one note out (G major without F♯), add one note to a pentatonic (the minor and major blues scales), or put two triads together that share no note (G major + A minor — the "Sunday scale", a name made popular by pianist Peter Martin). Then play the pairs, in G: G + A minor, A♭ + B♭ minor, G + A (Lydian, no 7), G + F (Mixolydian, no 6), G + F minor and G + A♭ (Phrygian dominant colours), G + E♭ minor (the augmented scale), G + D♭ (a tritone apart — the Petrushka scale), and the minor-home pairs: G minor with A minor, F minor, A♭, F♯ minor and B. Last, the three families: triad pairs, symmetrical scales (whole tone, augmented, Petrushka) and culture scales (the blues scales, and six-note ragas like Marwa, Puriya and Sriranjani). The flavour is in the missing note. 🏫 Courses, Workshops or Private lessons ➡️ https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 📹 Everything for Life Bundle ➡️ https://learn-music.nathanielschool.com/ 🎹 Piano Courses ➡️ https://piano.nathanielschool.com ▶️ Related lessons & playlists Piano Workout: 2 Chords, All Inversions & Modal Hexatonic Scales ➡️ https://youtu.be/qakASBgKQ9U Piano Improvisation: 3 Ways to Use the Pentatonic Scale ➡️ https://youtu.be/p2JYPEZ7nLU How to Write a Melody on Piano Using the Pentatonic Scales ➡️ https://youtu.be/hE3I3I6bIpk Blues Scale Piano Workout: Major & Minor Blues Scales ➡️ https://youtu.be/p46g4HXjtj0 Whole Tone Scale Exercise ➡️ https://youtu.be/ljflwFHZSQM Subset Scales on Piano: Carnatic Raga Colours From Pentatonics ➡️ https://youtu.be/-ExjS5-fKog Piano Scales (playlist) ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT9qErCYaKIjOhKDf2j8Q0uH Creative Scale Practice (playlist) ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT-p0MXCH5MeTmklqTeygKP2 🎓 https://nathanielschool.com 📚 Free tutorials library — search "scales" ➡️ https://free-music-lessons.nathanielschool.com ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Why six notes 06:48 - Three ways to make six 09:58 - The Sunday scale (G + A minor) 11:04 - A♭ + B♭ minor 12:17 - Lydian, Mixolydian and Spanish pairs 15:24 - Augmented and Petrushka pairs 16:58 - Minor-home pairs 19:16 - The three families 19:40 - Symmetrical scales 21:56 - Culture scales 23:08 - Wrap-up 💰 PayPal ➡️ https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 📸 Instagram ➡️ https://instagram.com/jasonzac 💬 WhatsApp ➡️ +91 77604 56847 ✉️ music@nathanielschool.com #PianoLessons #PianoTutorial #MusicTheory #HexatonicScale

Topics:

Take one note — D — and the six chords that contain it: D major, D minor, G major, G minor, B♭ major and B minor. One chord alone lets you imagine many scales. Two chords narrow it down. Three chords and the scale is obvious. That is how chord charts really work: you read chords and you interpret scales. Full lesson (all three rounds, the chart for every pair, all 12 keys): https://youtu.be/BYP9-thyDJU 🌳 Chord Trees — pick any note, see every chord that fits it, free in your browser: https://chord-trees.nathanielschool.com Comment CHORD TREES and I'll send you the link. 🏫 Courses, Workshops or Private lessons ➡️ https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 📹 Everything for Life Bundle ➡️ https://learn-music.nathanielschool.com/ 🎹 Piano Courses ➡️ https://piano.nathanielschool.com 🛠 25+ free practice tools ➡️ https://apps.nathanielschool.com 🎓 https://nathanielschool.com 📚 All 1000+ lessons ➡️ https://learning-portal.nathanielschool.com 💰 PayPal: https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 📞 +91 77604 56847 (WhatsApp) · 📧 music@nathanielschool.com · 📷 https://instagram.com/jasonzac #MusicTheory #PianoLessons #Scales #PianoChords

Topics:

A chord is an unfinished scale. A triad gives you three notes; a scale needs seven. So the four notes you add are up to you — and that is where every scale comes from. In this lesson I build scales the unconventional way: not tone–tone–semitone, not from the modes, but from chords. One chord leaves four notes open to your imagination — D major alone gives you D major, D mixolydian, D lydian, D harmonic major, and it is also the dominant of G harmonic minor and G melodic minor. Two chords narrow it down to one or two notes: D major with G major gives you D major, D mixolydian, or G harmonic major if you make G the tonic; D major with G minor gives you the harmonic minors, melodic minors and harmonic majors; D major with B♭ major fits only one scale, and it is a beautiful one. Three chords and the scale is decided — D, G and B minor live in D major and in G major at the same time, and the functions simply swap. That is how chord charts work. You read chords and you interpret scales. You are not locked to a key signature — you let the chord, or the cadence, or the trio, dictate the scale. ✏️ Correction (05:45): I call the G minor triad “the fifth, or the dominant, of D Phrygian”. G is the FOURTH degree of D Phrygian (D E♭ F G A B♭ C) — the fifth is A — so G minor is the subdominant, the iv, of that scale. The very next sentence has it right: start from the chord and choose tonic, dominant or subdominant. Thanks to @aaditmodi1 for catching it. 📥 STUDY GUIDE + APP 🌳 CHORD TREES Pick a key and a scale and see every chord born from it — free in the browser: https://chord-trees.nathanielschool.com ▶️ WATCH NEXT Form ANY Scale in Music From 3 Perspectives: https://youtu.be/gunrSlNNiJU Major-Esque Scales You NEED To Know (Part 2): https://youtu.be/9aKo3JsXkMo Minor-Esque Scales Decoded (Part 3): https://youtu.be/_DbME-fKHiI Practice Every Scale on Piano Using Major-Minor Chord Pairs: https://youtu.be/kak4hvdjsY0 Play the Modes on Piano Using Just ONE Chord: https://youtu.be/GV3fAe9782o 🎹 LEARN WITH US Live online lessons, Bangalore centres and the Everything For Life bundle: https://nathanielschool.com 🛠 FREE PRACTICE TOOLS 25+ free browser tools for rhythm, chords, inversions, notation and ear training: https://apps.nathanielschool.com Chord Trees — every chord that fits any note: https://chord-trees.nathanielschool.com ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Performance 00:17 - Introduction: Building Scales Through Chords 🎹 00:44 - Six Major and Minor Triads Containing D 01:03 - A Triad as an Unfinished Scale 01:21 - How Two Chords Narrow the Choices 01:39 - How Three Chords Define a Scale 01:52 - Reading Chord Charts as Scale Information 02:20 - Letting Harmony Dictate the Scale 02:48 - Practice Setup at the Keyboard 03:18 - The D Chord Tree Explained 04:04 - Scales Supported by D Major 04:15 - D Major as Tonic or Dominant 04:25 - G Harmonic Minor and G Melodic Minor 05:20 - Exploring the G Minor Triad 06:00 - Dominant, Tonic and Subdominant Functions 06:27 - Bb Major Scale Possibilities 07:08 - Combining D Major and G Major 07:27 - Finding the Two Missing Notes 07:40 - D Major, D Mixolydian and Harmonic Major 08:30 - G Harmonic Major from Reinterpreted Chords 09:13 - Combining D Major and G Minor 09:28 - D7 Resolving to G Minor 10:00 - Unusual Two-Chord Scale Combinations 11:38 - D Major, G Major and B Minor 11:54 - Changing Functions in D Major and G Major 12:55 - D Minor, G Minor and Bb Major 13:35 - D Harmonic Minor or Natural Minor? 14:09 - Applying the Method to Improvisation and Composition 💛 SUPPORT THESE FREE LESSONS PayPal: https://paypal.me/jasonzac?locale.x=en_GB&country.x=IN UPI: jasonzac-1@okhdfcbank (Jason Zac) 📩 TALK TO US WhatsApp: https://wa.me/917760456847 Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonzac · https://instagram.com/nathanielschool #ChordScales #PianoScales #MusicTheory

Topics:

Learn how to group 16 piano scales into major-esque and minor-esque categories using the third interval. Theory lesson by Jason Zac. Ever wondered why some scales sound bright while others sound dark? In this theory lesson, Jason Zac introduces a simple binary framework to organise 16 different scales into just two categories — major-esque and minor-esque — based on a single defining interval: the third. A major-esque scale always contains a major third, while a minor-esque scale always contains a flat (minor) third. From this foundation, we explore eight major-esque scales including the major scale, mixolydian, lydian, lydian dominant, harmonic major, phrygian dominant (double harmonic major), and mixolydian flat 6. Each scale is built on the root A, played with supporting chord voicings, and connected to its emotional character. We then move into eight minor-esque scales: the natural minor, dorian, harmonic minor, jazz melodic minor, plus the more exotic Hungarian minor, Romanian minor, Neapolitan minor, and phrygian. You'll learn how the 6th and 7th degrees create four binary combinations within the traditional minor family, and how exotic scales introduce flat 2 and raised 4 intervals for that Eastern, Spanish, or Middle Eastern flavour. This lesson is especially valuable for composers working with Indian classical ragas, modal music, or any style where the 6th or 7th shifts between ascending and descending lines. Jason also shares ear training drills using sa-re-ga-ma syllables, pendulum-style interval singing, and chord pairings that lock each scale into your ear and fingers. 🏫 Courses, Workshops or Private lessons ➡️ https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 ========================= 📹 Our Video Courses (Everything for Life Bundle) - https://learn-music.nathanielschool.com/ 🏡 Visit our Channel for more Tutorials & Performances - https://geni.us/NathanielYouTube ========================= ▶️ Related Videos & Playlists 🎬 Major Esque vs Minor Esque — 8 Scales Explained (Part 1) - https://youtu.be/bmy_bXpE900 🎯 Major-Esque Scales You NEED To Know (Part 2) - https://youtu.be/9aKo3JsXkMo 🔑 Minor-Esque Scales Decoded: Exotic to Traditional (Part 3) - https://youtu.be/_DbME-fKHiI 💡 Play Smoother Thirds (Rhythm Drill) - https://youtu.be/e_gyu7219H0 📂 Scales & Modes - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT_8KkjOUBofqzyhbgGkROE- ========================= 🎓 Learn Music With Nathaniel School of Music & Jason Zac: https://nathanielschool.com 📚 All our YouTube lessons (1000+) categorised by skill level, topic & genre all in one place: https://free-music-lessons.nathanielschool.com ⏳ Chapter markers 00:00 - Performance 00:37 - Introduction: Why Group Scales? 01:35 - The Binary Concept: Major-esque vs Minor-esque 🎼 02:27 - What Defines a Major-esque Scale? The Major 3rd 03:09 - The 5 Crucial Intervals You Must Memorise 03:28 - Why Handwriting Theory Helps ✍️ 04:08 - What Defines a Minor-esque Scale? The Flat 3rd 05:01 - Part 1: Building 8 Major-esque Scales 05:10 - Scale 1: A Major 05:34 - Ear Training with Sa-Re-Ga-Ma Syllables 👂 07:06 - Practising with a Drone or Tanpura 07:44 - Scale 2: A Mixolydian — The Flat 7 08:47 - Pendulum Motion Ear Training Drill 09:19 - Scale 3: A Lydian — The Sharp 4 09:48 - Pairing Scales with Supporting Chords 🎹 11:17 - Scale 4: Lydian Dominant — Sharp 4 + Flat 7 12:27 - Scale 5: Harmonic Major — Flat 6 & Augmented 2nd 12:45 - What Makes a Scale ‘Harmonic’? 14:01 - Scale 6: Phrygian Major /Double Harmonic Major 15:47 - The Two Augmented 2nds 16:26 - Scale 7: Mixolydian Flat 6 17:02 - Scale 8: Phrygian Dominant 17:49 - Recap: All 8 Major-esque Scales 18:08 - Part 2: Building 8 Minor-esque Scales 18:14 - The Four Traditional Minor Scales 18:51 - Scale 9: Natural Minor — ♭6 & ♭7 18:59 - Scale 10: Harmonic Minor — Flat 6, Major 7 19:10 - Scale 11: Dorian — Natural 6, Flat 7 19:22 - Scale 12: Jazz Melodic Minor — Major 6 & 7 19:48 - Emotional Character of Each Minor Scale 21:12 - Classical Melodic Minor 21:32 - Defining Exotic Scales: Flat 2 & Flat 5 22:30 - Scale 13: Phrygian Minor — Spanish Flavour 🌶️ 22:44 - Scale 14: Hungarian Minor — Flat 3 + Sharp 4 23:28 - Scale 15: Romanian Minor — Flat 3, Sharp 4, Natural 6 24:20 - Scale 16: Neapolitan Minor — Harmonic Minor with ♭2 25:03 - How to Practise Each Scale 26:54 - Why This Framework Helps Composers 🎵 27:27 - Nirvana, The Beatles & Modal Mixture 27:46 - Indian Classical Music & Shifting Intervals 27:59 - Emotional Palette for Composition 💰 Donate on PayPal: https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonzac 📞 +917760456847 (Mobile & WhatsApp) 📧 Customised & Private Classes: music@nathanielschool.com 🎧 Listen to Jason Zac Music: https://riffs.jasonzacmusic.com/

Topics:

Learn how to group 16 piano scales into major-esque and minor-esque categories using the third interval. Theory lesson by Jason Zac.

Topics: