Week 3 - The 4 Scale Families

What’s beyond the major scale? Of course we have modes. But what’s next? 

Usually the next step in the world of tonality would be minor scales, which is a subject that branches off into a whole rabbit hole of contextual possibilities. But things can actually be thought of more simply when we consider the 4 main scale families. 

What are the 4 Main Scale Families?

First let’s establish a reference point. If we want to further the exploration of 7 note scales –AKA heptatonic scales– we must begin by acknowledging that each scale will be a combination of altered or unaltered scale tones in order from 1 to 7: 

R 2 3 4 5 6 7

As we all know, a completely unaltered heptatonic scale is called a Major Scale, and it plays an important foundational role in western music theory. 

But what happens if we begin altering those tones, and creating different combinations of flat(b) and sharp(#) scale tones?

That’s where modes come in.

A major scale has 7 unique modes, and each oner has a different combination of altered scale tones. Here is a list of the modes and their altered scale tones for you to ponder:

Ionian: R 2 3 4 5 6 7

Dorian: R 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

Phrigian: R b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

Lydian: R 2 3 #4 5 6 7

Mixolydian: R 2 3 4 5 6 b7

Aeolian (Natural Minor): R 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

Locrian: R b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7

Each mode has a unique sonic territory. Chose any of these and apply them to your playing. For example, improvise using any of your 5 Forms, but flat the 7th to create a mixolydian sound, or flat the 3rd and 7th to create a dorian sound.

Modes are a great way to create different sounds in your playing, and they are always associated with a type of chord (i.e.- Mixolydian = Dom7)

But the journey does not end there. 

What happens when we use combinations of altered scale tones that DO NOT exist in the major scale family of modes?

Here’s where we get to the 4 Main Scale Families. If we consider these scales and all of their modes, we arrive at all possible combinations of 7 note altered/unaltered tones. In other words, there are 28 musical scale possibilities, and they are all encompassed by the 4 Main Scale families.

The 4 Main Scale Families Are:

Major: R 2 3 4 5 6 7

Harmonic Major: R 2 3 4 5 b6 7

Melodic Minor: R 2 b3 4 5 6 7

Harmonic Minor R 2 b3 4 5 b6 7

Can you find a 7 note scale that does not exist within one of these scales?

That means, that any 7 note scale (combination of whole step and half steps in order) is going to either equate one of these scales, or a mode of one of these scales. 

What do we do with this information?

It would be really overwhelming to try to learn all of these scales and modes at once, so I would recommend against trying to do that.

But hopefully you already know that it’s best to internalize the major scale first. That way you can have a reference point, because for instance, how can you flat a 7 without knowing how to play a 7?

So what you can do is apply any one of the 4 Main Scales to a single major scale. You simply play your form, but make the alternations necessary for each of the scale families. Here’s an overview of each of the 4 main scales based on a 6th String Front Form in the Key of G:

Beginning with the Major Scale: R 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

*You should already know this one!



Next we’ll explore the Harmonic Major Scale: R 2 3 4 5 b6 7

*Notice how everything is exactly the same except the 6th scale tone is flatted.

Now we’ll look at the Harmonic Minor Scale: R 2 b3 4 5 b6 7

*Notice how everything is the exact same as the Harmonic Major, except we flat the 3rd.

Lastly we have the Melodic Minor Scale: R 2 b3 4 5 6 7

*Notice how similar this is to the Harmonic Minor, except we are making the 6th note natural again. (note: traditionally this scale looks like this when ascending, and like a natural minor scale when descending. In modern music theory, we typically will think of this scale only as the ascending form, which makes it more practical.)

All I would recommend doing at this point is playing through each scale and really listening for the general feeling each one creates. You may notice that you are more attracted to one over another, or that one sounds weird, or another is easier or hard to remember.

There are great observations. Simply observe your beginning relationship with these sounds and see where it takes you. If one of these scales intrigues you, let it inspire you to find out what else you can do with it. Perhaps you want to improvise with it, take a pattern through it, or play it climbing up only 1 string.

The 4 Main Scale Families provide a clear foundation on how to think about music.

Let this information not overwhelm you, but rather peak your curiosity. There is no rush to master them all. Simply allow yourself to enjoy their sounds, and inso doing you are likely to come up with a fun exploration, new song, or newfound appreciation for music.