Keys
Now, let's say that we want to start on a different note than C, but we want to play the Major pattern (T-T-S-T-T-T-S). In that case, we are playing the Major scale of a completely different "key" . If we do this of course, we will have to include accidentals, i.e. flats or sharps (the black keys on the piano) in order to keep the pattern in tact. Here's why:
Apply the Major (T-T-S-T-T-T-S) pattern starting with the note G instead of C and you get this:
T = GA
T= AB
S = BC
T = CD
T = DE
*T = EF#
S = F#G
*When we go a full tone from E, we arrive at F#. So we can then say that the key of G is spelled:
G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G.
Notice that the pattern (T-T-S-T-T-T-S) is exactly the same as in the key of C in the section on Diatonic Scales. The only difference is that when that pattern starts from the G note instead of C, it requires an F#.
Let's try it for D:
Now A:
Do you see a pattern yet?
Circle of Fifths
Every time we go up 5 notes in a scale to make a new scale, we add a sharp note and create a new sharp key.
If instead of counting up 5 notes, we go down five notes, we add a flat note and create a flat key.
For example, if we count 5 notes backwards from the high C in CDEFGABC, we arrive at the F note. Now let's apply the Major (TTSTTTS) pattern to the note F. We get
F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F.
This is the F Major scale.
Count 5 notes back starting from F and we arrive at Bb.
Apply the Major pattern to Bb and we get
Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb.
This is the scale of Bb Major. We can keep going around too.
Here are all the flat keys:
This has been made into a clever chart called the circle of fifths. All the keys available in Western music are represented here. The enharmonic keys are noted on the inside of the bottom of the circle.
The point of this chart is to help the musician memorize the keys and to show how the keys relate to one another. This will help a lot in composition and modulation, to be addressed later.
Playing the Major Scales
Playing in vertical scales in different keys on the pedal steel guitar is just a matter of keeping the same pedal and string pattern and just shifting the fret positions.
As an example, here is the key of G using the same position 8 scale we learned in the the last section:
- You can find the notation legend here:
LEGEND
- You can find the full explanation of my notation system here:
PSG NOTATION
- You can find out how to read sheet music here:
READING MUSIC
- You can find the tuning arrangement of the pedals here:
COPEDENT
Now let's look at another example, this time the key of D. We'll use the position 3 scale that we used for the key of C in the last section and move all the frets up by 2.
Key Signatures
You may have noticed that in the sheet music above for the key of G and D there are not sharp notes marked even though you know now that these keys have one and two sharps respectively. The reason is that there is a "key signature" at the left of the staff. This tells you that all the F's will be played sharp in the key of G. Or, in the case of the key of D, that all the F's and C's will be played sharp. The key signature simplifies the notation by removing redundant accidentals that would appear all over the sheet music. If a natural note is desired as the music progresses, we can just use a natural symbol to cancel an accidental in the key signature.
Here are all the keys with their key signatures:
HISTORY
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LEGEND
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