All the scales for the Tenor Sax

[Chunsoo]

I need exactly

1. All major scales
2. All minor scales (natural, harmonic, ascending melodic)
3. All (2) whole-tone scales
4. Pentatonic scales
5. Blues scales
6. All diminished scales
7. Chromatic scales
8. Bebop scales (ionian add #5; mixolydian add Maj.7; melodic minor add #5; mixolydian b2 b6 add Maj.7; dorian add Maj.7; locrian add Maj.7)
   All of the above scales in 15 keys (7 sharp keys, 7 flat keys and the key of C)

All of the above scales in 15 keys (7 sharp keys, 7 flat keys and the key of C) on a sheet music for the tenor sax. I'm going to be applying for a band camp and its a 4 hour drive to get there so I have to make sure I get in for sure, since part of the application was on scales, but it doesn't say exactly which......since I'm applying for jazz band, I'll just do get all of the scales that I mentioned. Thanks

[DanCraven]

You want all 15 keys, huh?

[andre251]

"Around the horn"

Walt Weiskopf

That book has lots of scales in it.

And in case someone hasn't told you, like Dan Craven probably wanted to write......
F#, Gb
C#, Db
E#, F
A#, Bb
B#, C

Each pair are the same scales, so you only have 12 notes you can possibly start onto perform a scale.
C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B,
12 scales, good luck!!!!!

[gary]

How much time do you have before the audition and how many of these scales do you know now?
I would suspect that you are going to have to focus on some and not all.

[Chunsoo]

until june 14th
I already know all the major scales but haven't been practicing them lately so I might have forgotten some, I know I forgot one, there are 13 major scales right?
I also know the Chromatic, but I'm not sure with Tim meant on Chromatic Scales
I'm a fast learner when it comes to scales, so it will be nice for sheet musics or mus works since I don't have money/time to buy a book online again.
edit: ahh just remembered the one that I had forgotten, I know all major scales, so no need for those, just need the rest especially every single minor scales so I'll need all the scales here except the Major Scales

[Jazz House]

Which of the several minor scales are you planning on learning. I would go through the Cycle of Fifths/Fourths.

[maestroelite]

Don't learn scales from sheet music, it won't help you. Figure out the patterns and keys and internalize it in your head, you can't take a piece of paper in to an audition. Sounds like you need to brush up on basic music theory too, but thats for another day...

As far as patterns for the scales go, 1 being tonic

1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2. Natural - 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8
Harmonic - 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8
Melodic - 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8

3. All whole steps, as the name implies.

4. Generally people are referring to this scale when they say "the" pentatonic scale - 1 2 3 5 6. Minor pentatonic being 1 3 4 5 7.

5. 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7

6. Two basic kinds of diminished scales, half-whole and whole-half. Another symmetrical scale like whole tone except with alternating whole steps and half steps.

7. Self explanatory. Use chromatic fingerings for smooth transitions.

8. Looks like Tim already basically explained these in relation to other scales.

In all honesty though, get your major scales smooth over the full range of the instrument and understand the modes, mainly dorian/mixolydian and you'll more than likely be fine.

[gary]

Do you have to play these scales from memory?

[Bossman]

I would hope nobody just hands you the scales... it will do wonders for you to figure them out. I will give you some formulas though:

Natural minor: 6th mode of the major scale.
ex: C natural minor. Ask yourself "C is the 6th note of which major scale?" You find the answer as Eb. So C natural minor is the Eb major scale, but starting on C and ascending to C.

Harmonic minor: Natural minor, but with a raised 7th
Take the natural minor and lower the 6th degree and raise the 7th.
ex. C harmonic minor. Take C natural minor, raise the Bb to a B natural and you've got C harmonic minor.

Melodic minor: Natural minor, but with a raised 6th and 7th.
Take the natural minor and raise the 6th and 7th degrees by a semitone.
ex. C melodic minor. Raise the Ab to an A natural and the Bb to a B natural and you have C melodic minor.

Remember that when you write these scales out, you need to have 1 note of each letter name. If that means you have E sharps and C flats, so be it.

Whole tone scales: They are comprised of whole tones. Easy as that. Make one starting on low Bb and one starting on low B. Done. You won't have enough pitches to cover every letter note, so don't worry about it.

Pentatonics: There are 2 kinds, major and minor. They're the same thing, just starting in a different place.

Major pentatonic = 1-2-3-5-6
Minor pentatonic = 1-b3-4-5-b7 -> 6-1-2-3-5 of the relative major

SO C major pentatonic = A minor pentatonic

Blues scales: Minor pentatonic but ADD the b5 in between 4 and 5.

Diminished: Whole step, half step. You're done. Start one on Bb, one on B and one on C.
ex: Bb (whole step) C (half step) Db (whole step) Eb (half step) Fb etc

Chromatic: Semitone between every note.

Bebop scales: These are self-explanatory.


Like others have said, reading them off a paper isn't going to help you. If you feel like you absolutely need to, then write them out for yourself. THAT process will be very useful in understanding all this stuff. I'd say more helpful than playing them.

[gary]

It's amazing to me how little of an OP gets read sometimes. This is a kid who has a couple of weeks to play a TON of scales.

[Chunsoo]

Do you have to play these scales from memory?

Yeah, every scale I learn is in my memory....just a moment, I'm going to practice a bit...wait, up to which notes do the whole tone scales end? Is it just going as high as you can in whole steps?

[FranzKafka]

Pro tip:

Really really really really focus on your major scales!

Learn them by heart starting on each degree (note of the scale).

Then you'll automatically know all the natural minor scales (you know, since a minor scale is just a major scale starting from the sixth note and all that oh, and dorian minor is a major scale starting from the second note). From there you only have to play the seventh note a half step higher for harmonic minor and if you also play the sixth a half step higher you have you melodic minor.
If you play the sixth degree of a MAJOR scale a half step lower you get harmonic major.

This is the most important thing, I personally doubt they will ask for more than major scales and the (4) minor scales. Chromatic scale is easy and important too. Whole tone scales might come in handy, but that are only two scales so that'll be a piece of cake. Pentatonic scales are also derived from major scales. Of course try and look over the other scales if possible, but the best thing if you're short on time is just really know the major scales inside out(starting from each the degree at a reasonable tempo) and the rest will be pretty easy from there, trust me!

[ralph lh]

I have to truly commend those of you who actually put some time into responding to this post. It's a sign of the kind of tremendous help that people get on this forum.

Consider, though... This person wants to memorize virtually all scales in all [15] keys in every possible form inside of a couple of weeks or so!! ...and to quote "up to which notes do the whole tone scales end?" If this is a real request, you folks have a lot more patience than I do.

[Third]

Can you show us the application? I doubt many band camps would require more than 12 major/harmonic minor scales and a chromatic. Maybe blues for jazz I guess...

[gary]

Can you show us the application? I doubt many band camps would require more than 12 major/harmonic minor scales and a chromatic. Maybe blues for jazz I guess...

Actually, maybe Chunsoo is reading more into the requirements that are there, or which he is capable of.
Chunsoo - give us the exact link, please, of this camp and the requirements so that we can look them over.
Maybe we'll see something you don't.

I don't know, maybe you're some kind of genius, but I think you are underestimating what it will take to memorise all of those in the time you have to do them. When I find myself in such a predicament, I usually take on a smaller amout of the requirements but do them as well as I can, rather than doing a whole lot more of the requirements half-@ssed.

Also - can you post a video of you playing some of the scales you already can play, memorised? It would give us a perspective. Maybe include a whole tone scale or two, while you're at it.

[Chunsoo]

oh sorry for the late response, I've been busy with school that I forgot to check.
Well here's a link to the band camp site...the application is there and stuff, they only said scales but nothing specific so I'm not sure. I have to enter as a high school student there since I'm barely becoming a freshman in high school this year, so the audition might be tougher, I'll try to post a video when I can, I have to write an essay today and I have a day off due to Memorial Day.
http://www.txstate.edu/BOBCATBAND/ba...s-concert.html

[kavala]

All of the above scales in 15 keys (7 sharp keys, 7 flat keys and the key of C) on a sheet music for the tenor sax.

Hmmm, scales written especially for tenor sax ??

Could be tough to find.

[Pete Thomas]

oh sorry for the late response, I've been busy with school that I forgot to check.
Well here's a link to the band camp site...the application is there and stuff, they only said scales but nothing specific so I'm not sure. I have to enter as a high school student there since I'm barely becoming a freshman in high school this year, so the audition might be tougher, I'll try to post a video when I can, I have to write an essay today and I have a day off due to Memorial Day.
http://www.txstate.edu/BOBCATBAND/ba...s-concert.html

Did you get the PDF I sent?

[Chunsoo]

yeah, I learned all the melodic minor so far

[Pete Thomas]

yeah, I learned all the melodic minor so far

Ah, so it was useful then?