Scale Highlighting (Patreon)

Yo some thoughts about scales & stuff.

• Scale highlighting features on music production tools like Ableton  Live can be misleading, as they show all the notes of a scale but don't  determine the actual key or mode being used.
• The key or mode is  determined by which notes are used most frequently in a melody or chord  progression, and where they are placed.
• Many scales and modes  share the same notes, so the same melody could imply different keys  depending on note emphasis and placement.
• Establishing a clear  tonal center through the root note, dominant note, and major/minor third  helps determine the perceived key.
• Intervals like the perfect fifth and major/minor third are important for conveying key.
• Melodies can be transposed to different keys while retaining the same notes by shifting the tonal center.
• Chord progressions can explore different scales and modes without strictly adhering to one scale.
• Building melodies and progressions from familiar intervals is an easy way to experiment with different keys and scales.
• The circle of fifths can be used to systematically move between chords and explore different scales.
• Color coding notes on a piano roll by interval relationship can provide inspiration for melodic and harmonic variations.