Do all instruments in a beat have to be in the same scale?

  • Thread starter Thread starter koalafresh
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Someone have probably already mentioned this, too lazy to read at the moment, sorry. If you do a song in a Major scale or a Minor, there is always a fitting Minor scale for the Major and the same goes for the Minor scale. Now I can't really point out where, search around for. An example is that rock songs are mostly in Major scale, if I'm not mixing it up anything, you can play to that song your own melody with same Major scale, OR in the Minor scale. So my answer would be no but still yes? Because the Major and Minor scales must be close to each other in specific way, and there is probably more scales you can add to for example a E or D scale.
 
Royce Ross said:
I am not a music theory expert by any means, so please excuse any information I may misconstrue...

The short answer to your question is 'yes'. When composing, all the notes you play should be in the same 'key'. All of your chords and melodies should only have the notes from that particular 'key'. But of course, you COULD have notes from outside a certain 'key', if that is to your own personal 'taste'. But on the subject of 'personal taste', each 'key' has it's own 'flavor' to it. For example, the key of 'C Major' exhibits a sound that feels 'happy, innocent, pure'. I hope this insight has answered your question. :)
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Agree. Of course there are basically no rules when it comes to music. If you have an "odd" idea which sounds good, do it! There's no instructions how to make music "correctly". It's art.
 
If you ever want to go on an adventure, strap on your mixolydian hat
 
why did these posters hijack your thread to talk about keys and notes? We're talking EQ and it turned into a pissing match.
 
illmindset said:
why did these posters hijack your thread to talk about keys and notes? We're talking EQ and it turned into a pissing match.
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This was the original post:

koalafresh said:
This question stems from general curiosity.

I've taught myself how to make beats for a year. They've been made by what sounds good to me. I've also taken courses in basic music theory. However, when I'm layering a track out lets say, piano, bass and strings. Should the instruments generally be played in the same scale? Or is this more a subject that depends on taste?

Fresh
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So the original question was about notes, scales and chords: the eq folks hijacked the thread.
 
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Should you also pitch your drums into the same scale?

I read somewhere you should but tbh I never really do it.

@bandcoach, I'm liking the new avatar, was it a heavy weekend?
 
As my jazz mentor tells me,
"There are no mistakes, if you know what you're doing and have a reason for what you're doing."
No, you don't need to stay in the scale. In fact, I know sax players who when soloing (to go outside aka not play notes in the scale for tension's sake) will solo over a completely different tune than the one they are actually playing!
You can do whatever you want to do dude. Who is going to stop you besides yourself? You might find that you like the sound of tones not in the scale you are using. Example? Cmaj7#11. that f# isn't in C major, but godDAM does it sound good in that key.
 
DJR said:
Should you also pitch your drums into the same scale?

I read somewhere you should but tbh I never really do it.
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If you are using pitched samples to begin with such as an 808, then yes, pitching into the scale will help lock things together

@bandcoach, I'm liking the new avatar, was it a heavy weekend?
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No, just a treated shot from below

JoeOsoDopke said:
As my jazz mentor tells me,
"There are no mistakes, if you know what you're doing and have a reason for what you're doing."
No, you don't need to stay in the scale. In fact, I know sax players who when soloing (to go outside aka not play notes in the scale for tension's sake) will solo over a completely different tune than the one they are actually playing!
You can do whatever you want to do dude. Who is going to stop you besides yourself? You might find that you like the sound of tones not in the scale you are using. Example? Cmaj7#11. that f# isn't in C major, but godDAM does it sound good in that key.
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Another jazz quote, if it sounds wrong, play it again, then people will know you meant and think you know about jazz.

As for using non-scale tones, it takes a solid knowledge to pull it off as it needs to prepared and exited carefully, yet fluidly, something that most beginners are lacking
 
hezekiah74 said:
For me I simply learned the 7 chords in a few comfortable scales. That would be the Maj, Min, Min, Maj, 7th, Min, Dom.

A lot of the theory puts people off, but basically learn the chords for a particular scale and experiment at what points you can jump into another scale. Many scales share chords - that's the transition point.

Reading too much theory will discourage you - experiment !!!
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Where did you get this information from?

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decemberdusk said:
No, they are NOT two different scales... you're just omitting certain tones in the pentatonic scale: same tones as in the regular scale. Still diatonic as ever.

"Penta"= FIVE, so "penatonic"= FIVE tones. Not even a variation such as in the minor mode.

Also, remember- if you are using the same tonal center, then it is not a modulation, it is called MODE MIXTURE, but that is not the case in your pentatonic example. If you went from C Major to c minor, that would be called mode mixture. If you went from C Major to a minor (the relative minor) then you would label it as a modulation becuase you change your tonal center from "C" to "a."
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That's why you should add dub steps in transition. Never will you go wrong there. Nice info however.

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jackhzrd said:
There is no line, but the general parameters usually are:

1. One song in the same key throughout and all tonal instruments follow the same scale

2. Basic chords only, maybe some 7ths thrown in, but usually no need to bother with 9ths, 11ths, 13ths etc

3. 3-4 chords in the progression per part (verse, chorus, bridge) is in the money

4. It's all about the central hook

5. it's even more about the main vocal(ist)

6. theme it around relationships, partying, sex or money

7. keep it over 3 and under 4 minutes

8. give the record exec some ass and your dandy :D
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Of course.

---------- Post added at 02:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:41 PM ----------
decemberdusk said:
"Notes don't really have any specific sound?" Are you speaking philosophically here? Something akin to that old musical adage: "it's not the notes you play, but the silence between them..."

I doubt you're being literal about your statement. Yes, any one, lone note singing all by it's lonesome self cannot really give you any indication of what will come next, which will in turn give the listener some idea of tonality, but how many pieces do you know of that only has one note the entire track? I cannot recall any off of the top my head...

One note has specific frequencies within itself and we give each note a value (e.g. A 4 (above middle C) = 440 Hz). If you go up one octave, multiply that number by two. Divide by two if moving down one octave, so on and so forth. Every single note has a different Hz value.

You also have the overtone series which is basically when all the tones above a sounding note are heard, but the fundamental pitch (the one you're playing) is heard the loudest and that's why the Major scale sounds so right= because it is naturally occurring in the physics of sound.

Ever wonder why some chords sound right (consonant) and some sound like they clash (dissonant)? This is why, the overtone series is either in sync or literally causing close out-of-sync rhythms within themselves.

Back to your one note theory: We are brainwashed into tonality, it's everywhere and the ear will want to hear tonality for this reason. The German composer Arnold Schoenberg hatched a new device of composition where a tonal center could be totally avoided and it is called Serialism. This makes use of all twelve tones of the octave using mathematics to write music... I'm sorry to say, but the ear will still make tonal associations even though he tired to avoid it. So, yes, one note will not make the scale, but give a couple of notes after that and the brain/ ear will begin to guess the tonality of the piece/ track/ song/ symphony/ et al. Peace.
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Serialism on sell.
 
Yes, all music should be restrained to the same key. Now whether or not you change the key in the middle etc is up to you. But at all times please remain in the same key.
 
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