14 focused lessons
Music scales and keys
Learn major, minor, pentatonic, and blues scales. Build step patterns, read the circle of fifths, and connect scale degrees to musical keys.
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Lesson 01The Major Scale: Whole-Step and Half-Step Pattern
Learn the major scale formula of whole and half steps. Build a scale using each letter once, check the semitones, and try a short practice task.
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Lesson 02The Natural Minor Scale: Notes and Step Pattern
Learn the natural minor scale formula and how it differs from major. Build A natural minor and compare its third, sixth, and seventh degrees.
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Lesson 03Relative Major and Minor: Same Signature, Different Home
Understand relative major and minor keys with C major and A minor. Compare their shared notes, different tonics, and phrase endings.
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Lesson 04Parallel Major and Minor: Keep the Tonic, Change the Scale
Learn the difference between parallel major and minor. Compare C major with C natural minor by changing the third, sixth, and seventh degrees.
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Lesson 05Major Pentatonic Scale: Five Notes You Can Use
Learn the major pentatonic scale formula, 1–2–3–5–6. Build C major pentatonic and turn its five notes into a short, repeatable musical phrase.
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Lesson 06Minor Pentatonic Scale: Degrees, Notes, and First Phrases
Learn the minor pentatonic scale formula, 1–flat 3–4–5–flat 7. Check the notes of A minor pentatonic and practice a short phrase around its tonic.
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Lesson 07The Minor Blues Scale: Add the Flat Fifth
Learn the minor blues scale formula and its added flat fifth. Build the A blues scale, compare it with minor pentatonic, and try a passing-tone phrase.
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Lesson 08The Chromatic Scale: All Twelve Semitones
Learn the chromatic scale and its twelve semitones. Follow adjacent pitches through an octave and understand why ascending and descending spellings can differ.
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Lesson 09The Circle of Fifths: Keys, Signatures, and Neighbors
Learn how to use the circle of fifths to compare keys and key signatures. Follow sharps clockwise, flats counterclockwise, and practice neighboring scales.
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Lesson 10Scale Degrees: Name Notes by Their Role in a Key
Learn scale degrees 1 through 7 and their relationship to the tonic. Name notes by their role in a key, then transpose a short pattern.
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Lesson 11Musical Intervals: Count Letters and Semitones
Learn musical interval names using letter distance and semitones. Compare major, minor, and perfect intervals, including differently spelled tritones.
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Lesson 12Melodic vs. Harmonic Intervals: One After Another or Together
Compare melodic and harmonic intervals: notes played in sequence or together. Hear the same pitch distance in both forms and practice each separately.
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Lesson 13Harmonic Minor: Raise the Seventh Degree
Learn the harmonic minor scale formula and A harmonic minor notes. Hear the raised seventh, leading tone, and major dominant chord in a minor key.
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Lesson 14Melodic Minor: Classical and Jazz Conventions
Learn how classical and jazz melodic minor differ. Compare ascending and descending A minor forms and check the raised sixth and seventh degrees.
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