Well, what do you know? We’re back to the chromatic scale. And that means we’re back to square one (or circle one … pardon the pun). You see, nothing has changed about the 12 notes in this pattern. It’s just that we now have a huge advantage. Because we can see each note (and every

Nothing in music is random. And that’s why it’s so easy to learn. Patterns like the chromatic scale, the major scale, and the circle of fifths are all very simple. And because each pattern leads to the next, they’re also totally predictable. In fact, no one is throwing us any curveballs here … the science of sound

After playing all those major scales, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, that was easy. Musical patterns are basic.” And of course, you would be right. But you might have also noticed something strange in the last post. I mean, what’s up with the order of major scales? Why is the C major scale followed by G major … then D

So the chromatic scale is simple. And the most common example of this 12-note pattern is a piano keyboard. Only, you don’t actually play the chromatic scale in music. Instead, musicians use it to make smaller and more interesting patterns. And they do this using “intervals.” Intervals are the gaps or spaces between notes—and they’re basically what

I think we need a breather. I mean, the chromatic scale is cool and all. But all this talk about notes, and sharps, and flats makes me want to relax … at least for a minute or three. It turns out, musical patterns are easy. (How hard can it get with only 12 notes?) But sometimes