Music Theory Illustrated: Color and Metaphor

Pitches Cycles Scales and Keys

Parent Scale: C Major Parent Scale: C Major
Cool Warm The Circle of Fifths
b D Dorian
E Phrygian =
&
0 Sharps
D Dorian
E Phrygian =
&
0 Sharps
D Lydian Relative Minor: A Minor D Lydian Relative Minor: A Minor

C C G Mixolydian
A Aeolian
G Mixolydian
A Aeolian

C# C B Locrian B Locrian

C# Db F# G
Parent Scale: F Major
Parent Scale: G Major

b
=
& =
&
B D
A Dorian G Dorian
D E A B Phrygian 1 Sharp
A Phrygian
1 Flat
C Lydian Relative Minor: E Minor Bb Lydian Relative Minor: D Minor
D Mixolydian C Mixolydian

D# Eb E Aeolian D Aeolian

F# Locrian E Locrian

E Fb b
b
Parent Scale: D Major Parent Scale: B Major
The Circle of Fourths
b
E# F b bbb b
bb
E Dorian

F# Phrygian
=
&
2 Sharps
C Dorian

D Phrygian
=
&
2 Flats
Relative Minor: B Minor Eb Lydian Relative Minor: G Minor
G Lydian

b bbb b
A Mixolydian F Mixolydian

b
F# Gb Cb C
b
B Aeolian G Aeolian

C# Locrian A Locrian
Gb F
b
bb
G
b bbb b
Parent Scale: A Major Parent Scale: E Major
Db Bb
b Ab Eb B Dorian =
& F Dorian
=
b
& b
bb b b bb
G# Ab C# Phrygian 3 Sharps G Phrygian
3 Flats

b
Relative Minor: F# Minor
D Lydian Ab Lydian Relative Minor: C Minor

E Mixolydian Bb Mixolydian
F# Aeolian C Aeolian
A G# Locrian D Locrian

b
bb
Parent Scale: E Major Parent Scale: A Major

=
&
=
b
& b
A# Bb
F# Dorian
Bb Dorian
G# Phrygian 4 Sharps C Phrygian
Relative Minor: C# Minor 4 Flats
A Lydian Relative Minor: F Minor
Db Lydian
B Cb B Mixolydian
Eb Mixolydian
C# Aeolian F Aeolian
D# Locrian G Locrian

b
Symmetries bb
b
Parent Scale: B Major Parent Scale: D Major

Chromatic Scale
All 12 notes of the chromatic scale
C# Dorian

D# Phrygian
=
&
5 Sharps
Eb Dorian =
& bb
5 Flats
F Phrygian Relative Minor: Bb Minor
C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B Relative Minor: G# Minor
E Lydian Gb Lydian
Diminished Scale 1 F# Mixolydian Ab Mixolydian
The chromatic scale, beginning on C, divided in groups of
alternating whole and half steps. G# Aeolian Bb Aeolian
C C# D# E F# G A Bb C Locrian

b
A# Locrian

bbb
Diminished Scale 2

bbb
Parent Scale: F# Major Parent Scale: G Major

=
The chromatic scale, beginning on C#, divided in groups of

=
&
alternating whole and half steps.

&
C# D E F G Ab Bb Cb
G# Dorian Ab Dorian
Whole Tone Scale 1 A# Phrygian 6 Sharps 6 Flats
The chromatic scale, beginning on C, comprised of all whole steps. Bb Phrygian Relative Minor: Eb Minor
Relative Minor: D# Minor
C D E F# G# A# B Lydian Cb Lydian

C# Mixolydian Db Mixolydian
Whole Tone Scale 2
The chromatic scale, beginning on C#, comprised of all whole steps. D# Aeolian Eb Aeolian

Db Eb F G A B F Locrian
E# Locrian

b
Tri-tones

bbb
An interval spanning the distance of 3 whole tones. There are 6 groups

b
of non-repeating tri-tones, one-half of the chromatic scale. Parent Scale: C# Major Parent Scale: C Major

=
& =
& bbb
1 step 1 step 1 step
C D E F# C

C# G C#
D# Dorian
Db Dorian
D G# D
E# Phrygian 7 Sharps 7 Flats
Eb Phrygian
D# A D# Relative Minor: A# Minor Relative Minor: Ab Minor
F# Lydian Fb Lydian
E Bb E
G# Mixolydian Gb Mixolydian
F B F
A# Aeolian Ab Aeolian

Bb Locrian
B# Locrian

Copyright 2008, Lee Barry. All rights reserved.