Clarinet Sevenths

I've been looking at scales and everyone I see is talking about 7ths or 3rds or 4ths but I can't find anything about what they actually are. Not even on YouTube and YouTube has everything. Is anyone in a explanation mood?

So it is solfege "by the numbers." A basic, diatonic scale (most music we hear and love) is made up of seven different notes (I'd look up the song "Doe A Dear" on YouTube for the BEST explanation). It is handy to number them 1 through 8 (with 8 being the first note repeated, only one octave higher).


So, in C major the first scale degree (number 1) is "C." As you go up, you go up the alphabet. The second scale degree of the C major scale is "D." In the French discipline of solfege, you actually sing the actual name of the note. But it is easier (to most of us in the US) to just go by the number. That makes 4 an "F." The seventh is "B." When you start to consider harmony (or chords), you start to think in terms of the distance from the 1st note to whatever the the next note is. For example a fourth (perfect fourth interval) is 1 to 4 (C to F) or 2 to 5 (D to G) etc. Same idea for the other intervals such as the seventh for example (1 to 7, or C to B).



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drnBMAEA3AM




...............Paul Aviles

Maylana wrote:

> I've been looking at scales and everyone I see is talking about
> 7ths or 3rds or 4ths but I can't find anything about what they
> actually are. Not even on YouTube and YouTube has everything.
> Is anyone in a explanation mood?


Paul has given you the explanation for the interval names - 3rds, 4ths, etc.. But when you say "everyone is talking about" these interval names in connection with scales, they may have more specific meanings. For example, "scales in thirds" usually means that the notes are played (using scale degree numbers) 1-3;2-4;3-5, etc. - playing thirds that each ascend by a step - C-E-D-F-E-G etc.... Scales in fourths would go 1-4-2-5-3-6... I'm not sure I've ever seen a scale exercise in 7ths - 1-7-2-8(1)..., but it's possible. But arpeggios (broken chords) can easily include 7th chords (C7, Cminor7, C diminished7, etc.). So the exact application of those interval names might depend on the actual exercise.

Karl

The David Hite revision of Baermann 3 includes studies of all intervals for the major scales, including 7ths! (In case you didn't already have your fill with the 3rds and 6ths in older editions.)

I would suggest investing in this book, available from multiple vendors:

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/foundation-studies-op-63-165843.html

This would also be beneficial:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/practical-theory-complete-3512954.html

- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas

Yep, that's the one.

Thank you!
I actually understood that.

My book has etudes titled "2nds & 3rds", "4ths & 5ths" and "Octaves and 7ths". All the combinations I could think of.

The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.

Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475

You can get the Baermann studies for free on imslp, here:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Vollst%C3%A4ndige_Clarinett_Schule,_Opp.63-64_(Baermann,_Carl)

Bennett--That's really helpful thank you!
I don't really have any money so I can't really afford anything-hence why I find everything online.

The "Practical Theory" book by Sandy Feldstein (recommended above) can be found here, in a free pdf:

https://dn790000.ca.archive.org/0/items/FeldsteinSandyPracticalTheoryCompleteASelfInstructionMusicTheoryCourse1982/Feldstein%20Sandy_Practical%20Theory%20Complete%3B%20A%20Self-Instruction%20Music%20Theory%20Course%20%281982%29.pdf