Question about Ableton's Scale MIDI effect

[mgpg]

Can't really figure out the MIDI scale effect ...

Let's say I want to write a tune in B-Flat Minor... How would I program the Scale effect so every note I play on the keyboard gets corrected to the nearest possible note in B-Flat Minor?

Thanks in advance

[yur2die4]

You can set it to play in C minor. Then tweak the key knob so that the root note is A#. Basically if you have a C version of a scale, you can change the key knob and you're good.

Convenient for mashing stuff out, but also nothing beats taking time to learn the basics of a scale.
An alternative would be leaving it at the C version of a major or minor scale, and adding a pitch midi effect after. Change the Pitch effect to taste to transpose all your keys on the keyboard (-2 for Bb). Then you can play using C as the root note still and not get so lost. But you lose some of the mystique of making your fingers play a different area

[mgpg]

nothing beats taking time to learn the basics of a scale.

I'd like to learn, though ... any good references you can point me to?

[8O]

Like this?



Set the base note (the left hand column to B-flat aka A-sharp). Column 1 means that an incoming B-flat will send out B-flat. Column 2 means that an incoming B will send out a B-flat. Column 3 means that an incoming C will send out a C. Column 4: incoming D-flat-> D-flat. Column 5: incoming D-> D-flat.

And so on...

[yur2die4]

Different scale types are based on different 'modes'. This will in no way be a thorough explanation, just a shortcut to get you going and perhaps curious to look into more. (and keep in mind that a scale is t necessarily a hard and fast method for avoiding certain notes. But the ones you are left with certainly play nicely with a song that is playing)

C major as a scale uses the white keys on the keyboard starting on the key C. There are lots of C on the keyboard. Lucky for us it is established what C is and the C major scale is. They aren't going to change on us. So to make your C scale, you are starting at C and ending on C.

If you notice the black keys in combination with the white keys, Not using those specific keys is the basis for what makes your C scale. In total there are 12 keys to choose from on the way up to C, and them C being the thirteenth one. So now we must learn how to get that major scale 'sound'.

Starting on C if you hit the next white key, you will notice that there is a key inbetween them. This means you've just skipped a key, to make your way to D. Let's say you went 2 steps (a Whole step, or major 2nd). As you go to E, you do it again (another 2). From E to F however, there is no key inbetween. This means we've only escalated by 1 step (Half step, minor 2nd). F to G is a whole step, G to A is Whole, A to B whole, and B to C is a half step.

This really helps if you follow along with the image of a keyboard or an actual keyboard. And if you can 'hear' it in an uninterrupted sequence played by your own fingers, all the better for sure!

The sequence you just played is 2212221. Or WWHWWWH (W being whole, H being half). The nice thing about the C major scale is that this sequence is reflected on the keyboard and easy to refer to. When you look at the black keys going from C, you see the two in a row, a missing one, and then three in a row. Just like how there are two 2's and three 2's grouped together in the sequence of 2212221. Remember that sequence.

Now try it from F and if you've done the sequence properly, you will end up using a black key and skipping a white one (a scale will always be expressed alphabetically. In this case our B key goes missing. We still have our A after the G. So we use that black note as B flatted. And carry on with our alphabet sequence).

Next try it from G. You can memorize these and especially make damn sure that they all Sound the same. Sincere, they basically Are the same sound, just from a different starting point. Then try it from a black key. 2212221 from Db uses all the black keys and only two white keys. If you do the exact same thing from the se note and call it C#, the 7th note in the scale lands on C... But since we must follow the rule of being alphabetical, we can't have C and C# in the same scale.. C ends up being B#. Maybe?? I'm not sure actually haha

Anyway, as I mentioned, our scales are mostly based on Modes. You can use only the white keys starting on F and you are using a mode that skips three black keys, and then two black keys. You would have 2221221. You can then apply that mode by starting from any other key on the keyboard and using that sequence.

If we start the minor mode from A, you see one black key, then two, then two. Something like 2122122. It is still just a recombination of 2212221, but starting at the second to last digit. If you start a minor mode from C (C minor), it'd be C D Eb F G Ab Bb. Play that and compare it to CDEFGAB. That is the difference between a major and minor scale. I enjoy playing children's songs by switching keys out from major to minor haha

Lastly, there are three kinds of basic minor scales. And tons of scale possibilities in general. Hopefully that has given you the foundation for constructing your own major and minor scales, and investigating further when you have free time, and being slightly less intimidated by what you are reading.

Edit: agh, I can't believe I just typed that all from my phone after just waking up in bed haha

[mgpg]

Different scale types are based on different 'modes'. This will in no way be a thorough explanation, just a shortcut to get you going and perhaps curious to look into more. (and keep in mind that a scale is t necessarily a hard and fast method for avoiding certain notes. But the ones you are left with certainly play nicely with a song that is playing)

C major as a scale uses the white keys on the keyboard starting on the key C. There are lots of C on the keyboard. Lucky for us it is established what C is and the C major scale is. They aren't going to change on us. So to make your C scale, you are starting at C and ending on C.

If you notice the black keys in combination with the white keys, Not using those specific keys is the basis for what makes your C scale. In total there are 12 keys to choose from on the way up to C, and them C being the thirteenth one. So now we must learn how to get that major scale 'sound'.

Starting on C if you hit the next white key, you will notice that there is a key inbetween them. This means you've just skipped a key, to make your way to D. Let's say you went 2 steps (a Whole step, or major 2nd). As you go to E, you do it again (another 2). From E to F however, there is no key inbetween. This means we've only escalated by 1 step (Half step, minor 2nd). F to G is a whole step, G to A is Whole, A to B whole, and B to C is a half step.

This really helps if you follow along with the image of a keyboard or an actual keyboard. And if you can 'hear' it in an uninterrupted sequence played by your own fingers, all the better for sure!

The sequence you just played is 2212221. Or WWHWWWH (W being whole, H being half). The nice thing about the C major scale is that this sequence is reflected on the keyboard and easy to refer to. When you look at the black keys going from C, you see the two in a row, a missing one, and then three in a row. Just like how there are two 2's and three 2's grouped together in the sequence of 2212221. Remember that sequence.

Now try it from F and if you've done the sequence properly, you will end up using a black key and skipping a white one (a scale will always be expressed alphabetically. In this case our B key goes missing. We still have our A after the G. So we use that black note as B flatted. And carry on with our alphabet sequence).

Next try it from G. You can memorize these and especially make damn sure that they all Sound the same. Sincere, they basically Are the same sound, just from a different starting point. Then try it from a black key. 2212221 from Db uses all the black keys and only two white keys. If you do the exact same thing from the se note and call it C#, the 7th note in the scale lands on C... But since we must follow the rule of being alphabetical, we can't have C and C# in the same scale.. C ends up being B#. Maybe?? I'm not sure actually haha

Anyway, as I mentioned, our scales are mostly based on Modes. You can use only the white keys starting on F and you are using a mode that skips three black keys, and then two black keys. You would have 2221221. You can then apply that mode by starting from any other key on the keyboard and using that sequence.

If we start the minor mode from A, you see one black key, then two, then two. Something like 2122122. It is still just a recombination of 2212221, but starting at the second to last digit. If you start a minor mode from C (C minor), it'd be C D Eb F G Ab Bb. Play that and compare it to CDEFGAB. That is the difference between a major and minor scale. I enjoy playing children's songs by switching keys out from major to minor haha

Lastly, there are three kinds of basic minor scales. And tons of scale possibilities in general. Hopefully that has given you the foundation for constructing your own major and minor scales, and investigating further when you have free time, and being slightly less intimidated by what you are reading.

Edit: agh, I can't believe I just typed that all from my phone after just waking up in bed haha

Hahha woww thank you! That's actually a really comprehensive quick-start guide. Thanks a lot!