Could this be simpler?

[Anonymous]

After staring at my Key and Chord table for days I came up with this simpler solution.

Music Rule in PDF

If you can memorise the top line you can work out any music key.
You place the 1 on the first note of your scale and read off the other six notes.
See the example. The symbols below give you the chord configuration to use for that position.

Transposing to Bb from C, just jump 2 places to the right. C Concert = D on Tenor Sax
Transposing to C from Bb, just jump 2 places to the left. G# on Tenor Sax = F# Concert

Transposing to Eb from C, just jump 3 places to the right. C# Concert = A# on Alto Sax
Transposing to C from Eb, just jump 3 places to the left. D on Alto Sax = F Concert

There are four rulers on this PDF page.
Give one to a friend – sell one to your mother-in-law!

Fried Chicken Gives Dogs An Excited Bark

[Anonymous]

cool chart – just took a copy
cheers

[Anonymous]

I’ve been reading about Coltrane’s patterns for notes, and looking at the Music ruler I discovered some interesting relationships.

If one selects a note and jumps a number of places right or left the relationship to the note is the same both ways.
Jump 1 = the notes are a 5th away (on the circle of fifths)
Jump 2 = the notes are a Tone away (useful for Bb transposing)
Jump 3 = the notes are a Minor 3rd away (useful for Eb transposing)
Jump 4 = the notes are a Major 3rd away
Jump 5 = the notes are a Semi-Tone away
Jump 6 = the notes are a Tri-Tone (6 notes = 1/2 octave) away

For a pentatonic chord = just take five adjacent notes.
I wonder how many other relationships can be derived from this linear version of the circle of fifths?

[Anonymous]

I’ve just noticed something else.

on the ruler the Major key goes 4 – 1 – 5 – 2 – 6 – 3 – 7
on the ruler the Minor key goes 6 – 3 – 7 – 4 – 1 – 5 – 2

So 4-5-1 (IV-V-I) is left, right, center and 2-5-1 (II-V-I) is 2x right, right, center.

Therefore if we memorise this line of fifths, we can work out these two chord progressions for every key!!!

Fb – Cb – Gb – Db – Ab – Eb – Bb – F – C – G – D – A – E – B – F# – C# – G# – D# – A# – E# – B# – F## – C## – G##

Isn’t that cool?

[Anonymous]

Just in case you don’t know what I’m referring to with these numbers in the line of fifths here is an example.

Fb – Cb – Gb – Db – Ab – Eb – Bb – F – C – G – D – A – E – B – F# – C# – G# – D# – A# – E# – B# – F## – C## – G##

C Major then is 4 – 1 – 5 – 2 – 6 – 3 – 7 which is => F – C – G – D – A – E – B and in order => C D E F G A B.

C Minor then is 6 – 3 – 7 – 4 – 1 – 5 – 2 which is => Ab – Eb – Bb – F – C – G – D and in order => C D Eb F G Ab Bb.

This works because 6 is the relative Minor of 1, and 1 is the relative Major of 6.

[Anonymous]

The point I’m making is that in the line of fifth’s.
…. Bb – F – C – G – D ….

If you want to go up a 5th you look one to the right of the note. (Bb -> F)
If you want to go down a 5th you look one to the left of the note. (C <- G)

But also

If you want to go up a 4th you look one to the left of your note. (F <- C)
If you want to go down a 4th you look one to the right of the note. (G -> D)

Looking left is a 5th DOWN or a 4th UP
Looking right is a 5th UP or a 4th DOWN

So by memorising the line of fifths one knows the 4th’s and 5th’s for all notes.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff,
Thankyou for posting me some of your Rulers!
That was very kind of you to do so!

It’s great for reference (ie cycle of 4th’s and 5th’s as well as the various arpeggios) – i know seasoned musicians will know all this stuff off by heart, but the rest of us will find it useful reference.

For going left of C i use “Five BEADs in a Golden Circle”
For going right of C i use “Gud Day Australia Everybody loves Fish and Chips”

But i’ve been practicing the II-V-I sequence that i can actually visualise the circle of 4ths & 5ths in my mind when playing.

cheers
sxpoet

[Anonymous]

Hi sxpoet, isn’t it cool that the 4-1-5-2 sequence is common for both Major and Minor scales.

As you say if one can memorise the sequence then improvisation will be much easier.

[William Cingolani]

Nice chart. I’ve seen it numerous times. However it’s too cognitive for me. As they say in the trades if I have to take the time to think about it I’d be in the rocks.

[William Cingolani]

I think I’ll copy the chart, and print it, and put it on my music stand next to the circle of 5ths. Thanks Jeff.

[Author]

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