3. Music scales

3.1. Scales

The lists below are the notes of scales.

Press A or B to play a different scale.

from microbit import *
import music

c_major = ['c4', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'a', 'b', 'c5']
a_minor = ['a4', 'b', 'c5', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'a']

while True:
    if button_a.is_pressed():
        music.play(c_major)
    elif button_b.is_pressed():
        music.play(a_minor)
    sleep(1000)

Tasks

Play the 8 notes of G major. See: https://www.pianoscales.org/major.html
Play the 8 notes of E minor. See: https://www.pianoscales.org/minor.html
Play the G major scale when the A-button is pressed and the E minor scale when the B-button is pressed.
Play the F major scale when the A-button is pressed and the D minor scale when the B-button is pressed.

Play the F major scale when the A-button is pressed and the D minor scale when the B-button is pressed.

3.2. Major Scales

See: https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/MajorKeySignatures.html

The code below plays the Major scales.
Replacements for sharp major scales; B# = C; E# = F
Replacements for flat major scales; Cb = B; Fb = E

from microbit import *
import music


# Octaves start on the note C.
# major scales
# sharp major scales; B# = C; E# = F
C_major = {"name": "C", "notes": "C4 D E F G A B C5"}
G_major = {"name": "G", "notes": "G4 A B C5 D E F# G"}
D_major = {"name": "D", "notes": "D4 E F# G A B C#5 D"}
A_major = {"name": "A", "notes": "A4 B C#5 D E F# G# A"}
E_major = {"name": "E", "notes": "E4 F# G# A B C#5 D# E"}
B_major = {"name": "B", "notes": "B4 C#5 D# E F# G# A# B"}
F_sharp_major = {"name": "F#", "notes": "F# G# A# B C#5 D# F F#"}
C_sharp_major = {"name": "C#", "notes": "C# D# F F# G# A# C5 C#"}

# flat major scales; Cb = B; Fb = E
F_major = {"name": "F", "notes": "F4 G A Bb C5 D E F"}
B_flat_major = {"name": "Bb", "notes": "Bb4 C5 D Eb F G A Bb"}
E_flat_major = {"name": "Eb", "notes": "Eb4 F G Ab Bb C5 D Eb"}
A_flat_major = {"name": "Ab", "notes": "Ab4 Bb C5 Db Eb F G Ab"}
D_flat_major = {"name": "Db", "notes": "Db4 Eb F Gb Ab Bb C5 Db"}
G_flat_major = {"name": "Gb", "notes": "Gb4 Ab Bb B Db5 Eb F Gb"}
C_flat_major = {"name": "Cb", "notes": "B3 Db4 Eb E Gb Ab Bb B"}

circle_of_fifths_sharp_scales = [C_major, G_major, D_major, A_major,
                                E_major, B_major, F_sharp_major, C_sharp_major]

circle_of_fifths_flat_scales = [C_major, F_major, B_flat_major, E_flat_major,
                                A_flat_major, D_flat_major, G_flat_major, C_flat_major]


music.set_tempo(ticks=8, bpm=240)
# Loop over each with 1sec between
for scale in circle_of_fifths_sharp_scales:
    name = scale["name"]
    notes = scale["notes"].split(" ")
    display.scroll(name, wait=False, delay=60)
    music.play(notes, wait=True)
    sleep(1000)
# Loop over each with 1sec between
for scale in circle_of_fifths_flat_scales:
    name = scale["name"]
    notes = scale["notes"].split(" ")
    display.scroll(name, wait=False, delay=60)
    music.play(notes, wait=True)
    sleep(1000)

3.3. Minor Scales

See: https://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/MinorKeySignatures.html

The code below plays the minor scales.
Replacements for sharp minor scales; B# = C; E# = F
Replacements for flat minor scales; Cb = B; Fb = E

from microbit import *
import music

# Octaves start on the note C.
# sharp Minor scales; B# = C; E# = F
A_minor = {"name": "Am", "notes": "A4 B C5 D E F G A"}
E_minor = {"name": "Em", "notes": "E4 F# G A B C5 D E"}
B_minor = {"name": "Bm", "notes": "B4 C#5 D E F# G A B"}
F_sharp_minor = {"name": "F#m", "notes": "F# G# A B C#5 D E F#"}
C_sharp_minor = {"name": "C#m", "notes": "C# D# E F# G# A B C#5"}
G_sharp_minor = {"name": "G#m", "notes": "G# A# B C#5 D# E F# G#"}
D_sharp_minor = {"name": "D#m", "notes": "D# F F# G# A# B C#5 D#"}
A_sharp_minor = {"name": "A#m", "notes": "A# C5 D D# F G G# A#"}
# flat Minor scales; Cb = B; Fb = E
A_minor = {"name": "Am", "notes": "A4 B C5 D E F G A"}
D_minor = {"name": "Dm", "notes": "D4 E F G A Bb C5 D"}
G_minor = {"name": "Gm", "notes": "G4 A Bb C5 D Eb F G"}
C_minor = {"name": "Cm", "notes": "C4 D Eb F G Ab Bb C5"}
F_minor = {"name": "Fm", "notes": "F4 G Ab Bb C5 Db Eb F"}
B_flat_minor = {"name": "Bbm", "notes": "Bb C5 Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb"}
E_flat_minor = {"name": "Ebm", "notes": "Eb F Gb Ab Bb B Db5 Eb"}
A_flat_minor = {"name": "Abm", "notes": "Ab Bb B Db5 Eb E Gb Ab"}

circle_of_fifths_sharp_minor_scales = [A_minor, E_minor, B_minor, F_sharp_minor,
                                    C_sharp_minor, G_sharp_minor, D_sharp_minor, A_sharp_minor]

circle_of_fifths_flat_minor_scales = [A_minor, D_minor, G_minor, C_minor,
                                    F_minor, B_flat_minor, E_flat_minor, A_flat_minor]

music.set_tempo(ticks=8, bpm=240)
# Loop over each with 1sec between
for scale in circle_of_fifths_sharp_minor_scales:
    name = scale["name"]
    notes = scale["notes"].split(" ")
    display.scroll(name, wait=False, delay=60)
    music.play(notes, wait=True)
    sleep(1000)
# Loop over each with 1sec between
for scale in circle_of_fifths_flat_minor_scales:
    name = scale["name"]
    notes = scale["notes"].split(" ")
    display.scroll(name, wait=False, delay=60)
    music.play(notes, wait=True)
    sleep(1000)

Challenges

Modify the code to play the major scales when the A button is pressed and the minor scales when the B button is pressed. Check for a second pressing of each button to stop the playing.

3.4. Triads

The code below has a list of notes in the 7 triads in the key of C major.
The tempo is set to play the notes quickly: ticks=8, bpm=240.
Each of the three notes in a triad are played, with a short sleep to the next triad.

from microbit import *
import music

music.set_tempo(ticks=8, bpm=240)
triads = [["C4", "E4", "G4"], ["D4", "F4", "A4"], ["E4", "G4", "B4"],
        ["F4", "A4", "C5"], ["G4", "B4", "D5"], ["A4", "C5", "E5"], ["B4", "D5", "F5"]]

while True:
        for triad in triads:
            music.play(triad, wait=True)
            sleep(100)
        sleep(500)

Tasks

Modify the code to only play the triads if the A button has been pressed.
Modify the code to play each triad with their notes in reverse order using triad[::-1].
Modify the code to play the triads if the A button has been pressed and to play them with their notes in reverse order if the B button has been pressed.