Music Theory - Scales

I have a test in music theory in an hour and a half and need tips to distinguish the difference while listening to natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales and ionian, lydian, and mixolydian major scales. I think all the minor scales have a flat on the third note, and I can do those alright, but I'm having a hard time with the major scales. Any tips?

Edit: Also, how do you tell the difference between a minor 6th, major 6th, minor 7th, and major 7th intervals? Probably hard to describe but they all sound the same to me.

[diebitter]

mixolydian == doh-ray-me

I think. I could be wrong.

EDIT: I didn't read your thing well, so all this is bs, but I figure the guitar players might find it amusing, so I'm leaving it in:

And minor 7th's sound sadder than the rest (especially A and especially especially D). major 7th's sound like they love life and are on uppers.

6th's are losers all around.

[emil3000]

[ QUOTE ]
mixolydian == doh-ray-me

I think. I could be wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah well you're right so far but you gotta listen for the minor septimus. That's the difference between mixolydian and regular major.

This seems like a fairly hard task, you need decent pitch as well as a good knowledge of the components of the various scales and modes.

I would just listen to the different scales and pick up some distinct notes. The major 7 in harmonic and melodic minor is very distinct, but then you have to differ between those two, melodic has a major 6 as well. They both sound kind of middle-eastern.

Jonic is just regular major if I remember correctly. Lydian has a higher 4th note to the major scale, which sounds pretty distinct.

PS. Someone correct me if I am wrong, haven't done any serious musical studies in a couple of years.

Well they're all kinda do-rae-me. I gotta listen to the whole scale ascending and descending and tell the professor what scale it is. Each scale has a sharp, a flat, or a few of each, I don't really know. I can barely tell the difference. The intervals are even harder.

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah well you're right so far but you gotta listen for the minor septimus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Septimus = 7th note on the scale? (educated guess)

Any tips for the other scales?

[WackityWhiz]

do rae me rae me fah me fah so fah so la so la ti la ti do ti do rae do

do ti la ti la so la so fah so fah me fah me rae me rae do rae do ti do

anybody else learn this in school? I was taught this in 3rd grade and I've never forgotten it.

[diebitter]

If they all sound the same to you, you're in trouble.

I'd spend your time boning up on some other aspect of music, and try and distract your tester with knowledge. Try discussing the "brown note" maybe?

[emil3000]

Edited my post to include the other scales. Not so easy to learn in an afternoon I would suspect, especially if your pitch isn't great.

Well my professor gives us three tries to guess what each one is. I think the intervals are gonna be the hardest actually. I gotta know every one including the tritone. Yea I'm probably screwed but I'll be happy with a C if I can somehow manage that.

[emil3000]

Tritone isn't so hard.