Originally Posted by: kjpro
What key are these in? Thanks for the previous answers, but I'm still a bit puzzled.

I can see why that might be tricky. You don't have notes from a pure major or minor scale. Let's take a closer look:

E |--5--3--1-----------------|
B |-----------4--2-----------|
G |-----------------4--2--4--|
D |--------------------------|
A |--------------------------|
E |--------------------------|

The notes are:

E |--F--|-----|--G--|-----|--A--|
B |-----|--C#-|-----|--D#-|-----|
G |-----|--A--|-----|--B--|-----|
D |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
A |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
E |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|

So, you've:

A - B - C# - D# - F - G - A

Next you need to understand the scale degrees, the interval intervals between the notes.

E |--b6-|-----|--b7-|-----|--1--|
B |-----|--M3-|-----|--#4-|-----|
G |-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|
D |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
A |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
E |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|

A (1)
B (2nd)
C# (major 3rd)
D (sharp 4th)
F (minor 6th)
G (minor 7th)
A (1 - octave repeated)

So you've got an altered scale. Altered from pure major or minor. Based on the scale degrees, you've got a Whole Tone Scale here.

It's used in Romantic Classical (late 19th century), Impressionist & Modern music genres. It also is often used in jazz as an altered V7 chord scale.

Next!

E |--5--4--2-----------------|
B |-----------4--3--1--------|
G |--------------------2-----|
D |-----------------------4--|
A |--------------------------|
E |--------------------------|
The notes are:

E |-----|--F#-|-----|--G#-|--A--|
B |-----|-----|--D--|--Eb-|-----|
G |-----|--A--|-----|-----|-----|
D |-----|-----|-----|--F#-|-----|
A |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
E |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|

So, you've:

A - D - Eb - F# - G# - A

Writing out the scale degrees here can depend upon which note you pick as the root (1). The first one was easy because the whole tone scale is symmetical. It could have been any of them & the interval intervals between the notes is always just a whole step, hence the name!

Let's try it two different ways. First with the A as the root.

E |-----|--M6-|-----|--M7-|--1--|
B |-----|-----|--4--|--b5-|-----|
G |-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----|
D |-----|-----|-----|--M6-|-----|
A |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
E |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|

A (1)
D (4th)
Eb (flat 5th)
F# (major 6th)
G# (major 7th)
A (1 - octave repeated)

This is a weird mix. It's not really any scale per se. It's an altered form of major: A major with a flat 5th & no 2nd or 3rd. I don't think this way is valuable because it doesn't contain a 3rd, so we don't have a clear way of thinking of it as major or minor. But you can easily just play the major (C#) or minor 3rd (C) as needed or if needed.

Now let's try the F# as root.

E |-----|--1--|-----|--2--|--m3-|
B |-----|-----|--m6-|--M6-|-----|
G |-----|--m3-|-----|-----|-----|
D |-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|
A |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
E |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|

F# (1)
G# 2nd
A (minor 3rd)
D (augmented 5th or minor 6th)
Eb (major 6th)
F# (1 - octave repeated)

Another weird one! But at least you've got a minor 3rd. So it could be called an altered F# minor scale. F# minor with no 4th, a minor & major 6th.

Hope this helps!