The Minor Scale |
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I hope you
learned your lessons well because you will need them: The Musical Alphabet and The Major Scale . Today, we examine the Minor Scale! Like any other scale,
the minor scale follows a pattern or formula, I could have made one full lesson
named the Major and the Minor Scales, but the Minor scale has a particularity
which allows it to have its own lesson: there
are three minor scales ! Yes, you will learn three scales today; we have
work, let’s get to it.
The Natural Minor Scale
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The Natural Minor Scale’s formula looks like the Major Scale’s formula because to make a Natural Minor, you take the Major scale and flat the 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees (you decrease them by a half-step):
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8
Let’s transform the C Major Scale into a C Natural Minor Scale:
C D E F G A B C
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
Try the two
methods (write down your results), try to do all the keys, it is a great exercise
to help you understand and memorize the formula. I will put the answers at the
end of this lesson (don’t cheat!).
The Harmonic Minor Scale
This scale follows the same formula as the Natural Minor apart from the 7th degree which is raised by a half step(if you can't read the staff, go here):
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1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8
The C Natural Minor Scale:
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
The C Harmonic Minor Scale:
C D Eb F G Ab B C
Use the
Natural Minor Scales you found previously and raise their 7th degree
by a half step to transform them into Harmonic Minor Scales.
The Melodic Minor Scale
Before I give you the pattern of the last Minor Scale, I have to explain something more: In our first lesson, you learned that the musical alphabet goes in sequences.
These sequences can be ordered in two ways: by increasing pitch (what you have done until now) and by decreasing pitch. When a scale is ordered by increasing pitch, it is an ascending scale (you are going up the scale) when it is ordered by decreasing pitch, it is a descending scale (you are going down the scale).
These sequences can be ordered in two ways: by increasing pitch (what you have done until now) and by decreasing pitch. When a scale is ordered by increasing pitch, it is an ascending scale (you are going up the scale) when it is ordered by decreasing pitch, it is a descending scale (you are going down the scale).
- The ascending C Major Scale:
C D E F G A B C
- The descending C Major Scale:
C B A G F E D C
As you can see, the notes are the same whether you go up or down the scale. However, the Minor Melodic Scale has a particularity. Here is the ascending Melodic Minor Scale’s formula:
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1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8
The 6th and 7the degrees of the Natural Minor Scale are raised by a half-step.
- The C Natural Minor Scale:
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
- The C Melodic Minor Scale:
C D Eb F G A B C
But when you want to go down the Melodic Minor Scale, the classical theory want you to use the Natural Minor Scale:
- Ascending:
C D Eb F G A B C
Descending:
C Bb Ab G F Eb D C
It is a “convention”, classical composers thought it sounds better that way and it was more efficient for them. However, if you feel that it sounds better to use the descending Melodic Minor Scale, you can, it is up to you. But know that it is goes against the classical standards.
Now the Natural Minor Scale in all keys as promised:
C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C
D = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - D
E = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E
F = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F
G = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G
A = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A
B = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - B
C# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#
Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb
F# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#
G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#
Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab – Bb
C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C
D = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - D
E = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E
F = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F
G = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G
A = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A
B = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - B
C# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#
Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb
F# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#
G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#
Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab – Bb
I hope you searched by yourself, you should now know how to transform them into Harmonic and Melodic minor Scales. As a last tip, in case you forget the Natural Minor Scale formula, you can find it easily with the A minor scale:
A B C D E F G A
w h w w h w w
w h w w h w w
Just like the C Major scale, it is easy to remember. Withe these two scale you won't ever forget the Major and Minor scale's formula.
Prepare yourself for the next lesson about Pentatonic Scales and check on the Musikal Knowledge timeline on facebook or twitter, click on the icons and visit our sponsored link:
Prepare yourself for the next lesson about Pentatonic Scales and check on the Musikal Knowledge timeline on facebook or twitter, click on the icons and visit our sponsored link:
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