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Lesson 12: Minor Scales
In Lesson
8, you learned how to write major scales. Take a look at this scale:
This is an F-major scale in which the accidental
(B-flat) has been used in place of a key signature. Each note of the scale
has been numbered. As you can see, we call the final note '1' because it
is simply a repeat of the first note of the scale ('F'). Write this scale
on a piece of manuscript
paper.
Each note of a scale has a so-called "Technical Name"
associated with it. A technical name is a word that identifies the note,
and we often speak of the "function" of the note by using a technical name.
Here they are:
|
Note Number (degree of scale): |
Technical name: |
|
1
|
TONIC |
|
2
|
SUPERTONIC |
|
3
|
MEDIANT |
|
4
|
SUBDOMINANT |
|
5
|
DOMINANT |
|
6
|
SUBMEDIANT |
|
7
|
LEADING TONE |
In lesson
9, you learned how to write key signatures. Every major scale has
its own particular key signature, and we can identify major scales by referring
to that key signature. For instance, if I say, "I'm thinking of a major
scale that has one flat," you know that I am thinking of an F-major scale.
That's because F-major is the only major scale that has one flat. Now,
here's a new bit of information: There is also a MINOR SCALE that has that
same key signature. For every possible key signature, there is one major
scale and one minor scale that use that signature. We say that
the two scales are related, because they use the same key signature.
Let's discover which minor scale is related to F-major.
Look at the F-major scale that you've written down.
Find the sixth note. (The submediant). That note is 'D'. On the next line
below your major scale, draw a treble clef, and write that note 'D':
Now draw a scale, starting on the 'D', and proceed
upwards for one octave. Remember to use a flat in front of the 'B',
because we're going to use the same key signature as F-major:
You've just created a D-minor scale! The D-minor
scale is called the relative minor of F-major. It is called the
relative minor because it is related to F-major. How is it related?
It uses the same key signature. Both F-major and D-minor use one flat as
their key signature. Here's what a D-minor scale looks like with a key
signature:
So to find the relative minor of a major scale, find
the sixth note of the major. That note is the note upon which the relative
minor would be built.
The type of minor scale you just learned to write
is called a natural minor scale. Sometimes you see them referred
to as "Pure minor". There are two other types of minor scales you
need to learn: the harmonic minor and melodic minor.
HARMONIC MINOR:
To form a harmonic minor scale, take the natural
minor, and raise the seventh note. To change the D-minor scale above
into a harmonic minor scale, we would raise the seventh note, the 'C' to
become a 'C#'. Here it is:
MELODIC MINOR:
To form a melodic minor scale, take the natural
minor, raise the sixth AND seventh note on the way up, and put them back
to their "natural" state going down. Because the melodic minor looks
different going up than it does going down, you must write a melodic minor
ascending and descending. Here is a D-Melodic minor scale:
IMPORTANT:
You should play these, and all, examples in this
course. It is not enough to have an intellectual understanding of musical
concepts. Music lives in the ears, and you must take the time to play each
example and become familiar with them.
Determining Key Signatures of Minor Keys
Now you should know how to take a major scale, find
the note upon which the relative minor scale will be constructed, and write
the three forms of that minor scale. But what if you're simply told "Write
a B-minor scale"? How do you determine the key signature?
If you don't know the key signature, it will help
to find the relative major. As you know, a minor scale and its relative
major will share the same key signature. In the case of B-minor, you know
that 'B' is the sixth note of some major scale. Simply go up a whole tone,
plus a diatonic semitone. That will get you the relative major.
So a whole tone plus a diatonic semitone above 'B' is 'D'. D-major will
use the same key signature as B-minor. If you've done your Scale Reference
Sheet, you will already know that D-major has a key signature of two sharps.
Same thing for B-minor!
All of the "Major" scales
have a cousin. Major scales are related to "Minor" scales. Unlike the cheerful
major scale, the minor scale is darker. Minor scales are more introspective
and mysterious.
The relationship
between 1 major scale and it's cousin the minor scale is the number of
sharps or flats. They both have the same number. The C scale is void of
any sharps or flats. It's cousin, the A minor scale, is also void of any
sharps or flats. Here is a list of the major scales and their cousins,
the minor scales.
-
C major
and A minor
-
G major
and E minor
-
F major
and D minor
-
D major
and B minor
-
A major
and F sharp minor
-
E flat
major and C minor
-
E major
and C sharp minor
-
A flat
major and F minor
Bmajor
and G sharp minor
Let's
go another round
Minor Scales come in three forms: Natural, Melodic, and Harmonic.
Natural Minor scales use the following pattern of half and whole steps:
Melodic Minor scales ascend and use the following pattern of half and whole steps. When descending, they do so in the natural minor form.
Harmonic Minor scales use the following pattern of half and whole steps:
Chromatic Scales are made up entirely of half steps. When ascending, the scale uses sharps, when descending it uses flats.
Whole Tone Scales differ from the other scales because it only has 6 tones. It uses the following pattern:
A pentatonic Scale is a five-tone scale, which has its beginning in antiquity. There are traces of this scale in Oriental and American Indian music. This scale does not have a leading tone, which gives the scale it's unique sound. The scale has two forms. The first one uses the group of two black keys followed by three black keys. The pattern is as follows:
The second one used the group of three black keys followed by two black keys. The pattern is as follows:
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