Minor Scales Explained. Need some knowledge of Major Scales

1. Yr 10 Theory
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Friday, 13 November 2009

2. Minor Scales
Scale: A scale is a series of notes when its pattern of notes is the same in every octave.
Minor Scale: The minor scale is derived from a major scale pattern.
There are three minor scale patterns Natural, Harmonic and Melodic. They are
all called minor scales because the first 5 notes in each scale are exactly the same. The
difference happens because the 6th and 7th notes in each scale differ.
The major scale pattern and the natural minor scale pattern have the same tone/
semitone pattern except they have different starting points.
Major scale T T S T T T S
Minor (Natural) Scale T S T T S T T
Because of this relation ship each major scale has a relative minor and vice versa
T T S T T T S T T S T T T S
C Major scale
C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C
T S T T S T T
A Minor (Natural) Scale
A B C D E F G A
In the above example you can see that C major scale and A (natural) minor have exactly the
same notes. The difference is that C Major start on C and A (natural) minor starts on A.
Therefore, A Minor is the relative minor of C major and vice versa
Friday, 13 November 2009

3. Harmonic and Melodic Minor
We have just learnt how to create a natural minor scale by deriving it from its relative
major scale. We derive the harmonic and melodic minor scales from the natural minor
scale. Below is a reminder of how we derived the natural minor scale from its relative
major scale
C Major scale T T S T T T S T T S T T T S
C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C
A Minor (Natural) Scale T S T T S T T
A B C D E F G A
Now as said earlier, the notes of difference between the different minor scales are the 6th and
7th degrees. Therefore in A minor that would be;
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A Minor (Natural) Scale A B C D E F G A
T derive a A (Harmonic) Minor we take the A minor (natural) scale and raise the 7th Degree by a semitone.
o
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A Minor (Harmonic) Scale A B C D E F G# A
T derive a A (Melodic) Minor we take the A minor (natural) scale and raise both the 6th and 7th Degree by a
o
semitone.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A Minor (Melodic) Scale A B C D E F# G# A
Friday, 13 November 2009

4. Minor Scales
As you can see minor scale theory is far more complex than major scale theory
There a few ‘conventions’ that are helpful to know in relation to minor scales.
• Generally a piece of music utilizing the minor scale will not use one of the three
main scales only. Often they will use the three different scales and various times
throughout the piece.
• In classical music a minor scale normally consists of harmonic minor with
fragments of the melodic minor scale. The natural minor scale is not often
used in classical music.
Friday, 13 November 2009

5. Minor (natural) Scale Formula
Sharps ♯
3 4 5 6 0 1 2
F C G D A E B
4 3 2 1 0 6 5
Flats
To work out the notes in a natural minor scale you need only remember F C G D A E B in order.
To work out what how many flats a particular minor scale has: look at the line of purple boxes starting at 0 count to the left, each step adds on a flat.
Therefore D minor has 1 flat, G minor has 2 flats and so on to F minor which has 4 flats. When moving around from one side to the another e.g F around
to B the following letters takes on a Flat. Therefore Bb minor has 5 flats then Eb minor which has 6 Flats.
Alongside this working out what the flats are is easy. Looking at the purple arrow if a scale has 1 flat it will be Bb if 2 Flats it will be Bb plus Eb and so on
all the way down to a scale with 7 flats which would have Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb and Fb.
To work out what how many sharps a particular minor scale has: look at the line of green boxes starting at 0 count to the right, each step adds on a
sharp. Therefore, E minor has 1 sharp, B minor. has 2 sharps. When moving around from one side to the another e.g B around to F the following letters
take on a sharp. Therefore F# minor has 3 sharps and so on to D# minor which has 6 sharps.
Alongside this working out what the sharps are is easy. Looking at the green arrow if a scale has 1 sharp it will be F# if 2 Sharps it will be F# plus C# and
so on all the way down to a scale with 7 Sharps which would have F# C# G# D# A# E# and B#.
Once the natural minor scale is known, Raise the 7th for harmonic minor or raise 6th and 7th for melodic minor.
Friday, 13 November 2009