Minor scale

For the simulated nuclear detonation, see Minor Scale.

Minor scale

Qualities
Number of pitch classes	7
Maximal evenness

Natural minor Scales

A minor scale in Western music theory includes any scale that contains, in its tonic triad, at least three essential scale degrees: 1) the tonic (or name of the scale), 2) a minor-third, or an interval of a minor third above the tonic, and 3) a perfect-fifth, or an interval of a perfect fifth above the tonic, altogether comprising a minor triad on the tonic note.

While this definition may encompass many scales, the term, in its common use, is usually limited to the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales, as they are used in Western classical music (see major and minor). In the Western system, derived from the Greek system of modes, the principal scale that includes the minor third is the Aeolian mode, with the minor third also occuring in the Dorian mode and the Phrygian mode.

Additionally, many other scales and systems are found outside of Western classical music, in jazz, and in other cultures. Below are the three found in traditional Western classical music.

Natural minor scale

If the white notes on the piano are played beginning on the sixth step of the C scale, from any A to A an octave above, then a "natural minor" scale is produced, in this case called "A-minor". This scale is in the Key of C, starting on A, and "A-minor" is called the "relative minor" of C. Every major key has a "relative minor", which starts on the sixth scale degree or step.

Natural Minor Scale: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 8

In the key of C, the relative minor is A minor. The A minor scale (in the key of C) is called the "natural" minor, with no accidentals.

In traditional, historical music theory, the natural minor scale (starting on the sixth scale degree) is called the "Aeolian" mode, taken from the names of the original Greek modes. The Aeolian mode was used in Gregorian chant as a melodic scale. For hundreds of years, in Gregorian chant, the Aeolian or natural minor scale was heard only as a melodic scale because chords (with thirds) were not allowed by the Catholic church, which considered them "impure". For hundreds of years, the natural (or "modal") scale was only the type of minor scale that was allowed.

In rock and popular music examples of songs in Aeolian include The Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin", Blondie's "Call Me", Spinal Tap's "Lick My Love Pump", and Chicago's "25 Or 6 To 4".^[1]

Harmonic minor scale

The harmonic minor scale is the same as the natural minor but with a chromatically raised (sharped) seventh degree.

Harmonic Minor Scale: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7 8

The sharped seventh scale degree arises when the scale is played as chords. We are accustomed to hearing the fifth chord as a dominant seventh, or as a major chord with a minor seventh, spelled "V7". So, in order to make the natural five chord (with its minor third) sound major, the third is raised a half-step. In the key of A minor, the natural third of the V chord is G♮ and it is raised to G♯.

For example, in the key of A-minor, the harmonic minor scale is:

A B C D E F G♯ A'

In the harmonic A-minor scale, all G's are ♯'d:  Play (help·info)

Altering the seventh scale degree affects other chords in the harmonic minor chord-scale, besides V, too. In the A-minor harmonic minor scale, all G's are sharped, producing altered chords not just on V, but also on III+ (augmented) and viio (diminished). This introduces a new chord previously not found in "natural" harmony, the augmented or ♯5 chord and opened the door for modern chromaticism in music.

This affected the future of music. Both the augmented (or major♯5) chord and the diminished (or minor♭5 with the diminished 7) chord are interesting because all of their inversions are structurally identical, their intervals symmetrical. Because of this, they may be named for any note in the chord (causing one chord to have multiple harmonic functions in multiple keys), thus introducing ambiguous tonality and opening the door for the chromatic works of Bach and beyond. These are the Diminished seventh chord (found on the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th chordal degrees) and the Augmented chord (found on the 3rd, 5th and 7th chordal degrees).

The harmonic minor is also occasionally referred to as the Mohammedan scale^[2] as its upper tetrachord corresponds to the Hijaz jins, commonly found in Middle Eastern music. The harmonic minor scale as a whole is called Nahawand-Hijaz^[3] in Arabic nomenclature, and as Bûselik Hicaz ^[4] in Turkish nomenclature. And, as an Indian raga, it is called Kirwani.

Melodic minor scale

The distinctive sound of the harmonic minor scale is the interval between the (minor) sixth and (major) seventh degrees of this scale (in this case F and G♯) is an augmented second. While some composers, notably Mozart, have used this interval to advantage in melodic composition, other composers, having felt it to be an awkward leap, particularly in vocal music, considered a whole step between these two scale degrees more conducive to smooth melody writing, so either the sixth scale degree was raised or the seventh flattened. Traditionally, music theorists have called these two options the ascending melodic minor scale (also known as heptatonia seconda) and descending melodic minor scale, the ascending being identical in its upper tetrachord to the major scale, and the descending being simply the natural minor:

Ascending Melodic Minor Scale: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7 8

A B C D E F♯ G♯ A'

and then the Descending Melodic Minor Scale (the Natural Minor: see above):

A' G F E D C B A

_  Play (help·info)

_  Play (help·info)

Composers have not been consistent in using these in ascending and descending melodies. Just as often, composers choose one form or the other based on whether one of the two notes is part of the most recent chord (the prevailing harmony). Particularly, to use the triad of the relative major—which is very common—since this is based on the third degree of the minor scale, the raised seventh degree would cause an augmented triad. Composers thus frequently require the lowered seventh degree found in the natural minor. In jazz, the descending aeolian is usually disregarded altogether.

Examples of the use of melodic minor in rock and popular music include Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word", which makes, "a nod to the common practice...by the use of F♯ [the leading-tone in G minor] as the penultimate note of the final cadence."^[5]

Natural-minor system

Natural-minor system in C.^[6]

Found outside of traditional Western classical music, the natural-minor "system" is defined by, "(1) the use of only major and minor triads (or seventh chords made out of them) and (2) keeping the natural-minor scale pure as the aggregate pitch content," with the one exception being the chromaticism of the VIdom7.^[6] Thus minor triads on $\hat 1$, $\hat 4$, and $\hat 5$, and major on $\hat 3$, $\hat 6$, $\hat 7$, are allowed but no form on the second is, either the altered major [in C: D♭-F-A♭] or minor [D-F-A♮], or the already occurring but consistently avoided diminished triad [D-F-A♭].^[6]

"The natural-minor system, though the simplest of the harmonic systems used in rock [and popular music], is also the least common."^[6] However, examples of pieces in natural minor include Billy Ocean' "Caribbean Queen", R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion", Styx's "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)", K.C. and the Sunshine Band's "That's the Way (I Like It)", the Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep", the Animals' "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", Fleetwood Mac's "I'm So Afraid", Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", and, with IVdom7, Eric Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff".^[6]

Chromatic-minor system

Chromatic-minor system in C.^[7]

Also found outside of traditional Western classical music, the chromatic-minor "system" is a natural minor scale with major triads built on every step, though the first may be major or minor (the tonic to Eric Clapton's "After Midnight" is major on Eric Clapton and minor on Crossroads^[8]) and occasionally the second may be lowered (a Neapolitan chord). "Whereas the construction of the natural-minor system involves the consistent use of a scale at the expense of variety in triad qualities, the chromatic-minor system involves consistent use of a particular triad type—the major triad—at the expense of purity of scale." Thus variants of the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh are found. Seventh chords are usually dominant sevenths, involving further chromaticism. II and VI are generally not used together, "perhaps because the tritone between their roots leaves the chords too distant." Due to the unusual nature of this system, rather than V/V the major triad built on the second step is notated II.^[7]

Examples of its use

• featuring major tonic include: The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" (without II), The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (without VI), Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood", The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun", The Who's "Pinball Wizard", The Bangles' "Walk Like An Egyptian", Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Roll On Down The Highway", Eric Clapton's "Cocaine", Grand Funk's "We're An American Band", Devo's "Whip It", and Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Cradle".^[7]
• featuring minor tonic include: R.E.O Speedwagon's "Ridin' The Storm Out", The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black", The Clovers' "Love Potion No. 9", The Animals' "House Of The Rising Sun", Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love", Tom Petty's "Refugee", The Who's "I Can See For Miles", and The Partridge Family's "I Woke Up In Love This Morning".^[7]
• featuring variable tonic include: The Turtles' "Happy Together".^[7]
• featuring open fifth as tonic include: Booker T. and the MGs' "Green Onions".^[7]
• featuring N include: Joni Mitchell's "Help Me", The Mama and the Papas' "Monday, Monday", Kansas's "Carry On Wayward Son", and The Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin".^[7]
• featuring VI(dom7) include: Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good", and Aerosmith's "Toys In The Attic".^[7]
• featuring VI and II without V: The Go-Gos' "We Got The Beat".^[7]

It may be seen that it is not an anomaly and that it may be used for, "a wide variety of expressive purposes."^[7]

See also: Major system.

Finding key signatures

Circle of fifths showing major and minor keys and their signatures

Major and minor keys that share the same signature are called relative; so C major is the relative major of A minor, and C minor is the relative minor of E♭ major. The relative major is a minor third above the tonic of the minor. For example, since the key signature of G major has one sharp (see major scales for how to find this), its relative minor, E minor, also has one sharp in its key signature.

Music may be written in an enharmonic scale (e.g. C♯ minor, which only has four sharps in its key signature, compared to the theoretical eight flats required for D♭ minor). The following are enharmonic equivalents:

Key Sig.		Major Scale		Minor Scale
5♯/7♭		B/C♭ major		g♯/a♭ minor
6♯/6♭		F♯/G♭ major		d♯/e♭ minor
7♯/5♭		C♯/D♭ major		a♯/b♭ minor

Double sharps/double flats can be written as accidentals, but not as part of a key signature. For example:

D♭ Minor Key Signature: E♭ + A♭ + D♭ + G♭ + C♭ + F♭ + B (the B is now double flatted and therefore, notated after the single accidentals, which obviously do not include the B♭)

D♭ Natural Minor = D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B C♭ D♭

D♭ Melodic Minor (Ascending + Descending) = D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ C♭ B A♭ G♭ F♭ E♭ D♭

D♭ Harmonic Minor = D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B C D♭

Related modes

Dorian mode is the same as minor mode except with a major sixth, and Phrygian mode is the same as minor mode except with a minor second.

See also

• Aeolian mode
• Diatonic functionality
• Kirwani
• Major and minor
• Major scale
• Musical mode

References

1. ^ Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, p.39. ISBN 9780300092394.
2. ^ United States Patent: 5386757
3. ^ "Maqam Nihawand", Oud.Eclipse.co.uk.
4. ^ "Buselik Makam", Oud.Eclipse.co.uk.
5. ^ Stephenson (2002), p.41.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e} Stephenson (2002), p.89.
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Stephenson (2002), p.90.
8. ^ Stephenson (2002), p.90-92.

Further reading

• Yamaguchi, Masaya. 2006. The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales, revised edition. New York: Masaya Music Services. ISBN 0967635306.

External links

• 3 note per string Harmonic Minor scale shapes for guitar in PDF format for easy printing
• Proper fingering of the major and minor scales on the piano
• Listen to and download harmonised minor scale piano MP3s
• Guitar: Harmonic minor scale explored
• The harmonic minor scale on the guitar
• The natural minor scale on the guitar
• The melodic minor scale on the guitar
• Discussing All Musical Scales and Theory