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Music Theory - Minor Keys

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<span class="text">[[B Diminished|B dim]]</span>

<span class="text">[[Other Open String Chords|Open Chords]]</span>

== The Natural Minor Scale ==

<span class="text current">[[#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords]]</span>

</div>

The natural minor scale is basically exactly the same as the major scale, except the major 3rd, major 6th, and major 7th are all flattened to minor 3rd, minor 6th, and minor 7th. This changes the whole-half pattern as follows:

Minor: w-h-w-w-h-w-w

== Relative Minor/Major ==

<span class="text">[[#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale]]</span>

<span class="text current">[[#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords]]</span>

</div>

If you observed astutely, the whole-half pattern is exactly the same; it just starts on a different note:

When two scales share the exact same set of notes, they are called relatives. For any major scale, there is a relative minor and vice versa. A Minor is the relative minor of C Major.

== A Minor Scale in Open Position ==

<span class="text">[[#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives]]</span>

<span class="text current">[[#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords]]</span>

</div>

eE---------------------------------------------- bB---------------------------------------------- gG-------------------0--2--0-------------------- dD----------0--2--3-----------3--2--0----------- aA-0--2--3-----------------------------3--2--0-- eE----------------------------------------------

A B C D E F G A G F E D C B A

eE-------------------------------------------0--1--3-/5-- bB----------------------------------0--1--3-------------- gG----------------------------0--2----------------------- dD-------------------0--2--3----------------------------- aA----------0--2--3-------------------------------------- eE-0--1--3-----------------------------------------------

E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A

Playing one octave is a little new, but looking at all the notes in open position is exactly the same as C Major. Focus on playing the single octave ascending and descending.

== Understanding Minor Tonality ==

<span class="text">[[#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor]]</span>

<span class="text current">[[#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords]]</span>

</div>

Now, remember what we said about the major scale - the major 7th as the 7th note wants to lead into the tonic. When playing the major scale, it is as if the tonic is a gravitational force, pulling melody and harmony towards it. So how can we play the same set of notes but not get pulled towards that note?

The minor scale features a perfect 4th and perfect 5th, like the major scale, which assists in allowing it to establish its own tonality. The minor tonality may not be as strong as the major, but that's kind of the point. We want the minor key to sound different, to sound a little more tense, even when we reach the tonic note. The m3 and m6 intervals are less harmonic than the M3 and M6. On the other hand, the m7 is more harmonic than the M7. Overall, there is more dissonance, making the key less "settling".

== Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function ==

<span class="text">[[#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor]]</span>

<span class="text">[[#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality]]</span>

<span class="text current">[[#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords]]</span>

</div>

We will have the same diatonic chords as the relative major; however, their roman numerals are changed to represent the scale degree of the minor key:

Am Dm/A Em Am

i iv v i

eE--0------1------0------0-- bB--1------3------0------1-- gG--2------2------0------2-- dD--2------0------2------2-- aA--0------0------2------0-- eE----------------0---------

Here's the archetypal tonic - subdominant - dominant - tonic progression.

Am C F Bdim C F B{{dim}} Em Am

i III VI ii III VI ii{{dim}} v i

eE-0-------------|-0---1---1------|-0---1---1----0-|-0---------- bB-1-------------|-1---1---3------|-1---1---3----0-|-1---------- gG-2-------------|-0---2---x------|-0---2---x----0-|-2---------- dD-2-------------|-2---3---3------|-2---3---3----2-|-2---------- aA-0-------------|-3-------2------|-3-------2----2-|-0---------- eE---------------|----------------|--------------0-|------------

== Homework ==

<span class="text">[[B Diminished|B dim]]</span>

<span class="text">[[Other Open String Chords|Open Chords]]</span>

[[Category:Scales]]

[[Category:Open Position]]

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Music Theory - Minor Keys

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