Changes

{{Crumbs|blue|1|Music Theory - Minor Keys#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives|Music Theory - Minor Keys#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords}} 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 flatted, giving us minor 3rd, minor 6th, and minor 7thintervals from tonic. This changes the whole-half pattern as follows:

| || x 2 || || x 3 || x 4 || || x 5 || || x 6 || || x7

| || x 2 || x 3 || || x 4 || || x 5 || x 6 || || x 7 ||

If you observed astutely, the whole{{Crumbs|blue|2|Music Theory -half pattern is exactly the same; it just starts on a different note:Minor Keys#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives|Music Theory - Minor Keys#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords}}

C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C Major: w-w-h-w-w-w-h w-w-h-w-w-w-h Minor: w-h-w-w-h-w-w A B C D E F G A When two scales keys share the exact same set of notes, they are called relatives'''relative keys'''. For any major scalekey, there is a relative minor and vice versa. A Minor is the relative minor of C Major. {{top}}

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

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

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, familiarizing the yourself with the minor tonality. {{top}}

Now, remember what we said about the major scale {{Crumbs|blue|4|Music Theory - 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 Minor Keys#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives|Music Theory - Minor Keys#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Diatonic Chords and harmony towards it. So how can we play the same set of notes but not get pulled towards that note?Harmonic Function|Chords}}

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? In many respects, we do get pulled to the major scale's tonic note; but because we are starting on the 6th note of the major scale, ascending we hit the 7th immediately, before a real tonality is established. Descending Thus, we reach the tonic note of avoid the major scale before that 7thissue.

Beginning on The major scale has a similar issue - playing ascending from the tonic note, we have a whole-whole-half pattern. The 3rd note definitely pulls us towards the 4th note via a half-step, the 6th establishes same way the 6th as 7th pulls us to the tonal centeroctave. This But that whole-whole-half could easily be overridden if the melody or harmony demonstrated a goal of reaching the 5th, 6th, 7th, and tonic note of the a different major key. Yet, without these things present, the 6th can remain the tonal centerWe need more context to know and feel it.

And rememberUltimately, in any scale that implies tonality, the strongest pull is towards the octave, regardless of the whole-half pattern used to get there. Beginning on the 6th note of the major scale itself isn't supposed to be a whole composition establishes the 6th as the tonal center - thus it's simply becomes the set 1st note of notesthe minor scale. Playing This could be overridden if the scale ascending may not give us melody or harmony demonstrated a strong resolution when we hit goal of reaching the tonic noteof the major key. Yet, without these things present, but a cleverly designed melody against a harmony that establishes the minor scale has tonality will find a strong and resolution on the tonic note.

And remember, the scale itself isn't supposed to be a whole composition - it's simply the set of notes. Playing the scale ascending may not give us a euphoric resolution when we hit the tonic note, but a cleverly designed melody against a harmony that establishes the minor tonality will find a strong resolution on the tonic 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 , m6, and m6 m7 intervals are less harmonic than the M3 and , M6. On the other hand, the m7 is more harmonic than the and M7. Overall, there is more dissonance, making the key less "settling". {{top}}

We will have {{Crumbs|blue|5|Music Theory - Minor Keys#The Natural Minor Scale|Scale|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Relative Minor/Major|Relatives|Music Theory - Minor Keys#A Minor Scale in Open Position|A Minor|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Understanding Minor Tonality|Tonality|Music Theory - Minor Keys#Diatonic Chords and Harmonic Function|Chords}} Since the minor scale uses the same diatonic chords notes as the its relative major; howeverscale, it contains the same chords. For A Minor we have Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F, and G. However, for analysis, their roman numerals are changed to represent the scale degree of the minor key:. For example, Am is now "i" instead of "vi". In terms of harmony, the chords of the minor scale function identically to the chords of the major scale that have the same scale degree, although they may lack as strong of the functions they exhibit in the major scale. The v - i is the same dominant - tonic resolution as V - I, just weaker.

| Bdim || ii {{dim}} - Supertonic || || Pre-Dominant

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---------

i III VI ii iio III VI ii iio 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-|------------ {{top}}

* [[Other Open String Chords|Prev: Other Open String ChordsMusic Theory Basics]]* [[Harmonic Minor and Augmented Chords|Next: Harmonic Minor and Augmented Chords]]* [[Exotic Scales]] {{top}} {{Intermediate Lesson Crumbs|3}}