Changes

<div class="item{{Top-wrap"><div class="trail blue"><span class="text">[[B Diminished|B dim]]</span><span class="text">[[Other Open String Chords|Open Chords]]</span><span class="text current">[[Music Theory - Minor Keys|Minor Keys]]</span><span class="text">[[Harmonic Minor and Augmented Chords|Harmonic Min]]</span><span class="text">[[Barre ChordsLevel Crumbs|Barre Chords]]</span>1}}<span class="text">[[Suspended Chords{{Lesson Crumbs|Sus Chords]]</span>2}}<span class="text">[[Applying Rhythm to Chords{{Intermediate Lesson Crumbs|Rhythm]]</span><span class="text">[[Circle of Fifths|Circle of 5ths]]</span><span class="text">[[G Major and E Minor|G Maj and E Min]]</span><span class="text">[[5th Position|5th Pos]]</span><span class="text">[[Scales for all Positions|All Pos]]</span><span class="text">[[CAGED]]</span><span class="text">[[7th Chords]]</span></div></div>3}}

{{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 ||

{{Crumbs|blue|2|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}} If you observed astutely, the whole-half pattern of major and minor is exactly the same; it just starts on a different note:

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}}

{{Crumbs|blue|4|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}} 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. Thus, we avoid the issue. 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 same way the 7th pulls us to the octave. But that whole-whole-half could easily be the 5th, 6th, 7th, and tonic of a different major key. We need more context to know and feel it.

In many respectsUltimately, we do in any scale that implies tonality, the strongest pull is towards the octave, regardless of the whole-half pattern used to get pulled to the note; but because we are starting there. Beginning on the 6th note of the major scale, ascending we hit establishes the 6th as the tonal center - thus it becomes the 1st note of the 7th immediately, before a real tonality is establishedminor scale. Descending we reach This could be overridden if the melody or harmony demonstrated a goal of reaching the tonic note of the major key. Yet, without these things present, the minor scale before that 7thhas tonality and resolution on the tonic.

Beginning on And remember, the 6th establishes scale itself isn't supposed to be a whole composition - it's simply the 6th as the tonal centerset of notes. This could be overridden if Playing the melody or harmony demonstrated scale ascending may not give us a goal of reaching euphoric resolution when we hit the tonic note of the major key. Yet, without these things present, but a cleverly designed melody against a harmony that establishes the 6th can remain minor tonality will find a strong resolution on the tonal centertonic note.

And rememberThe minor scale features a perfect 4th and perfect 5th, like the major scale itself isn't supposed , which assists in allowing it to establish its own tonality. The minor tonality may not be a whole composition - itas strong as the major, but that's simply kind of the set of notespoint. Playing We want the scale ascending may not give us minor key to sound different, to sound a strong resolution little more tense, even when we hit reach the tonic note. The m3, m6, but a cleverly designed melody against a harmony that establishes and m7 intervals are less harmonic than the minor tonality will find a strong resolution on M3, M6, and M7, making the tonic notekey less "settling".

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---------

Am C F Bdim C F B{{dim}} Bdim Em Am i III VI ii iio III VI ii{{dim}} 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}}