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Minor Keys and Scales

Module by: Catherine Schmidt-Jones. E-mail the author

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Music in a Minor Key

Music that is in a minor key is often described as sounding more solemn, sad, mysterious, or ominous than music that is in a major key. Listen to these examples, and see what you think. (PUT audio examples here)

Minor Scales

Minor scales sound different from major scales because they are based on a different pattern of intervals. Just as it did in major scales, starting the pattern on a different note will give you a different key signature, a different set of sharps or flats. To create a minor scale, start on the tonic note and go up the scale using the interval pattern: whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step.

Figure 1
Minor Scale Intervals
Minor Scale Intervals (3a.gif)

Exercise 1

Write an A minor and a G minor scale, beginning on the notes indicated.

Figure 2
Figure 2 (3p.gif)

Solution

Figure 3
Figure 3 (3b.gif)

Exercise 2

Write a Bb minor and a C# minor scale.

Figure 4
Figure 4 (3q.gif)

Solution

Figure 5
Figure 5 (3c.gif)

Exercise 3

Write an F minor and a B minor scale in bass clef.

Figure 6
Figure 6 (3r.gif)

Solution

Figure 7
Figure 7 (3d.gif)

Relative Minor and Major Keys

Because they follow a different interval pattern, C minor does not have the same key signature as C major. In fact, it has the same key signature as Eb major. Because they have the same key signature, C minor is called the relative minor of Eb major, and Eb major is the relative major of C minor. C is three half steps lower than Eb, and in fact a relative minor is always three half steps lower than its relative major.

Figure 8: The C major and C minor scales start on the same note, but have different key signatures. C minor and E flat major start on different notes, but have the same key signature. C minor is the relative minor of E flat major.
Figure 8 (3s.gif)

Exercise 4

What are the relative majors of the minor keys in problems 1, 2, and 3 above?

Solution

Problem 1: A minor/C major, G minor/Bb Major. Problem 2: Bb minor/Db major, C# minor/E major. Problem 3: F minor/Ab major, B minor/D major.

More Minor Scales

All of the scales above are natural minor scales. They contain only the notes in the minor key signature. There are two other kinds of minor scales, both of which include notes that are not in the key signature. The harmonic minor scale raises the seventh note of the scale by one half step, whether you are going up or down the scale. Harmonies in minor keys do often use this raised seventh tone in order to make the music feel more strongly centered on the tonic. In the melodic minor scale, the sixth and seventh notes of the scale are each raised by one half step when going up the scale, but return to the natural minor when going down the scale. Melodies in minor keys do use this pattern of accidentals particularly often, so instrumentalists may find it useful to practice fingering melodic minor scales.

Figure 9
Figure 9 (3e.gif)

Exercise 5

Rewrite each scale as indicated.

Figure 10
(a)
Figure 10(a) (3f.gif)
(b)
Figure 10(b) (3g.gif)
(c)
Figure 10(c) (3h.gif)
(d)
Figure 10(d) (3i.gif)

Solution

Figure 11
(a)
Figure 11(a) (3j.gif)
(b)
Figure 11(b) (3k.gif)
(c)
Figure 11(c) (3l.gif)
(d)
Figure 11(d) (3m.gif)

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