Notice that when you play the full scale, on the way up it feels like it is pulling towards the top C, in this case. Melodic minor scales raise the sixth and seventh notes of the scale when played ascending (moving up the scale), and play the natural minor scale notes descending (moving down the scale). As it decends, it's a plain old natural minor scale a lowered 3rd, 6th, and 7th. The third type of minor scale is the melodic minor scale, and they aren’t as common. In it's acending form the only lowered note is the 3rd. What's interesting about this scale is that it's different going up than it is coming down. The melodic minor scale, as it's name implies, is used mainly in melodic lines. To learn how it's implemented check out the chords section. Just think of the harmonic minor being used for it's harmonic functions. The most common use of the harmonic minor scale presents itself in chord progressions in a minor key. Also, you'll notice scale has an exotic sound, particularly between the Ab and B. Now, in this case the C harmonic minor scale, the B natural acts as a leading tone up to the C and emphasises it as a final note.
The harmonic minor scale is just like the natural minor only without the lowered 7th. Just remember: the relative minor scale is built from the major scale's sixth degree.įor a visual helper check out the circle of fifths. Understanding this concept will save you loads of time when learning scales since once you know the major scales in all keys you'll also know all the natural minor scales. Because of this relationship relative minor scales share the same key signature as their major counterparts and vice versa. It's also true to say that the C major scale is the relative major of A minor it can go both ways. The A minor scale is called the relative minor scale of the C major scale. These scales are actually the same! The only difference is the A minor scale starts on the sixth note of the C major scale.
If you're looking at the formula for the natural minor scale above and thinking to yourself “I've seen this before” then you're on to something! Check out this comparison between the A natural minor and the C major scales below: Natural Minor & Major Scale Comparison Here's the one for the natural minor scale: Natural Minor Scale FormulaĪnd here's what the C natural minor scale looks like: The harmonic minor form of the minor scale consists of an ordered collection of half- and whole-steps in the ascending succession W-H-W-W-H-3Hs-H. As before with the major scales, you can figure out any natural minor scale (or any scale for that matter) by knowing it's ‘interval formula'. Minor scales provide a darker, and often more complex sound than major scales. Also, most of the time when we refer to a ‘minor' scale we're generally referring to the natural minor. By altering these notes we also change the intervals which make up the scale. The natural minor scale can be thought of as a major scale with the 3rd 6th and 7th notes lowered by one half step.