Chapter 17:

Minor scales

About minor tonality

Minor scale tones

Notes in a minor key come from the natural minor scale, with adjustments to the sixth and seventh degrees as circumstances require.

The leading tone

In a minor key, it is common to approach the tonic from a half-step below, from 7-1, through the major 7̂ or leading tone. This is so even though the natural minor scale does not contain a major 7̂ degree. Natural minor with a major 7̂ is called the harmonic minor scale. See Chapter 9. Minor key harmony for details.

The tone-and-a-half interval

The use of the leading tone 7̂ results in a tone-and-a-half interval between the b6̂ and 7̂.

This tone-and-a-half interval (aka augmented second, #2, TS) is an uncommon sound in Western music, connoting “otherness” or “foreignness”, and euroclassical composers preferred to avoid it. Instead, when composing melody lines in minor keys, they would either (1) raise the b6̂ degree to 6̂, which is called the (ascending) melodic minor scale, or (2) use both b7̂ and b6̂ when descending and the leading tone is not needed, which is the natural minor scale.

Adjustable 6 and 7

The third degree of a minor scale is always a minor third, by definition.

But the sixth and seventh scale degrees in minor tonality can be thought of as adjustable. They can be major or minor, depending on the circumstances.

While the different permutations are labeled as melodic, harmonic, and natural minor scales, it can be more helpful to think of them as one general minor scale, with an adjustable sixth and seventh as needed.

Minor scales

Natural minor scale

The natural minor scale is the basis of minor key harmony (see Chapter 9. Minor key harmony).

It is a seven note diatonic scale with semitones between degrees 2-b3 and 5-b6. It has a b3, b6, and b7.

Natural minor is also the sixth diatonic mode of the major scale, the Aeolian mode. See Chapter 18. Diatonic modes for details.

The lower tetrachord of natural minor is the minor tetrachord (1-2-b3-4). This same lower tetrachord is used for all of the minor scales in this chapter.

The upper tetrachord is 5-b6-b7-1 (1-b2-b3-4). This minor second (b2 and b6) is relatively uncommon. This tetrachord is sometimes called phrygian or upper minor.

Harmonic minor scale

The harmonic minor scale is a seven note scale created by raising the seventh degree of the natural minor scale to create a leading tone. See Chapter 9. Minor key harmony for details.

The harmonic minor scale has semitones between degrees 2-b3, 5-b6, and 7-1, and a tone-and-a-half interval (TS, 3 semitones) between b6 and 7. It has a b3 and a b6.

Melodic minor scale

The melodic minor scale is a seven note scale created by raising the sixth degree of the harmonic minor scale, to get rid of the tone-and-a-half interval between b6 and 7.

The melodic minor scale is often used for minor key melodies. In euroclassical pieces it is traditionally played ascending, in order to move from the leading tone to the tonic, but when descending the natural minor scale with b7 and b6 is often played instead, since the leading tone is no longer needed and there is no longer a foreign tone-and-a-half interval for which to adjust the b6.

In jazz, the melodic minor scale is used both ascending and descending, and minor key melodies usually use the major 6 and 7. Some jazz musicians call the ascendending melodic minor scale “real minor”. It is given primacy as a minor scale, and is commonly harmonized, with the various modes of melodic minor regularly used in jazz pieces.

The melodic minor scale has a b3, with semitones between degrees 2-b3 and 7-1.

Combined minor scale

While there are several different minor scales, it can be helpful to think primarily in terms of a single general minor scale, with adjustable sixth and seventh degrees.

Notice that the lower tetrachord (1-2-b3-4) is always the same, as is the perfect fifth. It can be useful to learn licks and phrases with the lower tetrachord and fifth since they will work regardless of what’s happening with the 6 and 7.

Relative major and minor

The notes in a natural minor scale are identical to the notes in the relative major scale a minor third above it. For example, the notes and chords in A natural minor are the same as in C major. C is said to be the relative major of Am, and Am is said to be the relative minor of C.

Notice that the 1̂ of the relative minor is the 6̂ of the relative major. The natural minor is the sixth mode of the major scale. See Chapter 18. Diatonic modes for details.

This is a quick way to get started learning notes in a minor key. By learning a major key we get the relative minor for free.

Practicing minor scales

See “practicing scales” in Chapter 15. Introduction to scales for general information about practicing scales.

Approach the tonic through the leading tone

When approaching the tonic from below as a point of resolution, precede the tonic with the leading tone, major 7-1. Even when approaching the tonic from above, it can sound good to slide into the tonic with the leading tone, such as with 5-4-b3-2-7-1.

Mind the tone-and-a-half interval

When playing both the sixth and seventh degrees, be mindful of the potential tone-and-a-half interval if there’s a b6 and major 7.

Either avoid it, by lowering the 7 or raising the 6, or embrace it—it can be a cool sound. But be aware of it and practice working with it.

Think in combined minor with adjustable 6 and 7

When practicing, try to think in the combined form of the minor scale, adjusting the sixth and seventh degrees as appropriate.

Even if this amounts to just practicing the melodic, harmonic, and natural minor scales separately, try to think in terms of the adjustable sixth and seventh degrees.

Practice as relative major

When first getting familiar with a minor key, play the scale for its relative major, starting and ending on the 6. Get a sense of the 6 as the tonal center.

Practice as minor

Once the sound of the scale is familiar, start thinking of the minor key tonal center as 1, and play the same exercises with this new point of view.

Think in both minor and relative major

It can be constructive to switch perspective back and forth, thinking of a tone as a degree of both the minor scale and the relative major.

C form

This combined scale includes the natural minor scale, plus highlighted additional major 6 and 7 degrees.

• Played without highlighted notes, it’s the natural minor scale.
• Played with the highlighted major 7 instead of the b7, it’s harmonic minor.
• Played with both highlighted 6 and 7 instead of b6 and b7, it’s melodic minor.

Compare the relative major form below. It has the exact same notes, but different intervals. The 1 in the minor is the 6 in the major, and so on.

The separate melodic, harmonic, and natural minors are also shown.

Compare the relative major and separate minor scales.

A form

Compare the relative major and separate minor scales.

G form

Compare the relative major and separate minor scales.

E form

This form requires a slight shift of position to reach back to the 2 (and sometimes the 6 and 7). This can be done by stretching the first finger back just enough to reach the 2. When playing the 2 and b3 in sequence, play them both with the same finger, and slide to the second note.

Compare the relative major and the separate minor scales below.

D form

Compare the relative major and the separate minor scales below.

Whole fretboard

The following diagrams show minor scales on the entire fretboard.