Minor scales and key signatures

Victoria Malawey

Main Body

6 Minor scales and key signatures

Learning goals for Chapter 6

In this chapter, we will learn:

How to construct and identify the three minor scales
How minor scales function in musical contexts
How to construct and identify minor key signatures
How to find relative and parallel keys
How to sing three- and four-note pitch patterns in minor keys, focused on diatonic anchors (do, me, and sol)

Minor scales

In Chapter 3 we began studying music in major keys. Major keys are marked by the prominent major third (MA3) between the and scale degrees. Minor keys, in contrast, feature a minor third (mi3) between tonic and mediant, which creates their characteristic sound.

There are several types of minor scales. The first we shall study is the , which features the following pattern of whole and half steps: W H W W H W W. Compare the C major scale to its , C natural minor, in Example 6‑1.

Example 6‑1. C major and C natural minor scales

C major and C natural minor scales written in bass clef on the staff

There are several methods for writing natural minor scales, two of which are:

METHOD 1. Memorize the pattern of whole and half steps: W H W W H W W.

METHOD 2. Write the parallel major scale, then lower scale degrees $\hat{3}$ , $\hat{6}$ , and $\hat{7}$ by one chromatic half step.

When we sing the natural minor scale using solfege, “mi” becomes “me,” “la” becomes “le,” and “ti” becomes “te.”

In addition to natural minor scales, there are two other minor scale variants: the harmonic minor scale and the melodic minor scale. The retains the lowered mediant and submediant scale degrees featured in natural minor, but instead of having a (lowered $\hat{7}$ , “te”), it instead features a (raised $\hat{7}$ , “ti”) like major. Compare the C harmonic minor scale with C natural minor and its parallel major, C major, in Example 6‑2.

Example 6‑2. C major, C natural minor, and C harmonic minor scales

The harmonic minor scale is the only scale we shall study that features three half steps (between scale degrees $\hat{2}$ and $\hat{3}$ , $\hat{5}$ and $\hat{6}$ , and $\hat{7}$ and $\hat{1}$ ). It is also the only one of these scales that features an augmented second (between scale degrees $\hat{6}$ and $\hat{7}$ ), which gives it its characteristic sound. Aptly named, the harmonic minor scale is most often used for creating chords (harmony) in a minor key.

There are several methods for writing harmonic minor scales:

METHOD 1. Memorize the pattern of intervals: W H W W H A2 H

METHOD 2. Write the natural minor scale that starts on the same tonic, then raise scale degree $\hat{7}$ by one chromatic half step.

METHOD 3. Write the parallel major scale, then lower scale degrees $\hat{3}$ and $\hat{6}$ by one chromatic half step.

are the only scales we shall study that have different ascending and descending forms. When ascending, melodic minor scales are similar to major scales, but with lowered scale degree $\hat{3}$ , which marks the scale as minor. When descending, melodic minor scales are exactly like natural minor (with lowered scale degrees $\hat{7}$ , $\hat{6}$ , and $\hat{3}$ ). C melodic minor appears below in Example 6‑3.

Example 6‑3. C melodic minor scale

C harmonic minor scale written in bass clef on the staff

The melodic form of the minor scale is used most often in melodies, whereas the harmonic form of the minor scale is used most often for building chords (harmonies).

To write a melodic minor scale, use one of the following methods:

METHOD 1

Write the ascending and descending forms of the natural minor scale.
Alter the ascending portion by raising scale degrees $\hat{6}$ and $\hat{7}$ by one chromatic half step.

METHOD 2

Start with the ascending portion. Write the parallel major scale and then lower scale degree $\hat{3}$ .
Complete the descending portion. Write the natural minor version of the scale descending. The easiest way to do this is to identify the accidentals used in the natural minor key (which will be the same as those in the minor key signature). If it is confusing to write the scale descending, write it ascending on a separate sheet of staff paper first and then copy the notes in reverse order to get the descending form of the scale.

Video: T14 Intro to minor scales (8:14)

This video introduces the three forms of the minor scale—natural, harmonic, and melodic—in relation to each other and their parallel major counterpart.

Minor scales in context

If you would like to be guided through the exercises, see the “Minor scales in context” video below.

EXERCISE 6-1 Minor scales in context

D NATURAL MINOR

Write the ascending D natural minor scale below or on a separate piece of staff paper. Bracket the location of all half steps. Select the right arrow over the image to view the answer.

Listen for scale degrees $\hat{3}$ – $\hat{2}$ – $\hat{7}$ – $\hat{1}$ (me re te do) from the D natural minor scale in the following example.

Worksheet example 6‑1. Sherwood Schwartz and George Wyle, “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle,” theme from Gilligan’s Island, 0:10–0:23

The $\hat{3}$ – $\hat{2}$ – $\hat{7}$ – $\hat{1}$ (me re te do) occurs on the words “three-hour tour” near the end of the excerpt.

Listen to the full track on Spotify.

Learn about Sherwood Schwartz (1916–2011) and George Wyle (1916–2003), the composers of the “Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle,” and the history of the theme song at the Gilligan’s Island Wiki.

Now write the descending form of the D natural minor scale in treble clef below or on a separate sheet of staff paper. All of the notes should be identical in spelling to how they appear in the ascending version. Select the right arrow over the image to view the answer.

Listen for overlapping D minor descending scales in the following example.

Worksheet example 6‑2. James Horner, “To the Forest,” from the soundtrack to Apocalypto, 0:23–0:53

Listen to the full track on Spotify.

Learn about American film composer James Horner (1953–2015) by reading this Oxford Music Online article, written by Durrell Bowman.

C HARMONIC MINOR

Write the ascending C harmonic minor scale below or on a separate sheet of staff paper. Bracket the location of all half steps. Select the right arrow over the image to view the answer.

Listen for the C harmonic minor scale in the following example.

Worksheet example 6‑3. Jeff Moss, “Eight Beautiful Notes,” 0:37–1:17

Listen to the full track on Spotify.

Learn about the Sesame Street song “Eight Beautiful Notes” written by Jeff Moss (1942–1998) at the Muppet Wiki.

A HARMONIC MINOR

Write the ascending A harmonic minor scale below or on a separate sheet of staff paper. Bracket the location of all half steps. Select the right arrow over the image to view the answer.

Find the A harmonic minor scale in the following example.

Worksheet example 6‑4. W. A. Mozart, K. 305, Violin Sonata no. 21 in A major, mvt. 2, var. 5

Listen to the full track, performed by Itzhak Perlman and Daniel Barenboim, on Spotify.

Learn about Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) by reading this Oxford Music Online article, written by Cliff Eisen and Stanley Sadie.

A MELODIC MINOR

Write the ascending and descending A melodic minor scale below or on a separate piece of staff paper. Bracket the location of all half steps. Select the right arrow over the image to view the answer.

Find both ascending and descending forms of this scale in the following example.

Worksheet example 6‑5. Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor, RV. 522, mvt. 1, mm. 1–4

Listen to the full track, performed by Les Violons du Roy, Bernard Labadie, on Spotify.

Learn about Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) by reading this Oxford Music Online article, written by Michael Talbot and revised by Nicholas Lockey.

Access a printer-friendly .pdf of the exercise here: Ex6.1 Minor scales in context

Want more practice spelling minor scales? Try these drills:

Practice constructing minor scales (teoria)

Practice constructing minor scales (musictheory.net)

Want practice identifying minor scales? Try these drills:

Written scale identification (musictheory.net)

Scale ID ear trainer (tone savvy)

Scale ID ear trainer (musictheory.net)

Listen to the audio examples featured in this exercise here: Spotify playlist for minor scales in context

Video: T15 Minor scales in context (10:09)

This video walks viewers through Ex6.1 Minor scales in context, exploring the use of the three forms of the minor scale in four musical examples ranging from TV and movie soundtracks to a concerto for two violins by Vivaldi.

Listen to the audio examples (and more) featured in this video here: Minor scales in context playlist

Minor key signatures

Just like compositions in major keys, compositions in minor keys also use key signatures. The order and placement of sharps and flats in minor key signatures follow the same circle-of-fifths pattern as major key signatures, which appears in Figure 6-1.

Figure 6‑1. The circle of fifths for major and minor keys

Each key signature has two possible interpretations: either a major key or its minor key. A pair of major and minor keys that possess a relationship share the same key signature, but have different tonics, as in C major and A minor. A pair of major and minor keys that possess a relationship share the same tonic, but have different key signatures, as in C major and C minor.

The easiest way to identify a minor key signature is to relate it to its relative major key. The tonics of a minor key and its relative major are always a minor third (mi3) apart. If you’re given the major key, the relative minor is a minor third (mi3) below the tonic of the major key. If you’re given the minor key, the relative major is a minor third (mi3) above the tonic of the minor key.

Want to practice identifying and constructing major and minor key signatures? Try these drills:

Quiz on relative keys (studybass.com)

Practice identifying all major and minor key signatures (teoria)

Practice constructing major and minor key signatures (teoria)

Pitch patterns in minor keys

Learning pitch patterns in minor keys will help you with sight singing and transcription. In minor keys, solfege syllables always differ from major on scale degree $\hat{3}$ (“mi” becomes “me”) and sometimes on scale degrees $\hat{6}$ (“la” or “le”) and $\hat{7}$ (“ti” or “te”), depending on which minor scale is used. The pitch patterns in minor keys are shown in Figure 6‑2 and Example 6‑4. In contrast to the major pitch patterns, the minor pattern labeled “7” now has three variants corresponding to the three minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic. Although the patterns in Example 6‑4 are shown in D minor, they should be practiced in other minor keys as well.

Figure 6‑2. Pitch patterns in minor

Access a screen-reader friendly .pdf of this figure here: Figure 6-2

Example 6‑4. Pitch patterns in D minor

image of pitch patterns written in musical notation

Video: S07 Pitch patterns in minor keys (7:39)

This interactive video models each of the minor pitch patterns in solfege and with hand signs, then gives you an opportunity to practice each (singing, with solfege and hand signs).

Video: S11 Practicing four-note pitch patterns (3:58)

This interactive video walks you through singing the four-note pitch patterns in minor, which feature step-wise motion between do and sol and sol and do, in each of the minor scales using E as tonic. Patterns practiced include sol le te do and do te le sol (natural minor), sol le ti do and do ti le sol (harmonic minor), and sol la ti do and do te le sol (melodic minor).

Solfege syllables in the chromatic scale

Each scale we’ve studied so far has contained a different configuration of solfege syllables based on which version of scale degrees $\hat{3}$ (mi or me), $\hat{6}$ (la or le), or $\hat{7}$ (ti or te) it uses. Any scale degree can be raised or lowered, and the vowel of the solfege syllable will shift accordingly. In general, raised chromatic notes use an [i] vowel sound, and lowered chromatic notes use an [e] sound (with the exception of “ra,” which is lowered scale degree $\hat{2}$ ). Example 6‑5 shows the solfege syllables for all chromatic notes. Enharmonically equivalent notes have different syllables depending on whether they are used as a raised or lowered scale degree; for instance, in Example 6-5, D $\sharp$ is “ri” and E $\flat$ is “me.” For now, knowing the difference between “mi” and “me,” “la” and “le,” and “ti” and “te” is more important than learning all of the chromatic solfege syllables. We will draw upon the other chromatic solfege syllables when we study modes in Chapter 8.