Piano for Beginners 6th ED - 2016 UK

Chords and scales

C#

A

Bb

B

C

Try out these spooky-sounding scales

Harmonic minor scales

Harmonic minor scales are the same as natural

minor scales apart from one rather large difference.

The seventh note is raised by a semitone resulting

in an unusual interval of three semitones between

the sixth and seventh notes. This gives the scale

a distinctive, ‘spooky’ sound that will be easily

recognisable once you’ve played through the

scales a few times. Since it’s still a minor scale, the

key signatures follow the same rules as the natural

minor, ie the same as its relative major. So, if we take

D harmonic minor as an example (it has one flat in

its key signature as its relative major is F), its seventh

note, C, is raised by a semitone to C#, resulting in a

Bb to C# interval of three semitones.

“The seventh note is raised, resulting in an

unusual interval of three semitones”