Basic Music Theory: How to Read, Write, and Understand Written Music

Basic Music Theory

In this case, we’ll be starting on F, so the key signature of f minor will

give us a specific series of whole and half steps from F to F with the key

signature of 4 flats. In example 24.2 you’ll see that adding the next three

flats in the key signature will lower the 3rd, 6th, and 7th degrees of the

major scale by half a step. Though the key signature takes care of the flat

notes, I’ve put the flats in parentheses in front of the notes to illustrate

which have been lowered.

Example 24.2 The f minor scale with whole and half steps shown.

With this example, you can see the series of whole and half steps for any

natural minor scale is: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole

(whwwhww). Memorize this if you want, but it’s easier to simply add

three flats to the major key of the starting note.

What About Sharp Keys?

The process for making a minor key is the same for sharp keys. Add three

flats. What’s different is that the flats will cancel out the sharps.

For example, if we take the key of E with 4 sharps and add 3 flats, those

three flats cancel out three of the sharps, leaving us with one sharp, which

is the key of e minor.

Example 24.3 The keys of E Major and e minor.

You’ll notice that the key of e minor is the same as the key of G, but what

is different is the starting note, which will of course be E. I’m not going

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E Major e minor