The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

Chapter 3:Scales 31

Minor Scales

Minor scales sound a little less “up” than major scales. This is partly because
the third note of the minor scale is a minor interval, whereas the third note of
the major scale is a major interval. That little half step between a minor third
and a major third makes all the difference in the world!

Not to confuse you; however, whereas there was a single type of major scale,
there actually are three types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
We’ll look at each scale separately.

Natural Minor

The easiest minor scale to construct is the natural minorscale. You can think of
the natural minor in terms of its corresponding major scale. When you start
and end a major scale on the sixth note, instead of the tonic, you get a natural
minor scale.

Here’s an example: Play a C Major scale (C D E F G A B C). Now move up to
the sixth note—or just move down two notes. (It’s the same thing—up six or down
two—both put you on the A.) Now play an eight-note scale, but using the notes
in C Major. What you get—A B C D E F G A—is the A minor (natural) scale.

As you can see, each natural minor scale shares the same tones as a specific
major scale. The following table shows you which minor scales match up with
which major scales.

Relative Major and Minor Scales

Major Scale Related Natural Minor Scale

C Major A minor

C-sharp Major A-sharp minor

D-flat Major B-flat minor

D Major B minor

E-flat Major C minor

E Major D-flat (C-sharp) minor

When you’re playing a piece of music, you typically stay within the

notes of the designated scale. Any notes you play outside the scale are

calledchromaticnotes; notes within the scale are said to be diatonic.

For example, in the C Major scale, the note C is diatonic; the note

C-sharp would be chromatic.

Even though chromatic notes might sound “different” than the normal scale notes,

they can add color to a piece of music. (That’s where the term comes from, by

the way; chromameans “color.”)

Tip

If you start your natural

minor scale on A (the A

minor scale), you will play

all white keys on the piano.

The A natural minor scale

is the only minor scale that

uses only the white keys;

all the other scales have

black keys in them.

Note

continues