- See also: major scale
A minor scale in musical theory is a diatonic scale whose third scale degree is an interval of a minor third above the tonic. While some definitions of minor scale encompass modes with the minor third, such as Dorian mode, most musicians use the term to refer to the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales described below. Also, compare major and minor. It is helpful to note that the natural minor scale is the same as the 6th musical mode of the major scale (known as the aeolian mode), but the two other minor scales (harmonic and melodic) do not belong to the same group of modes due to their individual alterations. In music theory, the major scale is one of the diatonic scales. ...
Music theory is a set of systems for analyzing, classifying, and composing music and the elements of music. ...
In music theory, a diatonic scale (from the Greek diatonikos, to stretch out; also known as the heptatonia prima; set form 7-35) is a seven-note musical scale comprising five whole-tone and two half-tone steps, in which the half tones are maximally separated. ...
In music or music theory a scale degree is an individual note of a scale, both its pitch and its diatonic function. ...
In music theory, the term interval describes the difference in pitch between two notes. ...
A minor third is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the diatonic scale. ...
The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ...
In music, a scale is an ordered series of musical intervals, which, along with the key or tonic, define the pitches. ...
Due to historical confusion, Dorian mode can refer to two very different musical modes or diatonic scales. ...
In music, the adjectives major and minor can describe a scale, key, chord, or interval. ...
In music, a scale is an ordered series of musical intervals, which, along with the key or tonic, define the pitches. ...
In music theory, the major scale is one of the diatonic scales. ...
The Aeolian mode comprises a musical mode or diatonic scale. ...
Types of minor scales
Natural minor A natural minor scale has the following interval pattern: In music theory, the term interval describes the difference in pitch between two notes. ...
tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone. A major second is one of three commonly occuring musical intervals that span two diatonic scale degrees; the others being the minor second, which is one semitone smaller, and the augmented second, which is one semitone larger. ...
A semitone (also known in the USA as a half step) is a musical interval. ...
In equal temperament, this can be equated to An equal temperament is a musical temperament — that is, a system of tuning intended to approximate some form of just intonation — in which an interval, usually the octave, is divided into a series of equal steps (equal frequency ratios). ...
whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole step. The musical interval of a major second — also called a whole-tone — is the relationship between the first note (the root or tonic) and the second note in a major scale (and also a minor scale). ...
A semitone (also known in the USA as a half step) is a musical interval. ...
In the classic major scale, the steps are: 1 -W- 2 -W- 3 -H- 4 -W- 5 -W- 6 -W- 7 -H- 8.
One way of remembering the steps in the natural minor scale is to start on the 6th degree of the relative major scale. In that way, one does not have to remember the new set of steps "W,H,W,W,H,W,W," but rather just the familiar major scale steps with a different starting point. For example, A is the 6th scale note of the C major scale, so the A natural minor scale is just the C major scale starting on the 6th scale note.
The C major scale is C D E F G A B C, so the A natural minor scale is A B C D E F G A (A is the 6th scale note of the C major scale)
In other meantone tunings the semitone is not half of a tone, but a somewhat larger interval. Meantone temperament is a system of musical tuning. ...
If the scale is used with the corresponding key signature, the natural minor scale is written with no accidentals. This key signature – A major or F# minor – consists of three sharps placed after the clef In musical notation, a key signature is a series of sharp symbols or flat symbols placed on the staff, designating notes that are to be consistently played one semitone higher or lower than the...
An accidental is a musical notation symbol used to raise or lower the pitch of a note from that indicated by the key signature. ...
For example, in the key of A minor, the natural minor scale is:
A B C D E F G A'
 Image File history File links Download high resolution version (945x201, 3 KB) a minor, natural scale a-moll, natürliches/reines Moll See also / siehe auch: http://commons. ...
Sometimes the natural minor scale is equated with the Aeolian mode, but a key characteristic of music in the minor mode in the common practice period of Western music is the use of the leading tone, a half step below the tonic. Music using the natural seventh degree, called the subtonic, sounds modal to Western ears; this music is commonly used in Peruvian and other ethnic music, and by modern Western composers such as Vaughan Williams who have a liking for this sound. Also, in music written from the 16th to 19th centuries, the chord built on the dominant (fifth scale degree) is almost always a major triad, at least at cadence points; consequently, the seventh degree of the scale must be raised with an accidental to make this possible. The next most important chord, the subdominant, is typically a minor triad. The Aeolian mode comprises a musical mode or diatonic scale. ...
In music the common practice period is a long period in western musical history spanning from before the classical era proper to today, dated, on the outside, as 1600-1900. ...
In music theory, a leading-tone (called the leading-note outside the US) is a note or pitch which resolves or leads to a note one semitone higher or lower, being a lower and upper leading-tone, respectively. ...
In music, the subtonic is the lowered seventh degree of the scale, as opposed to the leading tone. ...
In music, a scale is an ordered series of musical intervals, which, along with the key or tonic, define the pitches. ...
Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ...
A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ...
In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the scale. ...
In music or music theory a scale degree is an individual note of a scale, both its pitch and its diatonic function. ...
Generally speaking, a major chord is any chord which has a major third above its root, as opposed to a minor chord which has a minor third. ...
An accidental is a musical notation symbol used to raise or lower the pitch of a note from that indicated by the key signature. ...
In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. ...
Generally speaking, a minor chord is any chord which has a minor third above its root, as opposed to a major chord which has a major third. ...
Harmonic and melodic minor These considerations of harmony lead to the harmonic minor scale, the same as the natural minor but with a chromatically raised seventh degree. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Harmony is the use and study of pitch simultaneity, and therefore chords, actual or implied, in music. ...
tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone-and-a-half, semitone. A major second is one of three commonly occuring musical intervals that span two diatonic scale degrees; the others being the minor second, which is one semitone smaller, and the augmented second, which is one semitone larger. ...
A semitone (also known in the USA as a half step) is a musical interval. ...
A major second is one of three commonly occuring musical intervals that span two diatonic scale degrees; the others being the minor second, which is one semitone smaller, and the augmented second, which is one semitone larger. ...
A major second is one of three commonly occuring musical intervals that span two diatonic scale degrees; the others being the minor second, which is one semitone smaller, and the augmented second, which is one semitone larger. ...
A semitone (also known in the USA as a half step) is a musical interval. ...
The musical interval of a minor third is the relationship between the first note (the root or tonic) and the third note in a minor scale. ...
A semitone (also known in the USA as a half step) is a musical interval. ...
For example, in the key of A minor, the harmonic minor scale is:
A B C D E F G A'
 Image File history File links Download high resolution version (945x201, 3 KB) a minor, harmonic scale a-moll, Harmonisches Moll See also / siehe auch: http://commons. ...
The interval between the sixth and seventh degrees of this scale (in this case F and G sharp) is an augmented second. While some composers, notably Mozart, have used this interval to advantage in melodic composition, other composers have felt it to be an awkward leap, particularly in vocal music. Thus, for purposes of melody, either the subtonic is used, or the sixth scale degree is raised; either way, there is a whole step between these two scale degrees, considered more conducive to smooth melody writing. The musical interval of a minor third is the relationship between the first note (the root or tonic) and the third note in a minor scale. ...
“Mozart†redirects here. ...
Vocal music is music performed by one or more singers, with or without non-vocal instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. ...
In music, the subtonic is the lowered seventh degree of the scale, as opposed to the leading tone. ...
The musical interval of a major second — also called a whole-tone — is the relationship between the first note (the root or tonic) and the second note in a major scale (and also a minor scale). ...
Traditionally, music theorists have called these two options the ascending melodic (also known as heptatonia seconda) and descending melodic minor scales:
 Image File history File links Download high resolution version (945x201, 3 KB) a minor, melodic scale, ascending a-moll, Melodisches Moll, aufsteigend See also / siehe auch: http://commons. ...
 Image File history File links Download high resolution version (945x201, 3 KB) a minor, melodic scale, descending a-moll, Melodisches Moll, absteigend See also / siehe auch: http://commons. ...
but historically, composers have not been consistent about using them in ascending and descending melodies. Just as often, composers choose one form or the other based on whether one of the two notes is part of the most recent chord (the prevailing harmony). Another reason might be the use of the mediant chord, based on the third degree of the scale, which is an augmented triad if the raised seventh degree is used; some composers prefer the use of the major triad and thus use the lowered seventh degree. For mediant in mathematics, see Mediant (mathematics) In music, the mediant is the third degree of the diatonic scale. ...
In general, an augmented chord is any chord which contains an augmented interval. ...
Finding key signatures Minor modes use the same set of key signatures as major modes; whichever signature corresponds to the step pattern of the natural minor scale is considered the key signature for that minor mode. The major and minor keys which share the same signature are called relative; so C major is the relative major of A minor, and C minor is the relative minor of E-flat major. This key signature – A major or F# minor – consists of three sharps placed after the clef In musical notation, a key signature is a series of sharp symbols or flat symbols placed on the staff, designating notes that are to be consistently played one semitone higher or lower than the...
The relative major is found by raising the minor tonic note by a tone and a semitone, which is three half-steps in equal temperament, and in any event an interval of a minor third. If you know that the key signature of G major has one sharp (see major scales for how to find this), then its relative minor, E minor, also has one sharp in its key signature. A minor third is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the diatonic scale. ...
In music theory, the major scale is one of the diatonic scales. ...
This table illustrates the relative major key signatures for minor scales.
| Key Sig. | | Major Scale | | Minor Scale | | 0♯/♭ | | C major | | a minor | | | | | | | 1♯ | | G major | | e minor | | 2♯ | | D major | | b minor | | 3♯ | | A major | | f♯ minor | | 4♯ | | E major | | c♯ minor | | 5♯ | | B major | | g♯ minor | | 6♯ | | F♯ major | | d♯ minor | | 7♯ | | C♯ major | | a♯ minor | | Key Sig. | | Major Scale | | Minor Scale | | 1♭ | | F major | | d minor | | 2♭ | | B♭ major | | g minor | | 3♭ | | E♭ major | | c minor | | 4♭ | | A♭ major | | f minor | | 5♭ | | D♭ major | | b♭ minor | | 6♭ | | G♭ major | | e♭ minor | | 7♭ | | C♭ major | | a♭ minor | The following are enharmonic equivalents: | Key Sig. | | Major Scale | | Minor Scale | | 5♯/7♭ | | B/C♭ major | | g♯/a♭ minor | | 6♯/6♭ | | F♯/G♭ major | | d♯/e♭ minor | | 7♯/5♭ | | C♯/D♭ major | | a♯/b♭ minor | Additional note: it is possible to construct scales which cannot be written purely using a key signature, such as D-flat minor; double sharps/double flats can be written as accidentals, but not as part of a key signature. For example: An accidental is a musical notation symbol used to raise or lower the pitch of a note from that indicated by the key signature. ...
D♭ Minor Key Signature: B♭ + E♭ + A♭ + D♭ + G♭ + C♭ + F♭ + B
(the B♭ is now double flatted) Image File history File links Doubleflat. ...
D♭ Natural Minor = D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B
C♭ D♭ Image File history File links Doubleflat. ...
D♭ Melodic Minor (Ascending + Descending) = D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ C♭ B
A♭ G♭ F♭ E♭ D♭ Image File history File links Doubleflat. ...
D♭ Harmonic Minor = D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ B
C D♭ Image File history File links Doubleflat. ...
On rare occasions, short passages of music will be written in an enharmonic scale (in this case, C-sharp minor, which only has four sharps in its key signature, compared to the theoretical eight flats required for D-flat minor). In music, an enharmonic is a note which is the equivalent of some other note, but spelled differently. ...
Circles of thirds All three of the variant forms of the minor scale possess a complete circle of three major and four minor thirds in various arrangements. If M is a major third and m a minor third, then starting from the tonic (eg A in A minor) we have mmMmmMM for the natural minor scale, mmMmMMm for the harmonic minor scale, and mmMMMmm for the ascending melodic minor. The major diatonic scale is simply a transposition of the natural minor scale, and the harmonic major scale is an inverted form of the harmonic minor scale, so all of these workhorse scales of the diatonic system possess such a circle of thirds. These circles only close in meantone tunings, since three major and four minor thirds exceed two octaves by 81/80, the syntonic comma, in just intonation. In music theory, a diatonic scale (from the Greek diatonikos, to stretch out; also known as the heptatonia prima; set form 7-35) is a seven-note musical scale comprising five whole-tone and two half-tone steps, in which the half tones are maximally separated. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
The syntonic comma, also known as the comma of Didymus or Ptolemaic comma, is a small interval between two musical notes, equal to the frequency ratio 81:80, or around 21. ...
See also In music, the adjectives major and minor can describe a scale, key, chord, or interval. ...
In music, a scale is an ordered series of musical intervals, which, along with the key or tonic, define the pitches. ...
See also: function and functional. ...
References - Gjerdingen, Robert O. (1990). "A Guide to the Terminology of German Harmony", Studies in the Origin of Harmonic Tonality by Dahlhaus, Carl, trans. Gjerdingen (1990).
External links - Proper fingering of the major and minor scales on the piano
- Listen to and download harmonised minor scale piano MP3s
- Guitar: Harmonic minor scale explored
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