The Minor Scale: Another Foundation of Music

Let's start with the prelude 🎵

As you learned in the previous module, the major scale is the cornerstone of music, used in countless compositions. It consists of seven distinct notes within an octave. In this module, we'll explore how to construct a minor scale in its three different forms:

Half-Step and Whole-Step Patterns: We'll learn the three specific sequences of half-steps and whole-steps that define the three forms of a minor scale.
Key Signatures: We'll discover how key signatures, using sharps or flats, indicate the key of a piece and determine the notes of its minor scale.

The Minor Scale in its NATURAL Form

Recall from the previous module that major scales are built from a series of whole steps and half steps. Again, if you look at a piano keyboard, a half step is the distance between any two adjacent keys. A whole step is twice that distance, which is two half steps:

Piano keyboard with note names and examples of half steps and whole steps

You could figure out the whole step and half step pattern for a “regular” (natural) minor scale. However, it’s actually easier to think of how the minor scale is related to a particular major key. Major and minor keys that are “related” by the same key signature are called RELATIVE Major and minor keys. You can look at the Circle of Fifths and see the related major and minor keys next to each other on the circle. You can also remember a simple fact: The sixth note of a major scale in any major key is the first note of it’s relative minor key/scale. For example, the sixth note of the C Major scale is “A.” Therefore, C Major and a minor are relative, with the same key signature of no sharps or flats. Another example is that the sixth note of the F Major scale is “D.” Thus, F Major and d minor are relative, both with one flat (B-flat).

A relative minor scale in any key is inherently in the NATURAL minor form. Natural minor form means that the minor scale has no accidentals added to alter any notes.

As explained in the KEY TERMS section at the beginning of the lesson, there are a total of three possible forms of minor scales: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic. Again, think of it this way—the relative or related minor scale that starts on the sixth note of any major scale is called the NATURAL form of the minor scale. The other two forms are simply variations of that natural minor scale: Harmonic minor scales have a seventh note that is raised a half step, and the Melodic minor scale has the sixth and seventh note raised, but only on the ascending part of the scale. Let’s look at an example of a Major key and all three forms of the related minor scale, B-flat Major:

Major Key, Major Scale, Minor Scale (natural form)

You can either look at the circle of fifths or use your W-W-H-W-W-W-H Major Scale formula to figure out that B-flat Major has two flats—B-flat and E-flat. Now that you have the B-flat Major scale written out, start on the sixth note of the major scale and go up eight notes to create the relative minor scale, g minor. G minor has the exact same key signature as B-flat Major and all you need to do is start on that sixth note to figure out the related g minor scale in it’s natural form!

The B-flat Major and g natural minor scales on a music staff.

Harmonic Minor and Melodic Minor - the other two forms

Both the harmonic and melodic forms are alterations of the original natural form of the minor scale. Here again is the g minor scale in it’s natural form.

The g natural minor scale on a music staff.

Now, raise the seventh note a half step to create the Harmonic form of the minor scale:

The g harmonic minor scale on a music staff.

Finally, raise the sixth and seventh notes a half step on the ascending portion of the minor scale to create the Melodic form (and lower the notes back down on the descending part of the scale):

The g melodic minor scale on a music staff.

WHOLE - HALF - WHOLE - YADDA - YADDA - YADDA

Remember, just like with major scales, there are whole step/half step patterns that you could use to calculate any minor scale in any of the three forms:

Minor Scale Natural Form: W-H-W-W-H-W-W

Minor Scale Harmonic Form: W-H-W-W-H-3Hs-H

Minor Scale Melodic Form: W-H-W-W-W-W-H (ascending) and W-W-H-W-W-H-W (descending)

Of course, you can use the circle of fifths and the “sixth note” rule to calculate the minor scale in the natural form and then just add the appropriate accidentals for the harmonic or melodic form.

Creating Minor Scales Self-Assessment

Test your knowledge from this lesson by completing the self-assessment below. Good luck!

👏 Encore! Bravo! Wrap-up

In the last module you learned that Major scales and the chromatic scale are important musical building blocks. However, minor scales in the different forms add more tools to your “musical toolbox.” Now you also have the knowledge and skills necessary to determine any minor key or create any form of a minor scale.

[CC BY-NC-SA 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION - INTENDED ONLY FOR USE WITHIN THE LESSON.