Minor Scales

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Chapter 4 · Lesson 02

In short

Minor scales have a minor third between the tonic and the third degree, which gives them a darker, more melancholic colour. They exist in three forms: natural, harmonic and melodic.

Lesson Notes

In the previous lesson we saw the major scale, with its bright colour and its T-T-S-T-T-T-S pattern. The minor scale starts from a different place, changes one crucial interval, and the result immediately sounds heavier and more melancholic.

01What changes in the minor

The essential difference lies in the third degree. In the major scale the distance from tonic to third degree is a major third (2 tones). In the minor it is a minor third (1½ tones). That one semitone is what colours the whole scale darker.

The most familiar minor scale is A minor. It is played with exactly the same notes as C major, only it starts on A instead of C. It needs no accidentals at all.

02Natural minor

The natural minor has this pattern of tones and semitones: T-S-T-T-S-T-T. The two semitones fall between the 2nd-3rd degree and between the 5th-6th degree.

A natural minor · T-S-T-T-S-T-T

A natural minor is played on the white keys of the piano, with no accidentals. The semitones fall between the 2nd-3rd (B-C) and 5th-6th (E-F) degrees.

03Harmonic minor

In the natural minor the 7th degree (G) sits a whole tone below the tonic (A). In the harmonic minor we raise that degree by a semitone, G → G♯, turning it into a leading tone. Now it sits just one semitone below the tonic, so it sounds as if it is pulling toward it, as if it wants to land on the tonic and come to rest there. That tendency is called attraction.

This change, though, brings a consequence: between the 6th degree (F) and the 7th (G♯) an interval of an augmented second (1½ tones) appears, which gives the harmonic minor its characteristic oriental colour.

A harmonic minor · raised 7th degree

G♯ (7th degree, leading tone) sits one semitone below the tonic A. The interval F-G♯ is an augmented second, the harmonic minor's telltale mark.

04Melodic minor

The harmonic minor's augmented second is interesting in harmony, but hard to sing or play smoothly. The melodic minor solves that problem by also raising, on the way up, the 6th degree (F → F♯) together with the 7th (G → G♯). The augmented second disappears and the ascent becomes sweeter.

On the way down, the degrees return to their natural positions, that is, the scale follows the pattern of the natural minor.

A melodic minor (ascending) · raised 6th and 7th degrees

Going up, the 6th (F♯) and 7th (G♯) degrees are raised so the augmented second disappears. Going down, the same notes become natural again.

Recap

The minor scale has a minor third between the tonic and the 3rd degree, and that gives it its dark colour.
The natural minor follows the pattern T-S-T-T-S-T-T. A natural minor has no accidentals.
The harmonic minor raises the 7th degree (leading tone), creating a strong pull toward the tonic and an oriental colour from the augmented second (6th-7th degree).
The melodic minor raises both the 6th and the 7th degree on the way up, to smooth out the harmonic's augmented second. On the way down it returns to the natural notes.
One example covers all three forms: A minor (natural: no accidentals, harmonic: G♯, melodic ascending: F♯ + G♯).