AS Music
2009 - 2010
Understanding Chords &
Lines
Unit 3
Unit handbook 2
Introduction to minor key construction
1
The Western scale ...................................................... 3
C major ........................................................................................................ 4
Minor keys.................................................................................................... 4
The natural minor ....................................................... 5
The harmonic minor ................................................... 6
The melodic minor ...................................................... 6
Constructing minor scales: E & D................................ 7
E minor natural ............................................................................................
E harmonic minor .........................................................................................
E melodic minor ascending ...........................................................................
E melodic minor descending .........................................................................
D minor natural ............................................................................................
D harmonic minor.........................................................................................
D melodic minor ascending ..........................................................................
D melodic minor descending ........................................................................
7
7
7
8
8
8
8
9
The relative minor ...................................................... 9
Identifying minor key signatures ............................. 11
Sharp keys ................................................................................................. 11
Flat keys..................................................................................................... 11
Constructing minor scales: B & G ............................. 13
B minor natural ..........................................................................................
B harmonic minor .......................................................................................
B melodic minor ascending ........................................................................
B melodic minor descending.......................................................................
G minor natural ..........................................................................................
G harmonic minor .......................................................................................
G melodic minor ascending ........................................................................
G melodic minor descending ......................................................................
2
13
13
13
13
14
14
14
14
The Western scale
The Western octave is divided into 12 small intervals called semitones.
Semitones are represented on the piano keyboard as consecutive notes. An
interval of a tone occurs when two notes are separated by two semitones.
For example, C natural to D natural has a C# between them, so the interval
between C and D is a tone. There is no note between E natural and F natural
so the interval between E and F is a semitone.
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
The pattern of tones and semitones ion a major scale follows:
Tone
Tone
Semitone
Tone
Tone
Tone
Semitone
3
C
B
or
T
T
S
T
T
T
S
or
3–4
7–8
C major
Here the brackets denote the position of the semitones for C major
The pattern of tones and semitones is constant throughout all major scales.
Minor keys
Minor keys are important as they provide a vital colour contrast with major
keys and, because of their construction, they provide a wider range of
harmonic possibilities.
They are often considered to be more expressive
than major keys and can often have a plaintive or sad feel.
4
The natural minor
The most basic shape for a minor scale is the natural minor.
This is a
minor scale played without any accidentals. Here is A minor natural:
Note how the semitones lie
between the 2nd and 3rd degrees
and the 5th and 6th degrees. This
is significantly different to the
major scale and is the reason for
the scale’s tone and colour. Note
also how the leading note, the 7th
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
degree, is a tone and not a
C
semitone away from the tonic.
The pattern of tones and semitones ion a major scale follows:
Tone
Semitone
Tone
Tone
Semitone
Tone
Tone
or
T
S
T
T
S
T
T
or
2-3
5-6
The natural minor has the same intervallic structure ascending and
descending.
5
The harmonic minor
The harmonic minor has a very particular colour and this is caused by the
seventh degree of the scale being raised by a semitone.
The harmonic minor has three semitones and the interval between the 6th
and 7th degrees is a semitone larger than a tone, or a major 2nd.
interval is known as an augmented 2nd.
This
The harmonic minor has the
same intervallic structure ascending and descending.
2-3
5–6
7-8
The melodic minor
The melodic minor arose as it was considered easier to sing an ascending
scale with the 6th and 7th degrees raised by a semitone and to revert to the
natural minor when descending
Ascending
2–3
7–8
6–5
3–2
Descending
6
Constructing minor scales: E & D
Remember that the semitones should lie between:
2-3
5-6
Write out the following minor scales adding accidentals
E minor natural
Key signature
E harmonic minor
E melodic minor ascending
7
C D E
F
G
A B C
E melodic minor descending
D minor natural
Key signature
D harmonic minor
C D E
D melodic minor ascending
8
F
G
A B C
D melodic minor descending
The relative minor
The key of A minor has no sharps or flats in its key signature. The key of C
major has no sharps or flats in its key signature. These keys are linked by a
common key signature and are referred to as relative keys. The relative
minor is located a minor third below a major tonic, or three steps down the
scale:
Identify the relative minors of the following adding the tonic triad
1)
Major
Minor
Major
Minor
2)
9
3)
Major
Minor
Major
Minor
Major
Minor
Major
Minor
4)
5)
6)
10
Identifying minor key signatures
Sharp keys
Identify the last sharp in the key signature and go down a tone (one step).
This note is the tonic minor of the key signature.
The last sharp is F sharp, one tone below is E. So this is the key signature
for E minor.
The last sharp is C sharp, one tone below is B. So this is the key signature
for B minor.
Flat keys
Identify the last sharp in the key signature and go up a major third (three
steps). This note is the tonic minor of the key signature.
The last flat is B flat, three steps up is D. So this is the key signature for D
minor
The last flat is E flat, three steps up is G. So this is the key signature for G
minor
11
Identify the following minor key signatures adding the tonic triad
1)
minor
2)
minor
3)
minor
4)
minor
12
Constructing minor scales: B & G
B minor natural
Key signature
B harmonic minor
C D E
B melodic minor ascending
B melodic minor descending
13
F
G
A B C
G minor natural
Key signature
G harmonic minor
C D E
G melodic minor ascending
G melodic minor descending
14
F
G
A B C