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In western classical music theory, the minor scale refers to three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending).[1]
These scales contain all three notes of a minor triad: the root, a minor third (rather than the major third, as in a major triad or major scale), and a perfect fifth (rather than the diminished fifth, as in a diminished scale or half diminished scale).
Minor scale is also used to refer to other scales with this property,[2] such as the Dorian mode or the minor pentatonic scale (see other minor scales below).
Relationship to relative major
A natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode) is a diatonic scale that is built by starting on the sixth degree of its relative major scale. For instance, the A natural minor scale can be built by starting on the 6th degree of the C major scale:
Because of this, the key of A minor is called the relative minor of C major. Every major key has a relative minor, which starts on the 6th scale degree or step. For instance, since the 6th degree of F major is D, the relative minor of F major is D minor.
Relationship to parallel major
A natural minor scale can also be constructed by altering a major scale with accidentals. In this way, a natural minor scale is represented by the following notation:
- 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7, 8
This notation is based on the major scale, and represents each degree (each note in the scale) by a number, starting with the tonic (the first, lowest note of the scale). By making use of flat symbols (♭) this notation thus represents notes by how they deviate from the notes in the major scale. Because of this, we say that a number without a flat represents a major (or perfect) interval, while a number with a flat represents a minor interval. In this example, the numbers mean:
- 1 = (perfect) unison
- 2 = major second
- ♭3 = minor third
- 4 = perfect fourth
- 5 = perfect fifth
- ♭6 = minor sixth
- ♭7 = minor seventh
- 8 = (perfect) octave
Thus, for instance, the A natural minor scale can be built by lowering the third, sixth, and seventh degrees of the A major scale by one semitone:
Because they share the same tonic note of A, the key of A minor is called the parallel minor of A major.
Intervals
The intervals between the notes of a natural minor scale follow the sequence below:
- whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole
where "whole" stands for a whole tone (a red u-shaped curve in the figure), and "half" stands for a semitone (a red angled line in the figure).
The natural minor scale is maximally even.
Construction
The harmonic minor scale (or Aeolian ♯7 scale) has the same notes as the natural minor scale except that the seventh degree is raised by one semitone, creating an augmented second between the sixth and seventh degrees.
Thus, a harmonic minor scale is represented by the following notation:
- 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7, 8
A harmonic minor scale can be built by lowering the 3rd and 6th degrees of the parallel major scale by one semitone.
Because of this construction, the 7th degree of the harmonic minor scale functions as a leading tone to the tonic because it is a semitone lower than the tonic, rather than a whole tone lower than the tonic as it is in natural minor scales.
Intervals
The intervals between the notes of a harmonic minor scale follow the sequence below:
- whole, half, whole, whole, half, augmented second, half
Uses
While it evolved primarily as a basis for chords, the harmonic minor with its augmented second is sometimes used melodically. Instances can be found in Mozart, Beethoven (for example, the finale of his String Quartet No. 14), and Schubert (for example, in the first movement of the Death and the Maiden Quartet). In this role, it is used while descending far more often than while ascending. A familiar example of the descending scale is heard in a Ring of bells. A ring of twelve is sometimes augmented with a 5♯ and 6♭ to make a 10 note harmonic minor scale from bell 2 to bell 11 (for example, Worcester Cathedral).[4]
The Hungarian minor scale is similar to the harmonic minor scale but with a raised 4th degree. This scale is sometimes also referred to as "Gypsy Run", or alternatively "Egyptian Minor Scale", as mentioned by Miles Davis who describes it in his autobiography as "something that I'd learned at Juilliard".[5]
In popular music, examples of songs in harmonic minor include Katy B's "Easy Please Me", Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative", and Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows". The scale also had a notable influence on heavy metal, spawning a sub-genre known as neoclassical metal, with guitarists such as Chuck Schuldiner, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, and Randy Rhoads employing it in their music.[6]
Construction
The distinctive sound of the harmonic minor scale comes from the augmented second between its sixth and seventh scale degrees. While some composers have used this interval to advantage in melodic composition, others felt it to be an awkward leap, particularly in vocal music, and preferred a whole step between these scale degrees for smooth melody writing. To eliminate the augmented second, these composers either raised the sixth degree by a semitone or lowered the seventh by a semitone.
The melodic minor scale is formed by using both of these solutions. In particular, the raised sixth appears in the ascending form of the scale, while the lowered seventh appears in the descending form of the scale. Traditionally, these two forms are referred to as:
- the ascending melodic minor scale or jazz minor scale (also known as the Ionian ♭3 or Dorian ♯7): this form of the scale is also the 5th mode of the acoustic scale.
- the descending melodic minor scale: this form is identical to the natural minor scale .
The ascending and descending forms of the A melodic minor scale are shown below:
The ascending melodic minor scale can be notated as
- 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
while the descending melodic minor scale is
- 8, ♭7, ♭6, 5, 4, ♭3, 2, 1
Using these notations, the two melodic minor scales can be built by altering the parallel major scale.
Intervals
The intervals between the notes of an ascending melodic minor scale follow the sequence below:
- whole, half, whole, whole, whole, whole, half
The intervals between the notes of a descending melodic minor scale are the same as those of a descending natural minor scale.
Uses
Theme in G melodic minor from the opening of the second concerto in Vivaldi's L'estro armonico (1711)[3] Although the piece is in G minor, the key signature is for G Dorian (one flat). By convention, in modern notation (and for tonal music written since the common-practice period), key signatures are typically only based on a major (Ionian mode) or minor (natural minor or Aeolian mode) key, not on modes like the Dorian mode.
Composers have not been consistent in using the two forms of the melodic minor scale. Composers frequently require the lowered 7th degree found in the natural minor in order to avoid the augmented triad (III+) that arises in the ascending form of the scale.
Examples of the use of melodic minor in rock and popular music include Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", which makes, "a nod to the common practice... by the use of F♯ [the leading tone in G minor] as the penultimate note of the final cadence."[7] The Beatles' "Yesterday" also partly uses the melodic minor scale.[citation needed]
Other scales with a minor third and a perfect fifth (i.e. containing a minor triad) are also commonly referred to as minor scales.
Within the diatonic modes of the major scale, in addition to the Aeolian mode (which is the natural minor scale), the Dorian mode and the Phrygian mode also fall under this definition. Conversely, the Locrian mode has a minor third, but a diminished fifth (thus containing a diminished triad), and is therefore not commonly referred to as a minor scale.
The Hungarian minor scale is another heptatonic (7-note) scale referred to as minor.
The Jazz minor scale is a name for the melodic minor scale when only the "ascending form" is used.
Non-heptatonic scales may also be called "minor", such as the minor pentatonic scale.[8]
Limits of terminology
While any other scale containing a minor triad could be defined as a "minor scale", the terminology is less commonly used for some scales, especially those further outside the western classical tradition.
The hexatonic (6-note) blues scale is similar to the minor pentatonic scale and fits the above definition. However, the flat fifth is present as a passing tone along with the perfect fifth, and the scale is often played with microtonal mixing of the major and minor thirds – thus making it harder to classify as a "major" or "minor" scale.
The two Neapolitan scales are both "minor scales" following the above definition, but were historically referred to as the "Neapolitan Major" or "Neapolitan Minor" based rather on the quality of their sixth degree.
In modern notation, the key signature for music in a minor key is typically based on the accidentals of the natural minor scale, not on those of the harmonic or melodic minor scales. For example, a piece in E minor will have one sharp in its key signature because the E natural minor scale has one sharp (F♯).
Major and minor keys that share the same key signature are relative to each other. For instance, F major is the relative major of D minor since both have key signatures with one flat. Since the natural minor scale is built on the 6th degree of the major scale, the tonic of the relative minor is a major sixth above the tonic of the major scale. For instance, B minor is the relative minor of D major because the note B is a major sixth above D. As a result, the key signatures of B minor and D major both have two sharps (F♯ and C♯).
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