Like the step method for determining the notes in a major scale, we can use the same principle in determining notes in the various minor scales. Heres a pdf and an mp3 of all the melodic minor scales and the modes. We can use this method in the form of whole and half steps or in the form of semitones. Learning the melodic minor scale simplifying theory. Unlike the major scale, there are 3 types of minor scale. Understanding minor scales in this brief tutorial we are going to try to demystify minor scales. Here is an overview of the melodic minor scale in the key of c, using the 3 notes per string. Melodic minor scales brigham young universityidaho. All minor scales all guitar scales tabs pdf all major scales piano pdf. Rather than playing the dorian mode over a minor chord, try the melodic minor scale which includes the major seventh. The scale in all keys can be downloaded as a pdf file. Here is an overview of all the charts and other resources that are available on this site to view and also to download. The super locrian the altered scale is very commonly used and is super cool also see my lesson on altered harmony. Melodic minor scale diagrams beginning on each of the 12 chromatic tones.
The scale that is created by playing all the notes in a minor key signature is a natural minor scale. A natural minor d natural minor 36 minor scales unlike the major scale, there are 3 types of minor scale. Below is a chart showing all harmonic minor scales starting with doublesharps and flats. They are the natural, melodic and harmonic minor scales. The melodic minor scale is one of the most useful scales in jazz. Natural, harmonic and melodic forms about minor scales. You can play an ascending melodic minor going down if you want, and the scale police are not going to show up and take you away. G major e minor pentatonic scale guitar scales the pentatonic scale is a favorite of many guitarists and its easy to see why. Minor scales sound different from major scales because they are based on a different pattern of intervals. The three types of minor scales and how to form them. Jun 15, 2010 here are four ways in c minor to use the melodic minor scale over different chords in your solos. A minor scale in music theory is any scale that has at least three scale degrees. And if so, where exactly do scales stop having modes. In simple terms, a minor scale is a series of notes with a sad.
We can repeat the process described above for any scale type, in any key. A minor scale a b c d e f g a ww e minor scale e f. Small melodic interval sizes have also been observed in. In this lesson, you will learn what the melodic minor modes are, how they look on the guitar and how you can use them in your solos. This melodic minor scale is based on the natural minor scale with the same key tonic note c natural minor scale. Pdf small pitch movement is known to characterize sadness in speech prosody. Only minor scales are melodic, and there is no such thing as a melodic major scale. This piece is level na and was composed during the na period. Pdf all guitar scales chart pdf natural minor scales piano pdf all piano minor scales pdf. However, you can unlock the sound of each and every scale by learning to use what chords to use them over. When you go up the scale, you are using the melodic minor scale, but when you go down the scale. Guitar melodic minor scale chart printable pdf subject. The chart below shows how the melodic minor scale compares with.
I made a call on the enharmonic spellings in the various keys in an attempt to make each mode easier on its own. In this lesson i want to explain how i deal with the altered scale in the context of a cadence and how hearing the notes related to where they are going gives a. You can get more diagrams in the tuning of your choice by using my interactive web app here. Each scale has a different use and application in jazz piano. Its a popular scale among classical and jazz guitarists but you can use it in any style of music.
For example, to convert c natural minor into c melodic minor, simply raise the ab and bb a half step to a and b. Relative minor, natural, melodic, harmonic scale tutorial minor scales provide a change in scenery from their major counterparts, however they are related in more ways than you might think. The harmonic minor differs from the natural minor by the sharpened seventh note, and this minor scale is consequently not played in the same. The melodic minor scale differs from the natural minor scale by the sixth and seventh notes, which are. Minor scales are built on the 6th scale degree of a major scale. This scale is also some kind of peculiar since it is sometimes played differently ascending and descending.
Heres a diagram of the melodic c minor scale on piano. Scalesmajor and minor natural, harmonic and melodic. The melodic minor scale and its modes jazz guitar online. I have also included the 5 box patterns you need to learn in order to memorize the scales in all keys. Melodic minor scales are a variation on harmonic minor scales on piano. Jun 08, 2012 the melodic minor s minor 3rd degree mixed with all of its upper tones being essentially a major scale, can make it a little bit difficult in terms of creating melodies.
Since the natural minor key is itself on the circle of 5ths c minor on circle of 5ths, this means that this is a commonly used melodic minor scale key. Scales by themselves are not much more than finger exercises. With a goal of reducing this distance, it was added an intermediate note to. Contrary to the major scale, there are not one but three minor scales, which all will be presented here. Minor scales natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales. Modern blues players should get involved with the lydian dominant too very hip sound. A scale degree is designated by an arabic numeral with a cap which indicate the position of the note within the scale. In other words, one wont really see a tune written in, say, c melodic minor that starts on the i chord, then goes to the v chord, then to the iv and so on. All the modes on this page have the a root, so you can hear the difference between the scales. The altered mode is based on seventh degree of the melodic minor scale and is dominant by nature.
Barry had cursed leo and or were hopelessly unfit to join. Below is a chart showing all harmonic minor scales not on the circle of 5ths. In fact, in jazz, they just talk about a melodic minor scale, and make no distinction between ascending and descending. So to start with, if you play a c major scale but start and end on the note a, you will hear the a pure minor scale. The chart below shows how the melodic minor scale compares with the natural minor and major scale diatonic scale. The melodic minor scale was like the harmonic minor scale originally derived from the natural minor scale, by raising its 6th and 7th note. Although various hemitonic pentatonic scales might be called minor, the term is most commonly applied to the relative minor pentatonic scale, derived as a mode of the major pentatonic scale, using scale tones 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 of the natural minor scale. Melodic minor is identical to the major scale except for a lowered third.
The 3 types of minor scales in music musicnotes now. Melodic minor is a parent scale see below the reason you need to learn the melodic major scale is because is a parent scale to other scales. Major and minor scales contain seven notes or scale degrees. These pitches include five whole steps and two half steps. The melodic minor scale differs from the diatonic scale in that its third note is a minor third interval from the first note of the scale. Apr 06, 2016 in our article relative and parallel minor, we explained the often confusing terms that are associated with the minor scale. Obviously the first way to use the melodic minor scale is over a minor chord. We call scales relative if they share the same key signature. List of all natural minor scales piano music theory. Learn the note names all melodic minor scales in table form, in all 12 circle of 5ths. All melodic minor scales pdf major minor scales pdf. To convert a natural minor scale into melodic minor, raise both the sixth and seventh notes by a half step. Each different scale type yields a different pattern of related chords.
Natural minor the natural minor scale can be thought of as a major scale with the 3rd 6th and 7th notes lowered by one half step. This was the first type of minor scale that was commonly used. Com the 5 melodic minor guitar scale patterns each one connects to the next and continues down and up the fretboard. The melodic minor scale is similar to the natural minor except for a raised sixth and seventh. Melodic minor scales from scales and arpeggios piano sheet music to print instantly.
This pdf contains the diagrams for all the major and minor pentatonic scales in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. In this article, were going to focus on the minor scale. Introducing the modes of the melodic minor scalealtered. There are a total of 12 major scales and 12 minor natural scales in music. Remember that for the melodic minor scale, when descending, you play the natural minor scale. The harmonic minor scale is one of three minor scales. Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor music theory online. Melodic minor scale is really similar to the harmonic minor scale we already studied the harmonic minor scale and we saw that it has a long distance between 6 and 7 degrees one and a half tone. Raises scale degrees 6 and 7 ascending, lowers them descending notice this means that the natural minor and descending melodic minor scale are the same go to. If the white notes are played starting from the sixth step of that c scale, from any a to the next a, then an a natural minor scale the relative minor of c is produced. Say we were to play the c melodic minor scale, but we started on a d instead of a c. Minor scale simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The sound of the harmonic scale is somewhat characterized by the music of the middle east. There are a number of ways you can determine the notes in any minor scale.
Adjust the start fret option to further highlight a finger pattern for playing the selected scale in a different position on the fretboard. The pentatonic scale pentatonic scales have only five notes penta means five. However, we have 3 different types of minor scales when working in minor keys. The melodic minor scale is generaly used in a different manner altogether. The natural minor in turn is the aeolian mode of the major scale 3 semitones higher.
Printable downloadable melodic minor scale guitar chart. This type of minor scale is called melodic because is it easier to sing. Mark watkins, byuidaho the following scales are included for reference only. The secret to this arcane knowledge is in the scale itself. Minor scales cheat sheet harmonic minor raise the 7 th scale degree melodic minor raise the 6 th and 7 th scale degree ascending, revert to. The a minor scale is called the relative minor scale of the c major scale. There are three types of minor scales and we shall take a look at all of them here. Melodic minor scale on the piano sean wilson piano. Natural, harmonic, and melodic forms margaret denton, piano minor scales. The only difference is the a minor scale starts on the sixth note of the c major scale. This melodic minor scale is based on the natural minor scale with the same key tonic note a natural minor scale. The g minor scale natural, harmonic and melodic, notes. Question by matt usa im trying to learn a little bit more about music and how it works and im just a little confused right now concerning the natural minor scale.
Though youre probably more familiar with the terms major and minor, a diatonic scale is a scale with seven pitches. In our article relative and parallel minor, we explained the often confusing terms that are associated with the minor scale. How to use the melodic minor scale jazz guitar online. Play scales very slowly with big bows keeping an even tone across the bow stroke practice scales with a drone pitch using the first note of the scale memorize the scales occasionally use a tuner to help you tune each pitch. You might find that the harmonic minor scale is a bit angular at the top of the scale to write smooth melodies. The harmonic minor scale is the same as the natural minor but with the seventh note raised up a semitone. Just as it did in major scales, starting the minor scale pattern on a different note will give you a different key signature, a different set of sharps or flats. If you play in a minor the imin this is can be an ascending or descending a melodic minor typically on am and bm7b5, and f jazz minor on the v chord e7. Many students find it easiest to begin with a major scale and use that major scale as a.
There arent tunes written in the key of c melodic minor, where chords derived from the native scale are used. Harmonic minor scales chart other single accidental keys. The melodic minor scale differs from the natural minor scale by the sixth and seventh notes, which are raised a semistep. There is a sample lick included at the end of each. All guitar scales and chords major minor scales pdf all guitar scales chart pdf. Pdf the harmonic minor scale provides an optimum way of.
The ascending form has half steps between 23 and 78. The relative minor is a natural minor scale that starts on the 6th degree of the major scale. The lesson could not be displayed because javascript is disabled. How could it be possible in have an advantage over other intelligence officers in that as everyone else, lucy said. She heard him drop a gear, heard the engine scream in protest and watched the narrowbodied, lithe to. By gaining a deep fluency and realization of the possibilities of tonal organization found in these scales, ive been able to discover huge amounts of yet uncharted melodic territory.
The natural minor scale is often referred to simply as the minor scale. That means that this scale creates a minor chord as its first chord tonic. Major pentatonic scale the major pentatonic scale shares five notes with the major scale. This factsheet explains the difference between major and minor scales. So having learnt your major scales as i hope you all are, because they are the most used scale in all of music. The key difference between major and minor scaes is that notes on a major scale sound bright and cheerful, while notes on a minor scale sound solemn and sad.
This includes many scales and modes such as dorian mode and the phrygian mode. This is under construction but will be done in the coming weeks. In other words, several other scales come from the melodic scale. When we are dealing strictly with major scales we really only have one scale to draw our notes and melodies from. Minor scales cheat sheet harmonic minor raise the 7th scale degree melodic minor raise the 6th and 7th scale degree ascending, revert to natural minor descending. Raises scale degree 7 ascending and descending melodic minor. They are not intended as part of the exercise routine. Two octave melodic minor scales for the clarinet all keys, with accidentals e melodic minor b melodic minor. A scale is a stepwise arrangement of notespitches contained within an octave. The major scale is not the only scale type from which we can extract related chords. Join pianogroove pro to access all downloads and learning resources. Melodic minor scales t he melodic minor scale is derived from the raising the 6th and 7th degrees of the natural minor or the 6th degree of the harmonic minor scale. This article focuses on a very popular but certainly very strange sounding scale, the melodic minor, and how we can figure out some chords to play behind our rockin.
Melodic minor scale music theory, books, circle of. Major scales and key signatures s o, now you can use the letters a through g to name notes on the treble and bass staff and accidentals to create major and minor seconds, aka, whole and half steps if you cant do this yet, stop here, go back to the previous chapters. Factsheet on major and minor scales teaching resources. C melodic minor consists of the notes c, d, eb, f, g, a and b. Since the natural minor key is itself on the circle of 5ths a minor on circle of 5ths, this means that this is a commonly used melodic minor scale key. Heres a diagram of the melodic g minor scale on piano. Jguitars scale calculator will draw scale diagrams showing the fretboard with notes in the selected scale highlighted. In fact, it is highly likely that many songs include passages and chords that relate to the melodic minor more than they will to the natural minor, and with good reason. If we compare the altered mode below to the mixolydian mode we can see that the altered mode contains both the altered 5ths and altered 9ths. Isbn 18973111 this electronic edition, isbn 18973111, may be copied and distributed without prior written permission of the publisher provided that this edition is not altered in any way, shape, or form, and that it is distributed for free. The other two are the natural minor and the melodic minor. Melodic minor scale 3 notes per string jens larsen.
The scales and arpeggios are split up into 3 main categories. Translating to sharp, when the note needs to be raised by one semitone. The easiest way i know to learn all 7 melodic minor scale shapes on the guitar neck, based on cycling through 3 note groups, or fragments. Its also true to say that the c major scale is the relative major of a minor. In music theory, the primary scales that musicians learn are diatonic scales. As well as being useful for ks3 uk ages1114, it could be used for revision or as a catchup resource for gcse students at the start of their course who have little background in music theory. Relative minor, natural, melodic, harmonic scale tutorial.