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Minor Scales: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic

Definition

Minor scales are a set of seven different pitches that follow a specific pattern of whole steps and half steps. The three types of minor scales are natural, harmonic, and melodic. Natural minor scales have the same pattern as major scales but start on a different note. Harmonic minor scales raise the seventh note by a half step to create tension. Melodic minor scales raise both the sixth and seventh notes when ascending but revert back to the natural minor scale when descending.

Analogy

Think of minor scales like different flavors of ice cream. The natural minor scale is like vanilla - it's simple and straightforward. The harmonic minor scale is like adding a dash of chili powder to your ice cream - it adds some spice and tension. The melodic minor scale is like having two scoops of ice cream in one cone - it has different flavors depending on whether you're going up or down.

Related terms

Relative Keys: Relative keys are pairs of major and minor keys that share the same key signature. For example, C major and A minor are relative keys because they have no sharps or flats in their key signatures.

Parallel Keys: Parallel keys are pairs of major and minor keys that have the same tonic note but different key signatures. For example, C major and C minor are parallel keys because they both start on C but have different key signatures.

Key Signature: A key signature is a collection of sharps or flats placed at the beginning of each staff line indicating which notes should be consistently raised or lowered throughout a piece in order to maintain its tonality.