A musical scale consists of eight notes beginning and ending on the same note. Western music consists of major scales and minor scales. The Ionian scale, a major scale, is among the most frequently used in Western 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. There are three types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
Basic Music Terms
#: Translating to sharp, when the note needs to be raised by one semitoneB: Meaning flat, the symbol for when the note should be diminished by a single semitoneChord: Three to four notes that are played at the same time in harmonyClef: The symbol at the start of the staff that defines the pitch of notesMajor: Music that is described with a positive affirming characterMinor: Defined by its dark and melancholic mood
Natural Minor Scale
The name notes on the major scale include a natural minor scale, with the exception that it is created from the sixth note on the major scale. When you play all the notes in a minor key signature, you are playing the minor scale. To guide you, here are the minor scales in every key:C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CD = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - DE = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - EF = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - FG = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - GA = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - AB = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - BC# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - EbF# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb
To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale:whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step (or)w - h - w - w - h - w - w
Harmonic Minor Scale
To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale.
For example:
Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CHarmonic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C
Melodic Minor Scale
A melodic minor scale occurs when you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a half step, as you go up the scale, and then return to the natural minor, as you go down the scale.For example:
Melodic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)
A musical scale consists of eight notes beginning and ending on the same note. Western music consists of major scales and minor scales. The Ionian scale, a major scale, is among the most frequently used in Western 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. There are three types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
Basic Music Terms
#: Translating to sharp, when the note needs to be raised by one semitoneB: Meaning flat, the symbol for when the note should be diminished by a single semitoneChord: Three to four notes that are played at the same time in harmonyClef: The symbol at the start of the staff that defines the pitch of notesMajor: Music that is described with a positive affirming characterMinor: Defined by its dark and melancholic mood
Natural Minor Scale
The name notes on the major scale include a natural minor scale, with the exception that it is created from the sixth note on the major scale. When you play all the notes in a minor key signature, you are playing the minor scale. To guide you, here are the minor scales in every key:C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CD = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - DE = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - EF = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - FG = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - GA = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - AB = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - BC# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - EbF# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb
To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale:whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step (or)w - h - w - w - h - w - w
Harmonic Minor Scale
To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale.
For example:
Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CHarmonic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C
Melodic Minor Scale
A melodic minor scale occurs when you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a half step, as you go up the scale, and then return to the natural minor, as you go down the scale.For example:
Melodic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)
A musical scale consists of eight notes beginning and ending on the same note. Western music consists of major scales and minor scales. The Ionian scale, a major scale, is among the most frequently used in Western 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. There are three types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
Basic Music Terms
#: Translating to sharp, when the note needs to be raised by one semitoneB: Meaning flat, the symbol for when the note should be diminished by a single semitoneChord: Three to four notes that are played at the same time in harmonyClef: The symbol at the start of the staff that defines the pitch of notesMajor: Music that is described with a positive affirming characterMinor: Defined by its dark and melancholic mood
Natural Minor Scale
The name notes on the major scale include a natural minor scale, with the exception that it is created from the sixth note on the major scale. When you play all the notes in a minor key signature, you are playing the minor scale. To guide you, here are the minor scales in every key:C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CD = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - DE = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - EF = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - FG = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - GA = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - AB = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - BC# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - EbF# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb
To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale:whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step (or)w - h - w - w - h - w - w
Harmonic Minor Scale
To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale.
For example:
Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CHarmonic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C
Melodic Minor Scale
A melodic minor scale occurs when you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a half step, as you go up the scale, and then return to the natural minor, as you go down the scale.For example:
Melodic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)
A musical scale consists of eight notes beginning and ending on the same note. Western music consists of major scales and minor scales. The Ionian scale, a major scale, is among the most frequently used in Western 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. There are three types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
Basic Music Terms
- #: Translating to sharp, when the note needs to be raised by one semitoneB: Meaning flat, the symbol for when the note should be diminished by a single semitoneChord: Three to four notes that are played at the same time in harmonyClef: The symbol at the start of the staff that defines the pitch of notesMajor: Music that is described with a positive affirming characterMinor: Defined by its dark and melancholic mood
Natural Minor Scale
The name notes on the major scale include a natural minor scale, with the exception that it is created from the sixth note on the major scale. When you play all the notes in a minor key signature, you are playing the minor scale. To guide you, here are the minor scales in every key:C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CD = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - DE = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - EF = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - FG = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - GA = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - AB = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - BC# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - EbF# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb
To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale:whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step (or)w - h - w - w - h - w - w
Harmonic Minor Scale
To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale.
For example:
- Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - CHarmonic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C
Melodic Minor Scale
A melodic minor scale occurs when you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a half step, as you go up the scale, and then return to the natural minor, as you go down the scale.For example:
- Melodic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)
