Melodic minor scales are the only scales in music to have a completely different sets of notes depending on if you’re ascending (going up) or descending (going down). When you start learning this scale in other keys, always have a pencil and paper out and ready so you can get in the habit of writing down patterns of notes before you try actually playing the scales on the piano. Basically, all the white keys extending from A to the A an octave above are what forms an A natural minor scale.įirst, work toward memorizing and identifying what this scale sounds like before you attempt to play it in other keys. Then, move up a half-step and you’ll get F followed by two more whole-steps that result in G and finally A. Starting on the A note, move up a whole-step and you’ll get B, a half-step up and you’ll get C, another whole-step will be D followed by an E after another whole step. Here’s how you’ll use this pattern to build an A natural minor scale. A “W” represents a whole-step, and a “H” represents a half-step. The pattern of whole and half steps are what you’ll use to build minor scales in music. The idea here is to internalize this information as firmly as you can, not just in a couple of keys, but within music theory in general.
To make things easy, we’re going to show you how to play these minor scales for piano in the key of A, but once you’ve memorized the pattern, begin moving it to other keys on the piano for practice. Some modern songs that use the natural minor scale are Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” and R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.” Yes, it’s often used to convey emotions like sadness and despair, but music featuring this scale is capable of showcasing a diverse and complex array of feelings and sounds. In modern music, the natural minor scale is unavoidable. The mode is named after an island chain found off of the Mediterranean coast called the Aeolian Islands, and the origins of this scale reach as far back as Ancient Greece.
Natural minor scales, which are also called Aeolian modes, are the most common form of minor scales found in music. Each type of scale sounds totally different, and feature notes that are arranged in different ways. There’s three types of minor scales not only for the piano but also all of music: natural, harmonic and melodic.
That’s hugely important information that can help you no matter what you’re doing with music. Luckily, these note patterns are the exact same no matter what key you’re in, so memorizing one minor scale pattern will give you access to minor scales anywhere in music. The pattern of whole and half-steps in music is what makes the unique sound of a scale. Like in chords, certain sets of intervals,––intervals are the note-to-note relationships we hear in music––determine whether the scale you’re hearing is major or minor. When you begin to understand what scales are and how they’re constructed, you’ll begin to play and hear chords, keys of music and melodies in a whole new light. The notes found in scales are what forms not only the chords we hear in music, but also the instrumental and vocal melodies that form so many of the songs and pieces of music we hear.
Scales, which are also called modes, are a step-by-step sequencing of the different keys we hear in music. In this article, we’ll show you how to build and understand minor scales for piano.Īll scales are an important part of music theory. Having a basic idea of how to build minor scales will help you not only inform your playing, but also improve the way you listen to and understand music.
Scales are important windows into the world of music theory, and scales are integral in the construction of the keys we hear in music. All scales, not just minor ones, are much more than simple finger exercises. Whether you’re completely new to the piano or have been playing for decades, having a solid grasp of what minor scales are and how to play them is mandatory if you want to be a serious pianist.