Minor Scales - Natural, harmonic and melodic explained
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- The minor scales are explained in this music theory video.
To access the full list of minor keys and the composing task mentioned in this video visit www.musictheoryacademy.com/un...
The natural minor scale, harmonic minor scale and melodic minor scale are all discussed and explained. Examples of each of the scales are given using the D minor scale.
The natural minor scale follows the key signature on both the ascending and descending parts of the scale. It is the easiest scale to remember and has a gentle, modal-like quality to its sound. The improvised example demonstrates this. However, the scale lacks a strong “pull” towards the tonic note in order to establish the key.
The harmonic minor scale establishes this missing strong sense of key by the fact that it has a raised 7th note (also known as the leading note). The key signature is the same as the natural minor scale, but the 7th note is sharpened by means of an added accidental. In the case of D minor, the 7th note is a C natural and so this becomes a C sharp for the harmonic minor scale. The improvised example composition in the harmonic minor demonstrates how the leading note “pulls” the tonality of the music towards the tonic and so clearly establishes the key.
The melodic minor is the most complicated of the 3 minor scales. On the ascending scale, it has a raised 6th note and 7th note which gives a very strong pull towards the tonic note. However, on the descending scale the melodic minor reverts back to the natural minor scale. Once again, an improvised example is played that shows the added harmonic interest that the melodic minor brings.
There is also a performing task and a composition task for students to have a go at to reinforce their understanding of the minor scales.
Showing how the harmonic scale changed the feel of your improvisation was really smart, it helped me understand the point of this a lot.
It never ceases to amaze me how music is often linked to emotions yet it is so strictly structured like math, and science! Thanks to this great vid of yours, very clear to understand even tho english is not my native language.
That is interesting!!! 😮
Well yes but the structure is like you say mathematical in nature (wave function, sound wave) it exists and can be measured and divided numerically. The playing is all emotion. In fact my feeling is that what defines and sets apart the great musicians is their ability to evoke emotions and feelings from the listeners. Whether it be pop sensations hip hop legens or classic composers the great ones make you feel it. I guess I'm saying it amazes me too lol....I play with very little regard to structure scales etc. I know them and all music exists somewhere within that structure but I never think about it when I am coming up with something or playing along with something else.
Great posr
Improvisation:
Natural: 01:29
Harmonic: 02:53
Melodic: 04:21
It is great to hear the difference between the 3 scales.
Wow. Thenk you Ben. I just found your channel. I was taught piano as a child in grade school and these lesons are exactly what i was taught. Im 60+ now and getting back into music. Thsnk you for the music lessons, these are very informative and easy to understand.
Thanks so much! Great video, really put things into perspective. Also your improvisation skills are off the charts!
Full scale played:
Natural: 01:12
Harmonic: 02:27
Melodic: 03:42
Improvisation:
Natural: 01:29
Harmonic: 02:53
Melodic: 04:21
Instead of Harmonic minor, I called it "Egyptian note" haha I'm talking about that C#. It sounds like an Egyptian song when you play A,Bb,C# and D.
It’s called an augmented second Bb - C# if you didn’t already know.
Thats what my teacher taught it to me as lol
Helpful explanations and the improv was lovely!
Clear examples . You are a great teacher!
It was helpful to play that improv piece using the different scales. I really have to train my ear better, and that helps a lot. Merci.
Good lesson. Very well explained and demonstrated.
D Minor Melodic Scale plays normal B on the way up, B flat on the way down - Head Explodes 🤯😱😱😱
The improvisation on the d minor was so touching. How did you do that🥲
The saddest of all keys
@@MrOdsplut yes
I agree
@@MrOdsplut idk but I love d minor
Wow, you may not understand this, but I'm a very new piano student, and I totally get this lesson. Thank you so much for your very clear to understand lesson 😊
Excellent info and explanation.
Just checked out your website (completely free), you are doing God's work, Sir. Thank you for your contribution to democratising music education.
Thank you for that awesome explanation! 😃✨
Awesome video.. Keep doing.. Thanks a lot
Perfect musician you are Sir,..very impressive
Very helpful, thank you!!
Nice Tutorial Thanks Sir.
Thank you very much,very helpful
Thank you for this post. It may not be your bag but Yngwie Malmsteen was interviewed years ago, and he said something like "I like to use harmonic runs, and melodic, oh and diminished... but kind of put them together so they are one kinda scale" ! His words were similar to that!
I like the fact you used D minor. I rarely touch a piano or keyboard these days (no access to one) but when I see one I go for it, and I'm either doing D minor or that pentatonic C blues scale. I think I have to use F major to transition (can't recall now - it kind of just happens!)
But D minor is relative to F major, so I think I head up there, and then get into A somehow (A is the 3rd note of F major?) if that makes sense! It sounds good anyway!
Thank you that’s so good!
Listening to ALTIN GÜN, and found your site which was a CONFIRMATION of 50 year old music theory knowledge, to better appreciate World music. Thanks!
altin is the best band ever! Much love from Istanbul
watching this before my theory midterm
The improvisation in the natural minor is so beautiful. Where would I learn to improvise like that with adding the left hand? I'm a guitar player and improvisation for me is mostly playing lead notes over a chord progression. But using your left hand to create your own "base layer", I'd like to learn that.
When you hit that C#, you must play a Amajor, Adom7 chord or Amajor on your right and C# on the bass right?
nice lesson
Simply fantastic teaching how to play D minor scale, Harmonic and Melodic. Superb. I would be grateful if you send me notes for improvisation. Please oblige
thank you sir
I just want to say thank you for your videos. I am a vocalist training for a professional choir. I must learn music theory and sight singing in order to pass the audition. I hired a private vocal teacher who teaches me both vocal lessons and music theory. I depend heavily on your yourtube videos to learn music theory faster as I need to focus heavily on vocal technique. Auditions are only once a year and I didn't pass last year. I went for the audition and prepared for it as best that I could but in all fairness, I was not yet ready. The pandemic pushed everything back.
I learned key signatures very fast after I watched your video. This enabled me to progress forward faster. Now I'm learning minor scale vocsls. It's wonderful to have this music education on CZcams for free. In sight singing the 6th note is La and 7th note is Ti. So for me I just apply sight singing theory to the minor scales and it works 🙂
Thank you very much. I'm hoping that this August, I will pass the audition but if not, I'll try again next year. I think that the choir director admires my determination to get into that choir. At the moment, I sing in my local church choir which is nice but a it's a different protocol.
Thomas Edison kept trying and thank God that he did otherwise we might still be using candles 😁.
Good video
Wonder if you can help me understand something. I know bits about music, but I’m not like a musician, I have been experimenting with the key detector effect in Wavepad on existing songs. What confuses me is it will say for example the key is B minor, natural. But when I look up what the key of that song is online, it will give me a note sometimes in the opposite scale. Is WavePad inaccurate or is it just that it’s different forms of the scales again? Thanks
Very nice sir
Thankyou for sharing this valuable information.
But i have a small doubt. Can i compose a song in 2 scales. Eg. Build up in c minor and drop in c major?
Schubert's Serenade does that in Dm then in D then back to Dm.
Thank you !🤟
Subscribed ❤
Jazz does not only use Melodic minor it also uses Harmonic progressions
You did a great job especially with the improv differences. However, as a musician all my life who rarely thinks about theory, I find the “strong pull to the tonic” sort of… irrelevant?
I notice it when you mention it, but if you didn’t I’d hardly think there was any issue! I find it’s like planting an idea, which then changes how people perceive it. Like that infamous “brainstorm vs green needle” experiment, you hear what you’re told to hear. But it doesn’t necessarily make one or the other objectively correct or better if your composition centers around the tonic. It really comes down to creative feel and subjective preference at that point. Hopefully that makes sense.
No the pull to the tonic is key because it gives the song an edge or feeling. Hope that helps
3:55 I think you mean 'on the way UP'? 🙂
In dminor harmonic song D7th chord comes.. How 🙁?
My Goldfish are named Major, Minor, Dorian, Lydian and Diminished. The only way I can tell them apart is by their scales.
2:25 =amazing
Do these anything to do with the modes?
Nope. But you can build modes of off any scale.
I just encountered this learning to play my guitar - why can't you intellectuals leave us simple people alone?
Because we didn't think that you simple people even had a smartphone so back away from it stick 2 playing the triangle.
@@larryharrison4050 ...but I don't own a triangle ...where's it say we gotta have triangles?
1:15 2:30 3:45
I was always told for the harmonic minor scale think of Arabian nights
First song sounded like incredible Hulks "lonely man".
🔥🔥🙏🏿🙏🏿
Natural 1:12
Harmonic 2:27
Melodic 3:43
:)