- The major scale has dots on the keys.
- The minor scale has asterisks on the keys. Half steps are marked.
- Play up and down both scales to hear their relationship.
- Using the same relationship, try to find relative minor keys for G major and F major.
Just like cousins, major and minor keys have something in common
Major scales have minor scales that are relatives—they share the same key signature. We call them “relative minor scales.” The default “template” is A to A, all white keys. The pattern for this “natural” minor is: half steps between degrees 2 and 3, 5 and 6. All other steps are whole steps. You can say, “A minor is relative to C major.”
You can take different approaches to finding and playing minor scales. The first way is to take the template pattern described above and start on any key.
C Major and A Minor scales
The second way is to find the note in the major scale that begins the minor scale, and simply play the major scale beginning and ending on a different note.
Move around the circle of 5ths to G major. The sixth note of the G major scale is E; it is also located three half steps below G. Play a scale from E to the next E, using white keys except for F, which becomes F♯ in this key. Play it again and think of the steps between the keys: whole step from E to F♯, half step from F♯ to G, then whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step to the next E. You have just played the E natural minor scale. When a piece of music is in the key of E minor, the home key is E, and there is one sharp in the key signature: F♯.
If you have drawn a circle of 5ths, you can start filling in the relative minor keys beside the major keys for each key signature. As part of your warm-up routine, play a major scale followed by its relative minor. Use whatever fingering comes natural to you, but plan to keep your thumbs on white keys.
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This scale reminds me of a snake charmer
When you play the harmonic minor scale, you can picture exotic places, or remember stories about Ali Baba or Sin-bad the Sailor. The harmonic minor is sometimes called the Mohammedan scale because it sounds like a common mode in Arabic music. But there is the technical proponent; when you raise the 7th degree, you make a step and a half between degrees six and seven. This is not much of a problem in the left hand in A minor, since the step and a half is between fingers three and two; but in the right hand the step and a half is between fingers three and four. You will need to practice playing these two notes back and forth. Move the forearm slightly with finger three and finger four, so that each finger has support.
RH Plays Step and a Half
LH Plays Step and a Half
Listen for this harmonic minor scale in Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 in G minor. He states the opening theme starting with a half step repeated three times ending with the interval of a sixth going up; then he descends through a natural minor scale, stopping on C. He then repeats the opening theme one note lower (it’s a whole step this time), goes up a sixth, and descends the G harmonic minor scale, beginning on the note A, and ending on the note B♭.
For those on the opposite end of the musical spectrum, heavy metal music often employs the harmonic minor scale. There are thousands of examples of minor music, and many of those use the harmonic minor, but not many use the scale format of the harmonic minor.
A Minor Scale on the Staff
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For some the step and a half is an awkward sound
The awkwardness of the harmonic minor scale is not only technical. Singing the step and a half interval is also awkward. In melodic music, you will find the awkward interval negated by also raising the sixth degree. In the scale, we usually play up the melodic minor by raising degrees 6 and 7, then descending the natural minor, or flatting (lowering) degrees 7 and 6. But, you can find exceptions.
RH Plays Melodic Minor
Examples of melodic and natural minor scales can be found in Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A major, K. 331. The first movement is a theme and variations plan. Variation no. 3 is in A minor. Even though Mozart uses several G sharps throughout the variation, he manages to avoid the step from F to G♯ by using the melodic minor form of the scale.
In the third movement, labeled “alla Turca,” Mozart uses the key of F♯ minor beginning in measure no. 33. Again, he avoids the awkward step and a half by using melodic minor patterns.
LH Plays Melodic Minor
Since the melodic scale change to natural occurs often, in some form or another, practice the last four notes of the scale going up, then descending the scale in the natural form. Don’t repeat the top note, but play, E-F♯-G♯-A-G-F-E, in the right hand five times, and in the left hand five times.
Practice the ascending and descending pattern in several different keys.
ZOOM
The altered notes in the harmonic and melodic minor scales are not shown in the key signature. The more complex pieces of music will show a number of accidentals, not just in minor keys. In the beginning it is best to concentrate on the sharps or flats in the key signature.
Melodic Minor Scale on Grand Staff
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Many compositions illustrate the strong family ties between minor keys and their relative majors
Mozart’s 40th Symphony, first movement, is a good example of a minor key and its relative major. The opening theme is in G minor, eight plus ten measures; then he repeats the theme, but ends it in B♭ major. It is a beautiful segue from minor to relative major. The second phrase of four measures is a harmonic scale descending.
Have some fun by practicing the G minor harmonic scale, up and down, with whichever hand you are most comfortable. Then practice the B♭ major scale. Locate degree V of the G minor scale, then degree V of the B♭ major scale. Now play a recording of Mozart’s 40th Symphony and try playing along. It doesn’t hurt anyone, and it can be entertaining and engrossing!
Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, 1st movement
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Try playing along with other recordings. I don’t mean to play every note; just try different notes on the piano and find just one that fits. Then find another. When the song or piece ends, try finding the ending note.
Another example of minor going to its relative major is, “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” by Grieg. (This piece is about trolls having a good old time!) It begins with that familiar minor sound, going up the minor five-finger pattern; then the melody repeats but slides easily into the relative major key. Then the whole theme repeats exactly.
Make a chart of the major keys and their relative minors and review it until they become second nature: F major and D minor; G major and E minor; A major and F♯ minor; and so on.
In the Hall of the Mountain King
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Think about all the Halloween music, horror movie music, and suspenseful music
We can begin listing pieces in minor keys and fill up these pages quickly! If a movie needs to be portrayed as scary, or strange, minor key music does the trick! What immediately comes to mind is Hedwig’s theme in the Harry Potter movies.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the opening theme of “Stairway to Heaven” is in a natural minor key; but it doesn’t seem scary. Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite” has several pieces in minor—Ase’s Death, which is just sad; Anitra’s Dance, which sounds lively and happy, and the very familiar “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” which is lively in a humorous way and ends very wildly. (This last piece is another example of music moving from minor to the relative major by the end of the first eight measures.)
Country Dance Tunes
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So you don’t have to connect minor to sadness, or tragedy, or feeling scared. But if you want to project those moods, minor is definitely your key.
Broadway musicals have some wonderful examples of major and minor keys.For minor, think of “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof. For a rather sad major key, think of “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music. Now that you have your thinking cap on, I bet you can come up with dozens of tunes that are obviously minor, or obviously major. Make a list!
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is in C minor. The last movement of this four-movement opus is in C major. This is related to C minor only because the “home” key of both is C. But the key signatures are very different. Musicians call this the “parallel” minor.
Marche Slav
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You can have some fun playing these minor key tunes
Ifyou have your circle of 5ths, go around the circle and write in the relative minor keys with each major key. Of course they will be a 5th apart also. Decide which of the major scales you play the best and play the relative minor scales of those keys. Give each hand a chance to do this.
Get to know your scales/keys even better by playing each scale in 3rds. Start in C major; with right hand, play fingers 4-2 together on C and E. Ascend the scale in this “double 3rd” fashion. Finger 2 is playing the usual scale notes, finger 4 is playing a 3rd above. This is easy! Be sure to let the left hand have a go at this new way of playing a scale.
Now try this in other keys; G major and F major are the obvious choices. You have to think carefully because both fingers have to play the correct black keys. Again, left hand gets equal time.
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker
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It’s time to try this scale in 3rds in a minor key. This is getting more interesting! A minor, natural is no problem, but the harmonic and melodic scales take a little thinking.
Below I have chosen some classical music for you to analyze and practice.
Study each melody to decide which minor key it belongs to. Go back to the circle of 5ths and find the relative major key. Can you transpose each melody to another minor key?
from “Arabesque”
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