How To Make A Minor Scale

INTRODUCTION

The natural minor calibration is i of three small scales (the others existence the harmonic minor and melodic minor). Although not as common equally the other ii, it is extremely useful to know, at the very to the lowest degree because it provides the basis for deriving the other ii minor scales. The natural minor scale follows a particular blueprint of whole steps and half steps (i.e. formula) which gives it the quality that we phone call "natural small-scale". Past the terminate of this lesson, you will exist able to comfortably build a natural minor calibration starting on whatever key. Ready? Let'due south go!

Two METHODS

In this lesson, nosotros will await at two different means to build the natural minor scale.

Method #1: USING A FORMULA

This method is more suitable for beginners and does not require much knowledge of music theory. It simply involves following a formula of whole steps and half steps. Here is the formula for the natural minor scale:

Method #2: USING A RELATIVE MAJOR Calibration

This method requires you to exist familiar with the fundamental signatures of major scales. Information technology involves using the relative major of a minor key to derive the natural minor scale. If you don't know or have forgotten how to find a relative major of a minor primal – I'll cover this topic in this post. Read on!

Example #1: "A NATURAL MINOR" (Method #1)

Allow's begin with i of the easier minor scales – "A Natural Minor". We will utilise our start method – the formula – to build information technology. Starting on A, let'southward start applying our formula:

A to B gives us a whole pace, B to C is a one-half step, C to D is a whole stride, D to E is a whole stride, Eastward to F is a half step, F to G is a whole step, and G to A is a whole step. This means that the "A Natural Minor" scale is made up of the notesA, B, C, D, E, F, G, and A (we always repeat the tonic notation when we play a scale). Just like the "C Major" scale, "A Natural Minor" uses only the white keys on the piano, which makes is quite piece of cake to play.

Instance #i: "A NATURAL Minor" (Method #2)

Now, allow's build the same scale using our second method – the relative major scale. There are 2 steps to this procedure.

Footstep #i: Detect the relative major of "A Pocket-sized"
The quickest way to discover the relative major of any small-scale key is to but count upward 3 half steps.

Counting iii half steps from A brings us to C, which means "C Major" is the relative major of "A Small".

Stride #ii: Use the key signature of the relative major to the natural pocket-size

Call back: natural minor scales use the same key signature as their relative majors. Because "C Major" has no sharps or flats, we tin can conclude that "A Natural Modest" doesn't either. Then, our result looks like this:

Equally we can see, our resulting scale is exactly the same as the one we got using our formula method.

Example #2: "D NATURAL Minor" (Method #i)

This fourth dimension, let's try to build the "D Natural Modest" scale. First – using our formula.

D to Eastward gives us a whole step, E to F gives us a half step, F to 1000 is a whole step, 1000 to A is a whole pace, A to B is a half footstep, B♭ to C is a whole step, and C to D is a whole step. Therefore, "D Natural Minor" is made upwardly ofD, E, F, M, A, B♭, C, and D.

Example #2: "D NATURAL MINOR" (Method #two)

Let'south apply our 2d method this fourth dimension. I will non repeat the steps once again hither, as I hope you have already memorized them. So let's just run across the results:

The relative major of "D Minor" turns out to be "F Major". "F Major" has 1 apartment in it's key signature, which is a B♭. Therefore, "D Natural Small" will also accept a B♭.

Case #3: "C SHARP NATURAL Modest" (Method #i)

As always, we finish with a harder example. Let'due south build "C^♯ Natural Modest" this time. Applying the formula gives us:

"C♯ Natural Minor" is made up ofC#, D#, East, F#, Thou#, A, B, and C#.

Case #three: "C Sharp NATURAL MINOR" (Method #ii)

Let's figure out the relative major of our desired modest scale.

"E Major" has four sharps in it's key signature: F#, C#, G#, and D#. Applying these to the natural minor gives us:

CONCLUSION

I personally have establish the second method (using the relative major calibration) to be much more useful to me when figuring out my natural minor scales, only see what works best for you. With enough practice and experience, you volition probably take your minor scales memorized to such an extent that you lot will no longer need to "build" them methodically like nosotros did here. Nevertheless, knowing how scales piece of work and the interrelationships between them is very useful and is part of being a well-rounded musician.

Tip: practice playing a natural minor scale from random note and come across how long it takes yous to figure information technology out. The more you exercise it, the easier it volition go!

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