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Three Types of Minor Scales

Since the turn of the 17th century, Western composers have written music based on major and minor scales. Typically, a composer will change key, or modulate, during the course of a piece. For example, a piece that begins in the key of A minor will often have a contrasting section in C major. The difference between the major and minor scales lies in the arrangement of semitones. You can easily see a semitone on a piano: any two keys that touch are a semitone apart. While there is only one form of the major scale, with semitones between the third and fourth note and between the seventh and eight note, there are three forms of the minor scale.

  1. Natural Minor

    • In the natural minor scale, semitones occur between scale degrees two and three and between scale degrees five and six. An A natural minor scale would include the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A. The semitones occur between B and C and between E and F.

    Harmonic Minor

    • Harmonic minor scales contain semitones between scales degrees two and three, five and six, and seven and eight. An A harmonic minor scale contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G sharp and A. The tone and a half between the sixth and seventh notes of this scale gives it a special, almost Middle Eastern, quality.

    Melodic Minor

    • Melodic minor scales are unusual because the ascending form is different from the descending form. An ascending A melodic minor scale contains the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F sharp, G sharp and A. The semitones are between B and C and between G sharp and A. The descending A melodic minor scale has the pitches A, G, F, E, D, C, B and A, exactly the same as the natural minor scale.

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