It has 3 different styles the natural, harmonic and melodic minor scale I want to ask if they are can be played on one song? for example I will use the key of C minor, I usually do the chord progression on natural minor scale? Is it okay if I add these two other scales on my music? How to use them? Can I use melodic minor scale to make a melody?
The Minor Scale
- Thread starter MABmusic
- Start date
bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
think of the three as parallel minors that you can borrow from depending on your purpose
the harmonic minor is mostly used to to borrow a major chord V so that the movement for V-i sounds more final
this does not stop you from still using chords bVII and bVI and bIII from the natural minor
the melodic minor is so named as it contains the notes 1-2-b3-4-5-b6-6-b7-7-8 and applies several "rules" to how each of the notes b6-6-b7-7 should be approached and quitted when writing melodic lines
in most cases the rules boil down to simply what happens after teh note is played
1) if the next note is above the note then we use 6 or 7
2) if the next note is below the note then we use b6 or b7
some examples (/ means goes up to, \ means goes down to)
1) the line is 5/6/b7\5: because the note after 6 was above it the b6 becomes 6 and the note after b7 was below it
2) the line is 5-b7\6/7/8: because the note after b7 was below it; the ntoe after 6 was above it, the note after 7 was above it (note that 8 is the same as saying 1 but at the octave)
the harmonic minor is mostly used to to borrow a major chord V so that the movement for V-i sounds more final
this does not stop you from still using chords bVII and bVI and bIII from the natural minor
the melodic minor is so named as it contains the notes 1-2-b3-4-5-b6-6-b7-7-8 and applies several "rules" to how each of the notes b6-6-b7-7 should be approached and quitted when writing melodic lines
in most cases the rules boil down to simply what happens after teh note is played
1) if the next note is above the note then we use 6 or 7
2) if the next note is below the note then we use b6 or b7
some examples (/ means goes up to, \ means goes down to)
1) the line is 5/6/b7\5: because the note after 6 was above it the b6 becomes 6 and the note after b7 was below it
2) the line is 5-b7\6/7/8: because the note after b7 was below it; the ntoe after 6 was above it, the note after 7 was above it (note that 8 is the same as saying 1 but at the octave)
Terry Cano
New member
The Melodic Minor is often called the Jazz Minor
the scale is unusal in that it is the only scale that has different notes depending on if you are going up or down
Going up the scale is the same as the major scale EXCEPT you low the third (Eb if you start on C) this produces the Major V chord and provides the
leading tone 1/2 step to the tonic C. The ascending mode is called the jazz minor. Going down the B becomes Bb because the leading tone is not needed. In Be Bop jazz styles it is common to use both versions of the scale
The Harmonic minor is not restricted to Harmony as someone posted.
In fact play the scale C D Eb F G Ab B C now doesn't it sound a little Arabic ? Now play the same notes but start on the note G
Now go write some music
the scale is unusal in that it is the only scale that has different notes depending on if you are going up or down
Going up the scale is the same as the major scale EXCEPT you low the third (Eb if you start on C) this produces the Major V chord and provides the
leading tone 1/2 step to the tonic C. The ascending mode is called the jazz minor. Going down the B becomes Bb because the leading tone is not needed. In Be Bop jazz styles it is common to use both versions of the scale
The Harmonic minor is not restricted to Harmony as someone posted.
In fact play the scale C D Eb F G Ab B C now doesn't it sound a little Arabic ? Now play the same notes but start on the note G
Now go write some music