Module 3 — Minor Scales, Relative Keys, and Why Minor Harmony Behaves Differently
This module is where harmony starts becoming more interesting, because minor keys are not built from just one fixed scale in practical tonal music.
The central idea is:
In major, one scale usually gives us the basic system. In minor, musicians routinely alter notes depending on what the harmony needs.
That is why you will encounter natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor.
3.1Start with the easiest minor scale: A minorA natural minor:3.2Relative minor is degree 6 of the major scaleIn C major:3.3Natural minor has a different interval formulaA natural minor scale follows:3.4Scale degrees in minorA natural minor:3.5Why the third matters againCompare:3.6Build chords from natural minorLet's build triads from A natural minor:3.7The problem with the natural-minor dominantPlay:3.8Harmonic minorTake natural minor:3.9Now build the dominant chord againDegree 5 in A harmonic minor is E.3.10Very important: minor keys routinely borrow this raised 7If a piece is in A minor, you may see:3.11Listen to the voice leadingPlay:3.12Harmonic minor has a strange intervalA harmonic minor:3.13Melodic minorIn traditional classical theory, ascending melodic minor raises both 6 and 7.3.14Why raise the sixth too?Remember harmonic minor had:3.15Jazz uses "melodic minor" differentlyThis distinction matters later.3.16Relative minor versus parallel minorThese are easy to confuse.3.17Build C minorUsing the natural-minor formula:3.18Minor-key chord functionsIn A minor, using harmonic-minor practice, the most important chords are:3.19Compare major and minor directlyPlay:3.20This is why "the notes in the key" is not enoughSuppose someone says:3.21The three minor scales side by sideFor A:3.22Ear exercise: natural 7 versus leading 7In A minor, play:3.23Relative-major/minor ear experimentPlay:3.24Relative-minor shortcutTo find the relative minor of a major key:3.25Circle of Fifths now gains another layerEarlier you learned the outside major-key sequence:3.26Practical chord exercise in minorPlay these in A minor:3.27Do the same in D minorD natural minor:3.28And G minorG natural minor:3.29Melody exercisePlay A natural minor:3.30Chord-tone exerciseLeft hand:3.31A useful progression to memorizePlay:3.32Your homeworkSpend about 20–30 minutes.•Module 3 mini-testTry before reading the answers.