Re: [Harp-L] Majors and Minors (long)

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Deb,
There are many minor scales.  Each one has creates a sad or dark
feeling when played.  Some sound more middle eastern than others.
Each type of minor scale creates a slightly different take on feeling
sad or dark.

Each scale is slightly different from the others.  But they all have
one thing in common.  The third note in each scale is 3 keyboard notes
higher than the first note in each scale.

In happy sounding music, the third note in the major scale (Do re mi
fa so la ti do) is the mi note.  This mi note is four keyboard notes
higher than the do note.

So in all the many types of minor scales, the third note is one
keyboard note lower than the mi note from the do re mi fa so la ti do
scale.  Some people would sing meh, some would sing mah.

For example the C major scale is C D E F G A B C.

What is the third note in the C major scale?  E.

E is 4 notes higher than C on a keyboard.  If C is the starting point,
the next note is C# (otherwise known as Db), then D, D# (otherwise
known as Eb) then finally E.

When using the E note in the key of C, you often create happy sounding music.

One  keyboard note lower than E, or, to look at it another way, 3
keyboard notes higher than C is D# or Eb.

Flat means one note lower than.  So Eb is the note that is one note
lower than E.

When using the Eb note in the key of C, you often create a sad or dark
or minor feeling.

Since E is the third note in the C do re mi fa so lat ti do scale,
otherwise known as the C major scale, people often refer to that E as
the major third of the key of C.  They will refer to the Eb note as
the minor third.

Here are some C scales that work for minor:

C jazz melodic minor scale: C D Eb F G A B C

C Harmonic minor scale:  C D Eb F G Ab B C

C Dorian scale:   C D Eb F G A Bb C

C Aeolian scale Aka C relative minor scale,aka C natural minor scale:
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

C Blues scale:  C Eb F Gb G Bb C

C Minor pentatonic scale: C Eb F G Bb C

In the latter two scales, the C blues scale and the C minor pentatonic
scale, the Eb is not the third note in the scale, but it would still
be referred to as the minor third note because it is always thought
numerically in its relationship to the third note, E, from the C major
scale.

Each one of these scales creates a slightly different sad or dark
feeling.  If you can find these notes on your harp, you can play in C
minor.

They all have one thing in common, they all have an Eb, the minor third.

When a band says, let's play in C minor, the rhythm players play
chords, 3 or more harmonizing notes played at one time as a foundation
for the singer and soloist to play on top of.  The C major chord is C
E G.  The note E is the third note from the C major scale.  The C
minor chord is C Eb G.  The Eb note is the minor third in relationship
to the C major scale.

During a song, it is unusual for the rhythm players to play only one
chord.  Most one the time, the band switches from chord to chord.  A
song in C major may have some major chords and some minor chords, but
the root chord, the chord that has the same name as the key you are
playing in, will always be a major chord.  A song in C minor may have
some major chords and some minor chords, but the root chord will
always be a C minor chord.

Here is a definition: A mode is a scale that uses the same notes as
another scale, but begins and ends on a different root note.

Remember the C Aeolian scale, aka the C natural minor scale, aka the C
relative minor scale?   C D Eb F G Ab Bb C.  Some would call it the C
Aeolian mode, because it shares the same notes as the Eb major scale.
The Eb major scale, do re mi fa so lat ti do beginning on the note Eb
is Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb.  These notes are the same exact notes as the C
Aeolian scale.  You might say they are related to one another, which
is where we get the term relative minor.  C D Eb F G Ab Bb C is the
relative minor of the Eb major scale:
Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb.  You could say that Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb is the
relative major of C Aeolian.

To find the relative minor of a key you take the do re mi scale and
find the sixth note.  That note begins the aeolian minor scale that
begins with the sixth note.

For example, Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb is the Eb major scale.  C is the
sixth note in that scale.  I use the exact same notes but start and
end on the sixth note, the C note and I get C D Eb F G Ab Bb C, the C
aeolian scale.  In order to get that scale to have the correct sad or
dark feeling the band needs to play in C minor.

The C major scale is C D E F G A B C.  The Sixth note is A.  The A
aeolian scale is A B C D E F G A.  This is why it is easy to play in
the key of A minor on a C harp.  But remember, the aeolian scale is
only one of the many types of minor scales.  The aeolian scale IS the
most commonly played minor scale, most likely because of the ease of
theory thinking as you move from C major to A aeolian minor.

Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com




On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 9:08 PM, Deb Wind <debseifriedwind@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I'm looking at this Circle of Fifths, and am having difficulty understanding
> the nuances between Majors and Minors. My music theory knowledge goes about
> as far as knowing how to figure out a major scale for any given key.  That
> being, for example for the key of C: (starting on C) whole step (to D),
> whole step (to E), half step (to F), whole step (to G), whole step (to A),
> whole step (to B), half step (end up on C - so there you have it the C Major
> scale) BUT, this chart indicates that A Minor is all naturals, same as C
> Major... So does that mean to find the Minor of any given key one goes whole
> step, *half step*, half step, whole step (whole step, whole step, half step
> - to finish the sequence)? I hope this is making sense...
>
> So, help me understand, is that what the difference is between Minors and
> Majors? Would one find the natural minor of any key using the method as
> described above? Any and all edification on this would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Deb
>