Have you learned the major scales well? If so, then these minor scales will not be difficult to understand. There are three kinds of minor scales-- NATURAL, HARMONIC, and MELODIC. In this article, we will be discussing the natural and harmonic minor scales. As with the major scales, if you want to USE minor scales, you must PRACTICE them.
NATURAL MINOR SCALES
Remember that each major scale has a specific number of sharps or flats? There is a RELATIVE Minor (having the same number of sharps or flats) for each of those major scales. The main thing to remember is this:
If you want to play the relative minor scale of any major scale, just start on the 6th note of the major scale and include the sharps or flats of that major scale. For example, an E Natural minor scale starts on the 6th note of the G Major scale and has one sharp, F#.
IMPROVISATION using Natural Minor Scales: You can use the NATURAL MINOR scales to improvise ONLY in a major key. That is, if the chord progression is in a major key, then you may use the NATURAL minor scale in the relative key. For example, if the chord progression is in "D" major--use the "B" natural minor scale.
HARMONIC MINOR SCALES
Harmonic minor scales are simple to build if you know the Natural Minor scales! You simply sharp the seventh note.For example: the "A" Natural minor scale is
A B C D E F G A
To form the Harmonic minor scale, you sharp the G and you have
A B C D E F G# A
Let's try another one. The "E" natural minor scale is
E F# G A B C D E
To make it Harmonic minor, sharp the "D".
E F# G A B C D# E
Pretty easy, right? Just remember that you have to know the key signature (how many sharps or flats) of the relative major scale. You have to think a little backwards here--on the 6th note of which major scale does my chosen natural or harmonic minor scale start?
IMPROVISATION using harmonic minor scales: These scales may be used to improvise only in a minor key. That is because the seventh note is sharped to accommodate the V chord which, in a minor key, is major.
