A scale is 8 successive pitches within a one-octave range.
Any given scale has specific interval relationships between the different degrees of the scale.
That’s how you can describe different types of scales, a major scale contains different intervals than those found ina similar minor scale.
These different intervals give each type of scale its unique sound.
The most common scale is called the major scale.
Major scales are happy scales.
They have pleasant and expected intervals at every turn.
The minor image of the major scale is the minor scale.
Minor scales are sad scales, the intervals between the notes sound a little depressing.
Both major and minor scales can start on any note.
No matter which note you start with, each scale has its own specific combination of intervals between notes.
Major Scale
What makes a major scale major is the 3rd degre of the scale — M3.
Intervals between the notes in the major scale:
WWHWWWH
1234567
Minor Scales
Minor scales sound a little lss ‘up’ than major scales.
This is partly cuz the 3rd note of the minor scale is a minor interval, whereas the 3rd note of the major scale is a major interval.
That little half step between a minor third and a major third makes all the difference in the world.
While there is only one type of major scale, there are actually 3 different types of minor scales:
- the natural
- melodic
- harmonic minor
Natural minor
— the easiest minor scale to construct is the natural minor scale.
you can think of the natural minor in terms of its corresponding major scale.
when you start and end a major scale on the 6th degree, instead of the tonic, you gt a natural minor scale.
Here’s an example:
C Major scale: C D E F G A B C
Now, move up to the 6th note or down 2 notes:
A B C D E F G A — A natural minor.
Each natural minor scale shares teh same tones as a specific major scle.
The following table shows you which minor scales match u with which major scales.
CM — Am
C#M – A#m
DbM – Bbm
DM – Bm
EbM – Cm
EM – Dbm or C#m
FM – Dm
F#M – D#m
GbM – Ebm
GM – Em
AbM – Fm
AM – F#m or Gbm
BbM – Gm
BM – G#m
CbM – Abm
The C natural minor scale is like playing the Eb Major scale but starting on the 6th degree C.
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
W H W W H W W
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Natural minor scale is appropriate to play against most minor chord forms.
Harmonic Minor
The harmonic minor scale is similar to the natural minor scale except the 7th degree is raised 1/2 step. This results in a distinctive interval of a minor 3rd between the b6th and the natural 7th. This is an usually large interval in any scale.
C D Eb F G Ab B C
W H W W H W+H H
The harmonic minor scale is appropriate to lpay against minor chords with a raised 7th — so called “minor major 7th” chords.
Melodic Minor
The final minor scale — the melodic minor scale fixes that large interval between the 6th and the 7th degrees by raising the 6th.
Looking at it another way, the melodic mionr scale is the natural minor scale with a raised 6th and 7th — or from another perspective, it’s a major scale with a lowered 3rd.
This results in the following intervals between notes:
W H W W W W H
1 2 b3 4 5 6 7
The melodic minor scale is very popular in jazz tunes and ahs a somewhat dark quality. IT is an appropriate scale to play with all minor chord forms, particularly the minor 6th chord.