2.2.4 Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales.pptx

Harmonic & Melodic Minor Scales

High School Music Theory

Learners Can:

Lesson Overview

• determine the differences between natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales

• compose harmonic and melodic minor scales

• define modulation

• identify reasons for accidentals outside of the key signature

Vocabulary

harmonic minor scale, melodic minor scale, ascending, descending, modulation

Review: Minor Keys

• Each major key has a relative minor key

• The circle of fifths and fourths show both of these keys with the major key on the outside and the minor key on the inside

• BOTH keys have the same key signature.

Review: Enharmonic Keys

• music notations are enharmonic when they have different names but represent the same music element

• pitches can have enharmonic equivalents with a different letter name and accidental depending on whether sharps or flats are used

• the pitch remains the same despite the different spelling

• collections of sharps and flats in key signatures can also be named enharmonically

• the bottom of the circle of fifths and fourths shows these relationships.

Review: Relative Keys

• Scales that have the same accidentals have relative keys

• The scales have different starting pitches but have flats or sharps on the same letter name notes

• The different starting pitch gives the scales their different sound

• Every Major scale/key has a relative minor key

Review: Parallel Keys

• Scales that have the same starting pitch have parallel keys

• The pitches have the same letter name pattern, but the accidentals that raise or lower the pitches are different and change the sound of the scale collection

Review: Natural Minor Scale

• There are three types of minor scales

• Natural minor is the diatonic version with no chromatic alterations

• Natural scale has a pattern of W H W W H W W

• The natural minor scale starts on the sixth scale degree of the relative Major scale

Review: Natural Minor Scale

• It is much easier to remember how to create the minor scale using the parallel Major key signature and the Major scale step pattern (W W H W W W H)

• When comparing the natural minor scale to its parallel Major scale, you will notice that scale degrees 3, 6 and 7 are lowered by a half step

• Sharp notes will be lowered to be natural, natural notes will be flatted, and flat notes will turn into double flats

• Some scales will have a mix of accidentals.

Harmonic Minor Scale

• The harmonic minor scale follows the same step pattern as the natural minor scale but with a raised seventh

• This means that scale degree seven is raised another half step in the harmonic minor scale, creating a minor third

• Compared to the relative Major scale, only the third and sixth scale degrees are lowered in harmonic minor

C D Eb F G Ab B C1 2 ↓3 4 5 ↓6 7 1

Melodic Minor Scale

• The melodic minor scale follows the same step pattern as the natural minor scale but with a raised sixth and seventh

• This means that scale degrees six and seven are raised another half step in the melodic minor scale

• When ascending, only the third scale degree is lowered from the relative Major scale

• The third, sixth, and seventh are all lowered when descending in melodic minor

C D Eb F G A B C Bb Ab G F Eb D C1 2 ↓3 4 5 6 7 1 ↓7 ↓6 5 4 ↓3 2 1

Altering the Relative Major

• Natural minor scales can be made by altering a major scale - lowering the 3, 6, and 7

• For harmonic minor scale, lower only 3 and 6

• The 7th scale degree will remain the same note that it is in the major scale

• Some harmonic minor scales have a combination of sharps/flats

• Harmonic minor relates to the dominant 7th chord

• The melodic minor scale is unique because it changes with which direction the melody is moving

• Ascending - only the 3 is lowered

• Descending – 3, 6, and 7 are lowered, just like natural minor

• Some melodic minor scales might have a combination of flats/sharps

List the scale degrees altered from the relative Major scale for each minor scale type

Natural Minor Scale

Harmonic Minor Scale

Melodic Minor Scale (ascending)

Melodic Minor Scale (descending)

Determining Minor Mode

If you see accidentals in a music example outside of the key signature, there are two possible explanations. 1) The example is in either harmonic or melodic minor OR 2) The example modulated to a different key. See the examples below to determine what to look for if you see accidentals.

In this example, there is an accidental. E♭ has been raised with a natural to be E instead. When in the context of this example, which you already determined is in f minor, the presence of a raised seventh scale degree indicates harmonic minor.

Determining Minor Mode

In this example, there are several accidentals. In the predetermined context of f minor, there is a raised sixth scale degree (D) and a raised seventh scale degree (E). This indicates that the above example is f melodic minor. You may also notice that the note after E is a D♭. In melodic minor, the sixth and seventh scale degrees are raised when melodies are ascending or going upward. However, when they are descending, or going downward, the scale that is followed is like natural minor, with no raised notes.

Modulation

When a key modulates in the middle of a melody or music example, you may notice accidentals that do not apply to melodic or harmonic minors in the starting key. You may also notice that the central pitch changes, and the melody may end on a different note. In this example, the raised first scale degree (F♯) provides a leading tone to the fifth scale degree in c minor. The modulation is solidified with the raised sixth and seventh scale degrees in c minor to indicate that the example modulates from f natural minor to c melodic minor in the second measure. The example also ends on c, solidifying this change in central pitch.

Star the example in d harmonic minor

Star the example in C Major

What scale is this example built upon?

Major Scale

Audio 1

Melodic Minor Scale

Audio 2

Audio 3

Harmonic Minor Scale

Audio 4

Natural Minor Scale

What scale?

What scale?

What scale?

What scale?

Compose an e harmonic minor scale

Compose a c melodic minor scale

Summary

In today's lesson, you:

• determined the differences between natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales

• composed harmonic and melodic minor scales

• defined modulation

• identified reasons for accidentals outside of the key signature