Transcript Minor Scales - FJR Antonacci

Introduction to Minor Scales
Overture to Don Giovanni (Opera Buffa) by W.A. Mozart.
What are your impressions of the opera from this piece?
What mood does it inspire?
Fun Fact: Legend has it that Mozart wrote this piece on the morning of the
premiere of the opera!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyjVCbTo5F0
The Sound of Major Keys
 Before we begin to look at minor scales, you need to
be rock solid on major scales!
Let’s remind ourselves about the major scales up to 4
sharps and flats.
Major Scale Reminder:
 1. What is the key signature of C Major?
 2. What is the key signature of A Major?
 3. What is the key signature of G Major?
 4. What is the key signature of D Major?
 5. What is the key signature of E Major?
Major Scale Reminder:
 1. What is the key signature of Bb Major?
 2. What is the key signature of Ab Major?
 3. What is the key signature of F Major?
 4. What is the key signature of Eb Major?
The Sound of Major Keys
 Even though each Major key uses different notes,
they are built using the same pattern of:
 T-T-ST-T-T-T-ST
 So, a song played in C Major or D Major will not
sound very different.
 But a song played in C Minor will sound very
different because it is built on a scale that uses a
different pattern of notes.
Songs in Major Keys
 Simple nursery rhymes that we are familiar with are
often written in Major keys.
 Lots of pop music, advertising jingles we know are
also written in major keys.
 People describe major music as bright, uplifting, fun,
happy.
 Songs written in Minor keys however can sound sad,
ominous, mysterious.
Listen to the five excerpts and decide if they are
major or minor
 http://cnx.org/contents/86cbf322-1fc8-4c9d-aa3d-
7b732e2019af@28/Major_Keys_and_Scales
 Answer:
 1.Major
 2.Major
 3. Minor
 4. Major
 5. Minor
Here is a famous R.E.M song re-worked in a
major key
 “Losing My Religion” Original
 “Losing My Religion” Reworked
Minor Scales
 Minor scales sound different from major scales
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because they are based on a different pattern
of intervals.
Starting the minor scale pattern on a different note
will give you a different key signature.
The scale that is created by playing all the notes in a
minor key signature is a natural minor scale.
To create a natural minor scale, start on the tonic
note and go up the scale using the interval pattern:
T- ST- T- T- ST- T- T
C Minor Scale: mark the semitones
Write the a minor Scale:
NOTE! Minor scales are written with lower case letters!
Follow this pattern!
T- ST- T- T- ST- T- T
Relative Key Signatures
 Each minor key shares a key signature with a major
key.
 A minor key is called the relative minor of the
major key that has the same key signature.
 The Natural Minor scale starts on the sixth note of
the major scale.
Finding Relative Major Keys
 To find the key signature of a minor key:
 Go up 3 semitones from the tonic of the minor key to find
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the relative major key and use its key signature.
EXAMPLE: To find the key signature of c# minor:
Go 3 Semitones above the tonic of C# minor and that is
the is the relative major. When naming the relative
Major key, always skip one alphabetical letter name.
C- D- E.
E Major has four sharps, F#, C#, G#, D#
c# minor shares the key signature of E Major key
signature.
So c# minor has F#, C#, G#, D#
Finding Relative Majors- p.69
 1. a)
 The relative major of f# minor is A Major
 A Major has 3 sharps:
 F#, C#, G#
 Therefore, f# minor has:
 F#, C#, G#
Finding Relative Majors- p.69
 1. b)
 The relative of major of b minor is
 D Major
 D Major has 2 sharps:
F#, C #
 Therefore b minor also has two sharps: F#, C#
 Listen to the scale
Finding Relative Majors- p. 69
 The Relative Major of e minor is
 G Major
 G Major has 1 sharp: F#
 Therefore e minor also has: F#
 Listen to the scale:
Finding Relative Majors- p. 69
 The Relative Major of a minor is
 C Major
 C Major has 0 sharps
 Therefore, a minor also has 0 sharps.
Practice!
 You have 7 minutes to complete #2, #3 (on p. 69),
and #4 (on p. 70) in your keyboard theory books.
Take up practice- p. 69 #2
 Fill in the blanks to complete the following chart.
Minor Key
Relative Major Key Key Signature
a minor
____________
e minor
___
b minor
___ ___
f# minor
___ ___ ___
c# minor
___ ___ ___ ___
Take up practice- p. 69 #2
 Fill in the blanks to complete the following chart.
Minor Key
Relative Major Key Key Signature
a minor
C Major
None
e minor
G Major
F#
b minor
D Major
F# C#
f# minor
A Major
F# C# G#
c# minor
E Major
F# C# G# D#
Take up practice- p. 69
 #3. Name the Relative Minor Key of each of the
following major keys.
 C Major:________
 G Major:________
 D Major:________
 A Major:________
 E Major:________
Take up practice- p. 69
 #3. Name the Relative Minor Key of each of the
following major keys.
 C Major: a minor
 G Major: e minor
 D Major: b minor
 A Major: f# minor
 E Major: c# minor
Minor Scales- p. 70
 4. Write the key signature for each of the following
minor keys.
a minor
b minor
c# minor
f# minor
e minor
Finding Relative Majors- p. 70
 EXAMPLE:
 To find the key signature of a minor key: f minor
 Go 3 semitones up from f to find the relative major.
 The relative major is therefore- Ab Major
 When naming the relative Major key, always skip
one alphabetical letter- F- G- A.
 Ab Major has four flats- Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
 f minor shares the Ab key signature. Therefore, f
minor also has Bb, Eb, Ab, Db.
Exercises- p. 70
5. a) The Relative Major of c minor is:
Eb Major
Eb Major has 3 flats.
Therefore, c minor also has 3 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab.
Exercises p. 70
 5. b) The Relative Major of g minor is:
 Bb Major
 Bb Major has 2 flats: Bb, Eb
 Therefore, g minor also has two flats: Bb, Eb
Exercises p. 70
 5. b) The Relative Major of d minor is:
 F Major
 F Major has 1 flats: Bb
 Therefore, d minor also has one flats: Bb
Exercises p. 70
 5. b) The Relative Major of f minor is:
 Ab Major
 Ab Major has 4 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
 Therefore, f minor also has four flats: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
Practice!
 You have 5 minutes to complete #6 and #7 on p. 71.
Take up Practice- p. 71
 #6. Fill in the blanks to complete the following chart.
Minor Key
a minor
d minor
g minor
c minor
f minor
Relative Major
Key
Key Signature
Take up Practice- p. 71
 #6. Fill in the blanks to complete the following chart.
Minor Key
Relative Major
Key
Key Signature
a minor
C Major
None
d minor
F Major
Bb
g minor
Bb Major
Bb Eb
c minor
Eb Major
Bb Eb Ab
f minor
Ab Major
Bb Eb Ab Db
Take up practice- p. 71
 Name the relative minor key of each of the following
major keys.
 C Major:
 F Major:
 Bb Major:
 Eb Major:
 Ab Major:
Take up practice- p. 71
 Name the relative minor key of each of the following
major keys.
 C Major: a minor
 F Major: d minor
 Bb Major: g minor
 Eb Major: c minor
 Ab Major: f minor
Return of the Circle of Fifths
Natural Minor Scales
 There are three different types of minor scales.
 The minor scale is called NATURAL when it is
written in its basic unchanged form.
Natural Minor Scales
 There are three different types of minor scales.
 The minor scale is called NATURAL when it is
written in its basic unchanged form.
 Important to note:
 The seventh note of a natural minor scale is called
the subtonic. (The Bb in the scale below)
Harmonic Minor Scales
 The second type of minor scale is the harmonic
minor scale.
 To write a harmonic minor scale, start by writing out
a natural minor scale.
Harmonic Minor Scales
 Raise the seventh note a chromatic semitone,
ascending and descending.
 In this example: Bb becomes a B natural.
The raised seventh note of a harmonic minor scale is called a LEADING NOTE.
WHY???
5 to 1!
Let’s practice: p. 74 #15
 A) c# minor harmonic form
What do we need to do to make this scale a C- sharp harmonic scale??
Let’s practice: p. 74 #15
 b) f# minor harmonic form
Let’s practice: p. 74 #15
 b) b minor harmonic form
Let’s practice: p. 77 #19
 a) f minor harmonic form, dotted
half notes, ascending and
descending, using a key signature
Let’s practice: p. 77 #19
 B) c minor, harmonic form, dotted
half notes, ascending and
descending, using a key signature
Melodic Minor Scales
 The third type of minor scale is the melodic minor
scale.
 Write the natural minor scale first.
 Raise the sixth and seventh notes by a chromatic
semitone in the ASCENDING scale only.
 In the descending melodic minor scale, the sixth and
seventh notes are lowered back to down to form an
unaltered natural minor scale again.
Melodic Minor Scales
Let’s practice: p. 79 #23 a)
 a) e minor, melodic form,
ascending and descending,
 Whole notes and a key signature
Let’s practice: p. 79 #23 b)
 b) b minor, melodic form,
ascending and descending,
 Whole notes and a key signature
Melodic Minor Scales- mark the semitones
 In the natural minor scale, the semitones are marked
between notes 2-3 and 5-6.
 Where are they marked on the melodic minor scale?
 (between the 2-3 and 7-1 ascending, and 2-3 and 5-6
descending.)
Let’s practice: p. 81 #26 a)
 a) f# minor, melodic form
descending only, in quarter notes
 Using accidentals, mark semitones
with a slur
Finish Minor Scales homework in theory book
 In small groups, you will work to complete all of
Lesson 6 (to the end of p.86) exercises on minor
scales in your keyboard theory books. I will be
checking for completion!
 If you have any questions about minor scales,
TODAY is the day to ask!
 There will be a short quiz on Relative Major and
Minor Key signatures and Natural Minor scales on
Thursday.
Finish Minor Scales homework in theory book
 GROUPS:
 Gabi, Taisa, Daniella
- Larissa, Sophia, Lucas
 Diana, Emily, Lucas
-Graham, Nicole, Henry
 Camilla, Michal, Chanelle