A
minor scale in Western
music theoryMusic theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
includes any scale that contains, in its
tonicIn music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
triadIn music and music theory, a triad is a three-note chord that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:* the Root...
, at least three essential scale degrees: 1) the tonic (or name of the scale), 2) a minor-third, or an
intervalIn music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...
of a
minor thirdIn classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
above the tonic, and 3) a perfect-fifth, or an interval of a
perfect fifthIn classical music from Western culture, a fifth is a musical interval encompassing five staff positions , and the perfect fifth is a fifth spanning seven semitones, or in meantone, four diatonic semitones and three chromatic semitones...
above the tonic, altogether comprising a minor triad on the tonic note.
While this definition may encompass many scales, the term, in its common use, is usually limited to the
natural minor,
harmonic minor, and
melodic minor scales, as they are used in Western classical music (
see major and minorIn Western music, the adjectives major and minor can describe a musical composition, movement, section, scale, key, chord, or interval.Major and minor are frequently referred to in the titles of classical compositions, especially in reference to the key of a piece.-Intervals and chords:With regard...
). In the Western system, derived from the Greek system of
modesIn the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
, the principal scale that includes the minor third is the
Aeolian modeThe Aeolian mode is a musical mode or, in modern usage, a diatonic scale called the natural minor scale.The word "Aeolian" in the music theory of ancient Greece was an alternative name for what Aristoxenus called the Low Lydian tonos , nine semitones...
, with the minor third also occuring in the
Dorian modeDue to historical confusion, Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to three very different musical modes or diatonic scales, the Greek, the medieval, and the modern.- Greek Dorian mode :...
and the
Phrygian modeThe Phrygian mode can refer to three different musical modes: the ancient Greek tonos or harmonia sometimes called Phrygian, formed on a particular set octave species or scales; the Medieval Phrygian mode, and the modern conception of the Phrygian mode as a diatonic scale, based on the latter...
.
Additionally, many other scales and systems are found outside of Western classical music, in jazz, and in other cultures. Below are the three found in traditional Western classical music.
Natural minor scale
If the white notes on the piano are played beginning on the sixth step of the C scale, from any A to A an octave above, then a "natural minor" scale is produced, in this case called "A-minor". This scale is in the Key of C, starting on A, and "A-minor" is called the "
relative minorIn music, relative keys are the major and minor scales that have the same key signatures. A major and minor scale sharing the same key signature are said to be in a relative relationship...
" of C. Every major key has a "relative minor", which starts on the sixth scale degree or step.
Natural Minor Scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [Explanation of this kind of scale notation: Each note of the scale, starting with the tonic (first, lowest note of the scale), is represented by a number, which indicates the musical interval between the note and the tonic. A number without a sharp or flat represents a major (or perfect) interval. A number with a flat represents a minor interval, and a number with a sharp (though there are none in this example) represents an augmented interval. In this example, the numbers mean: 1=unison, 2=major second, 3=minor third, 4=perfect fourth 5=perfect fifth 6=minor sixth 7=minor seventh 8=octave. So, the Natural Minor Scale consists of: 1=a note in unison with the tonic (that is: the tonic), followed by 2=a note a major second above the tonic, 3=a note a minor third above the tonic, and so forth, up to 8=a note an octave above the tonic.]
In the key of C, the relative minor is A minor. The A minor scale (in the key of C) is called the "natural" minor, with no accidentals.
In traditional, historical music theory, the natural minor scale (starting on the sixth scale degree) is called the "Aeolian" mode, taken from the names of the original Greek modes. The Aeolian mode was used in Gregorian chant as a melodic scale. For hundreds of years, in Gregorian chant, the Aeolian or natural minor scale was heard only as a melodic scale because chords (with thirds) were not allowed by the Catholic church, which considered them "impure". For hundreds of years, the natural (or "modal") scale was only the type of minor scale that was allowed.
In rock and popular music examples of songs in Aeolian include
The Moody BluesThe Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
' "
Nights in White Satin"Nights in White Satin" is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward and first featured on the album Days of Future Passed.It is in the key of E minor Aeolian.-Single releases:...
",
BlondieBlondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
's "
Call Me"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK ....
",
Spinal TapSpinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
's "Lick My Love Pump", and
ChicagoChicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
's "
25 Or 6 To 4"25 or 6 to 4" is a song written by American musician Robert Lamm, one of the founding members of the rock/jazz fusion band Chicago. It was recorded for their second album, Chicago , with Peter Cetera on lead vocals. The song was edited and released as a single in June of the year 2009, climbing to...
".
Harmonic minor scale
The
harmonic minor scale is the same as the natural minor but with a chromatically raised (sharped) seventh degree.
Harmonic Minor Scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The sharped seventh scale degree arises when the scale is played as chords. We are accustomed to hearing the fifth chord as a dominant seventh, or as a major chord with a minor seventh, spelled "V7". So, in order to make the natural five chord (with its minor third) sound major, the third is raised a half-step. In the key of A minor, the natural third of the V chord is G and it is raised to G.
For example, in the key of A-minor, the harmonic minor scale is:
A B C D E F G A'
In the harmonic A-minor scale, all G's are 'd:
Altering the seventh scale degree affects other chords in the harmonic minor chord-scale, besides V, too. In the A-minor harmonic minor scale, all G's are sharped, producing altered chords not just on V, but also on III+ (augmented) and viio (diminished). This introduces a new chord previously not found in "natural" harmony, the augmented or 5 chord and opened the door for modern chromaticism in music.
This affected the future of music. Both the augmented (or major5) chord and the diminished (or minor5 with the diminished 7) chord are interesting because all of their
inversionsIn music theory, the word inversion has several meanings. There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and inverted voices...
are structurally identical, their intervals symmetrical. Because of this, they may be named for any note in the chord (causing one chord to have multiple harmonic functions in multiple keys), thus introducing ambiguous tonality and opening the door for the chromatic works of Bach and beyond. These are the
Diminished seventh chordA diminished seventh chord is a four note chord that comprises a diminished triad plus the interval of a diminished seventh above the root. Thus it is , or enharmonically , of any major scale; for example, C diminished-seventh would be , or enharmonically...
(found on the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th chordal degrees) and the Augmented chord (found on the 3rd, 5th and 7th chordal degrees).
The harmonic minor is also occasionally referred to as the
MohammedanMohammedan is a Western term for a follower of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. As an archaic English language term, it is used as both a noun and an adjective, meaning belonging or relating to, either Muhammad or the religion, doctrines, institutions and practices that he established...
scale as its upper
tetrachordTraditionally, a tetrachord is a series of three intervals filling in the interval of a perfect fourth, a 4:3 frequency proportion. In modern usage a tetrachord is any four-note segment of a scale or tone row. The term tetrachord derives from ancient Greek music theory...
corresponds to the Hijaz jins, commonly found in
Middle Eastern musicThe music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
. The harmonic minor scale as a whole is called
Nahawand-Hijaz in
Arabic nomenclatureArabic maqām is the system of melodic modes used in traditional Arabic music, which is mainly melodic. The word maqam in Arabic means place, location or rank. The Arabic maqam is a melody type...
, and as
Bûselik Hicaz in
Turkish nomenclatureMakam In Turkish classical music, a system of melody types called makam provides a complex set of rules for composing and performance...
. And, as an Indian
ragaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
, it is called
KirwaniKirwani is an Indian raga specially suited for instrumental music. The scale is the same as the harmonic minor in western music.There are shades of Pilu in Kirwani.-Arohana & Avarohana :ArohanaS R g M P d N S'Thus: C D E-flat F G A-flat B c...
.
The
Hungarian minor scaleThe Hungarian minor scale, Double Harmonic minor scale, or Gypsy minor scale, is a type of combined musical scale. It is the same as the harmonic minor scale, except that it has a raised fourth scale degree. Its tonal center is slightly ambiguous, due to the large number of half steps...
is the harmonic minor scale with a raised fourth degree.
Melodic minor scale
The distinctive sound of the harmonic minor scale is the interval between the (minor) sixth and (major) seventh degrees of this scale (in this case F and G) is an
augmented secondIn classical music from Western culture, an augmented second is an interval produced by widening a major second by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from C to D is a major second, two semitones wide, and both the intervals from C to D, and from C to D are augmented seconds, spanning...
. While some composers, notably
MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, have used this interval to advantage in melodic composition, other composers, having felt it to be an awkward leap, particularly in
vocal musicVocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
, considered a whole step between these two scale degrees more conducive to smooth melody writing, so either the sixth scale degree was raised or the seventh flattened. Traditionally, music theorists have called these two options the
ascending melodic minor scale (also known as
heptatonia seconda) and
descending melodic minor scale, the ascending being identical in its upper
tetrachordTraditionally, a tetrachord is a series of three intervals filling in the interval of a perfect fourth, a 4:3 frequency proportion. In modern usage a tetrachord is any four-note segment of a scale or tone row. The term tetrachord derives from ancient Greek music theory...
to the major scale, and the descending being simply the natural minor:
Ascending Melodic Minor Scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A B C D E F G A'
and then the Descending Melodic Minor Scale (the Natural Minor: see above):
A' G F E D C B A
Composers have not been consistent in using these in ascending and descending melodies. Just as often, composers choose one form or the other based on whether one of the two notes is part of the most recent chord (the
prevailing harmony). Particularly, to use the triad of the relative major—which is very common—since this is based on the third degree of the minor scale, the raised seventh degree would cause an
augmented triadIn music, an augmented triad is a triad, or chord, consisting of two major thirds . The term augmented triad arises from an augmented triad being a three note chord, or triad, whose top note is raised, or augmented...
. Composers thus frequently require the lowered seventh degree found in the natural minor. In
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, the descending
aeolianThe Aeolian mode is a musical mode or, in modern usage, a diatonic scale called the natural minor scale.The word "Aeolian" in the music theory of ancient Greece was an alternative name for what Aristoxenus called the Low Lydian tonos , nine semitones...
is usually disregarded altogether.
Examples of the use of melodic minor in
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and
popular musicPopular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
include
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was his second single on Rocket Records. The song is a mournful ballad about a romantic relationship...
", which makes, "a nod to the common practice...by the use of F [the leading-tone in G minor] as the penultimate note of the final cadence."
Natural-minor system
Found outside of traditional Western classical music, the
natural-minor "system" is defined by, "(1) the use of only major and minor triads (or seventh chords made out of them) and (2) keeping the natural-minor scale pure as the aggregate pitch content," with the one exception being the chromaticism of the VIdom7. Thus minor triads on
,
, and
, and major on
,
,
, are allowed but no form on the second is, either the altered major [in C: D-F-A] or minor [D-F-A], or the already occurring but consistently avoided diminished triad [D-F-A].
"The natural-minor system, though the simplest of the harmonic systems used in
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
[and
popular musicPopular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
], is also the least common." However, examples of pieces in natural minor include
Billy OceanBilly Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
' "Caribbean Queen",
R.E.M.R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's "
Losing My Religion"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due...
",
StyxStyx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
's "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)",
K.C. and the Sunshine BandKC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...
's "
That's the Way (I Like It)"That's the Way " is a song written by H.W. Casey and Richard Finch, and recorded and released in 1975 by KC and the Sunshine Band for their eponymous second album...
",
the RomanticsThe Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
' "Talking In Your Sleep",
the AnimalsThe Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
' "
Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus for the singer/pianist Nina Simone, who first recorded it in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been recorded or performed by many artists, and is widely known by the 1965 blues rock hit...
",
Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's "I'm So Afraid",
Bill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
' "
Ain't No Sunshine"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
", and, with IVdom7,
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's "
I Shot The Sheriff"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Bob Marley, told from the point of view of a man who admits to having killed the local sheriff, but claims to be falsely accused of having killed the deputy sheriff. He also claims to have acted in self defense when the sheriff tried to shoot him. The...
".
Chromatic-minor system
Also found outside of traditional Western classical music, the
chromatic-minor "system" is a natural minor scale with major triads built on every step, though the first may be major or minor (the tonic to
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's "After Midnight" is major on
Eric ClaptonEric Clapton is the eponymous debut solo album from Eric Clapton, released in August of 1970.-Track listing - original 1970 release:All selections written by Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett and Eric Clapton, except as indicated.-Side one:...
and minor on
Crossroads) and occasionally the second may be lowered (a
Neapolitan chordIn music theory, a Neapolitan chord is a major chord built on the lowered second scale degree. It most commonly occurs in first inversion so that it is notated either as II6 or N6 and normally referred to as a Neapolitan sixth chord...
). "Whereas the construction of the natural-minor system involves the consistent use of a scale at the expense of variety in triad qualities, the chromatic-minor system involves consistent use of a particular triad type—the major triad—at the expense of purity of scale." Thus variants of the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh are found. Seventh chords are usually dominant sevenths, involving further chromaticism. II and VI are generally not used together, "perhaps because the tritone between their roots leaves the chords too distant." Due to the unusual nature of this system, rather than V/V the major triad built on the second step is notated II.
Examples of its use
- featuring major tonic include: The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "Brown Sugar"Brown Sugar" is a song by The Rolling Stones. It is the opening track and lead single from the English rock band's 1971 album Sticky Fingers...
" (without II), The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is a song written by Paul McCartney , and first recorded and released in 1967, on the The Beatles' album of the same name. The song appears twice on the album: as the opening track , and as "Sgt...
" (without VI), Eddie FloydEddie Lee Floyd is an American soul/R&B singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s and the song "Knock on Wood".-Biography:...
's "Knock On Wood"Knock on Wood" is a hit 1966 song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper and originally performed by Eddie Floyd. The Eddie Floyd version peaked at number twenty-eight on the Hot 100, and spent one week at number one on the soul singles....
", The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles...
", The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's "Pinball Wizard"Pinball Wizard" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the English rock band The Who, and featured on their 1969 rock opera album Tommy. The original recording was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 4 in the UK charts and No. 19 on the U.S...
", The BanglesThe Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
' "Walk Like An Egyptian"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a number-one hit from the album Different Light by The Bangles in 1986.-Origin:Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. The opening lyrics state, "All...
", Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Roll On Down The HighwayNot Fragile is the third album by Canadian rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, released in 1974 . The title could be thought of as a response to Yes' Fragile. Some feel that the group achieved a more original sound in this album; it has been described as a cross between Mountain and early ZZ Top...
", Eric Clapton's "Cocaine"Cocaine" is a song written and recorded by JJ Cale in 1976 and most widely known in a cover version recorded by Eric Clapton. Allmusic calls the latter "among [Clapton's] most enduringly popular hits" and notes that "even for an artist like Clapton with a huge body of high-quality work, 'Cocaine'...
", Grand FunkGrand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
's "We're An American BandWe're An American Band is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Grand Funk Railroad, credited as Grand Funk. The album was released by Capitol Records on July 15, 1973 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America a little over a month after its release. Two...
", DevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
's "Whip It"Whip It" is the title of a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It appears on the album Freedom of Choice. There were two 7" single releases of "Whip It", one backed with a remix of the track "Snowball" and one backed with "Turn Around"...
", and Harry ChapinHarry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the...
's "Cat's In The Cradle"Cat's in the Cradle" is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album Verities & Balderdash. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974...
".
- featuring minor tonic include: R.E.O Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
's "Ridin' The Storm OutRidin' the Storm Out is the third album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1973. It was the first album to feature Mike Murphy on vocals. The sessions started out with Kevin Cronin, but he left the band before the album was finished, due to creative differences. The title track would later become a hit...
", The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black"Paint It, Black" is a song released by The Rolling Stones on 13 May 1966 as the first single from their fourth album Aftermath. It was originally titled "Paint It Black" without a comma. Keith Richards has stated that the comma was added by the record label, Decca.The song was written by Mick...
", The Clovers-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...
' "Love Potion No. 9"Love Potion No. 9" is a song written in 1959 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by The Clovers.-Story:The song describes a man seeking help finding love, so he talks to a Gypsy, who determines through palm reading that he needs "love potion number 9"...
", The AnimalsThe Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
' "House Of The Rising Sun"The House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song from the United States. Also called "House of the Rising Sun" or occasionally "Rising Sun Blues", it tells of a life gone wrong in New Orleans...
", Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
's "Somebody To Love"Somebody to Love" is a rock song that was written by Darby Slick and originally recorded by 1960s folk rock band The Great Society and later by the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane...
", Tom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
's "Refugee", The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's "I Can See For Miles"I Can See for Miles" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album, The Who Sell Out. It was the only song from the album to be released as a single, on 14 October 1967...
", and The Partridge FamilyThe Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
's "I Woke Up In Love This MorningSound Magazine was the third album from The Partridge Family. It was released on the Bell Records label in August 1971 and, like all of the Partridge Family recordings, was produced by Wes Farrell for Coral Rock Productions...
".
- featuring variable tonic include: The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
' "Happy Together"Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in...
".
- featuring open fifth as tonic include: Booker T. and the MGs
Booker T. & the M.G.'s is an instrumental R&B band that was influential in shaping the sound of southern soul and Memphis soul. Original members of the group were Booker T. Jones , Steve Cropper , Lewie Steinberg , and Al Jackson, Jr....
' "Green OnionsGreen Onions is the debut album by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released on Stax Records in October of 1962. It reached number 33 on the Pop Albums chart in the month of its release...
".
- featuring N include: Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
's "Help Me", The Mama and the PapasThe Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
' "Monday, Monday"Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by The Mamas & the Papas for their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. It was the group's only number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100....
", KansasKansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
's "Carry On Wayward Son"Carry on Wayward Son" is a progressive rock single recorded by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren for their 1976 album Leftoverture. In 1977, the song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard pop singles chart, becoming their first Top 40 hit....
", and The Moody BluesThe Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
' "Nights In White Satin"Nights in White Satin" is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward and first featured on the album Days of Future Passed.It is in the key of E minor Aeolian.-Single releases:...
".
- featuring VI(dom7) include: Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
's "You're No Good"You're No Good" is a song written by Clint Ballard, Jr. which first charted for Betty Everett in 1963 and in 1975 was a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt....
", and AerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
's "Toys In The Attic"Toys in the Attic" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, it is the first song and title track from the band's third album Toys in the Attic, their bestselling studio album in the United States. The song is three minutes, five seconds long...
".
- featuring VI and II without V: The Go-Gos
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
' "We Got The Beat"We Got the Beat" is a song recorded by the American rock band The Go-Go's. Written by the group's lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey, the band recorded the song in 1980 and it was released in May as a single in the UK on Stiff Records. The song's single release brought the Go-Go's underground...
".
It may be seen that it is not an anomaly and that it may be used for, "a wide variety of expressive purposes."
See also: Major system.
Finding key signatures
Major and minor keys that share the same signature are called
relative; so C major is the relative major of A minor, and C minor is the relative minor of E major. The relative major is a
minor thirdIn classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
above the tonic of the minor. For example, since the key signature of G major has one sharp (see
major scaleIn music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales. It is made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first an octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, ", the "Do" in the parenthesis at...
s for how to find this), its relative minor, E minor, also has one sharp in its key signature.
Music may be written in an
enharmonicIn modern musical notation and tuning, an enharmonic equivalent is a note , interval , or key signature which is equivalent to some other note, interval, or key signature, but "spelled", or named, differently...
scale (e.g. C minor, which only has four sharps in its key signature, compared to the theoretical eight flats required for D minor). The following are enharmonic equivalents:
| Key Sig. |
|
Major Scale |
|
Minor Scale |
| 5/7 |
|
B/C major |
|
g/a minor |
| 6/6 |
|
F/G major |
|
d/e minor |
| 7/5 |
|
C/D major |
|
a/b minor |
Double sharps/double flats can be written as
accidentalIn music, an accidental is a note whose pitch is not a member of a scale or mode indicated by the most recently applied key signature. In musical notation, the symbols used to mark such notes, sharps , flats , and naturals , may also be called accidentals...
s, but not as part of a key signature. For example:
D Minor Key Signature: E + A + D + G + C + F +
B (the B is now double flatted and therefore, notated
after the single accidentals, which obviously do not include the B)
D Natural Minor = D E F G A
B C D
D Melodic Minor (Ascending + Descending) = D E F G A B C D C
B A G F E D
D Harmonic Minor = D E F G A
B C D
Related modes
Dorian modeDue to historical confusion, Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to three very different musical modes or diatonic scales, the Greek, the medieval, and the modern.- Greek Dorian mode :...
is the same as minor mode except with a major sixth, and Phrygian mode is the same as minor mode except with a minor second.
See also
- Aeolian mode
The Aeolian mode is a musical mode or, in modern usage, a diatonic scale called the natural minor scale.The word "Aeolian" in the music theory of ancient Greece was an alternative name for what Aristoxenus called the Low Lydian tonos , nine semitones...
- Diatonic functionality
- Kirwani
Kirwani is an Indian raga specially suited for instrumental music. The scale is the same as the harmonic minor in western music.There are shades of Pilu in Kirwani.-Arohana & Avarohana :ArohanaS R g M P d N S'Thus: C D E-flat F G A-flat B c...
- Major and minor
In Western music, the adjectives major and minor can describe a musical composition, movement, section, scale, key, chord, or interval.Major and minor are frequently referred to in the titles of classical compositions, especially in reference to the key of a piece.-Intervals and chords:With regard...
- Major scale
In music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales. It is made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first an octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, ", the "Do" in the parenthesis at...
- Musical mode
In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...
Further reading
- Yamaguchi, Masaya. 2006. The Complete Thesaurus of Musical Scales, revised edition. New York: Masaya Music Services. ISBN 0967635306.
External links