The Natural Minor Scale

The Natural Minor Scale
The natural minor scale begins on the 6th degree of the major scale. Also, the natural minor scale uses the same notes that are in relative major scale. So, if you want to find the relative minor of a major key, you go to the 6th scale degree, or count down 1 1/2 steps. The formula for building a Natural Minor Scale is:
W - H - W - W - H - W – W

Here is a list of all the relative minor scales:
A minor = A B C D E F G A
A# minor = A# B# C# D# E# F# G# A#
Bb minor = Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb
B minor scale = B C# D E F# G A B
C minor scale = C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
C# minor scale = C# D# E F# G# A B C#
D minor scale = D E F G A Bb C D
D# minor scale = D# E# F# G# A# B C# D#
Eb minor scale = Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb
E minor scale = E F# G A B C D E
F minor scale = F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F
F# minor scale = F# G# A B C# D E F#
G minor scale = G A Bb C D Eb F G
G# minor scale = G# A# B C# D# E F# G#
Ab minor scale = Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab

There are four types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, melodic ascending, melodic descending. Just the one scale is covered here.
Gospel music is closely associated with the minor scale. If a song ends with a lot of 7-3-6s, then you are most likely in a minor key.
http://www.giftedplayer.com/gospelweeklytip-42506.php
As far as chords and progressions, the minor key uses the same notes and progressions as the major key. The only difference is 6 becomes your 1. You can tell from the sound of the song if it's in a major or minor key. Songs written in minor keys can be sad, mysterious, and ominous. But not all minor key songs are sad sounding. An example of this is Santana's "Oye Como Va".

A few good examples:

* Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day

* Faceless Man by Creed
* Bring Me To Life by Evanescence
∑ Are You Happy Now? by Michelle Branch
∑ Hotel California by the Eagles

Fingering for Scales: http://www.robertkelleyphd.com/scalfing.htm
http://homepage.mac.com/barrieb/technique/patterns.html#bbandeb

Why Learn the Natural Minor Scale?

Much like the major scale, the notes of the natural minor scale serve as basis for many, many songs. When a song is in a minor key, the notes making up the song’s chords, melody and bass line mostly come from the natural minor scale.


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== SUSPENDED CHORDS ==

Suspended chords leave you hanging in mid air. They create suspense or anticipation. They sound and feel as though they should be resolved.

A suspended chord (or a chord suspension) is usually made by holding one of the tones of a chord a tone higher, then resolving it to its resting place. This can be done with any tones of a chord, but one of the more common suspensions is to manipulate the third of the chord, by first playing the fourth, and resolving it to the third. So a C suspended chord has the tones of the root, the fourth and the fifth:

A C suspended chord of this type is often shown in chord charts as either a "Csus", or a "C sus4". "Sus4" means that the third is initially played as a fourth, and resolved to a third.

In "real music", let's suppose you're playing a simple tune which uses three chords, C, F, and G, then returning to C. Try adding a little flavor to the mix: turn that final chord into two chords. Make it a suspended C chord, followed by a C chord.. Your chord progression would look like this: C - F - G - Csus - C. You can try this on a guitar or a piano.

Experiment with other suspended chords. Put them in places where you need a bit of emotion in your music. Might be just what you're looking for. Take a Christmas carol book (one that has chord symbols in it is good for this purpose), and try adding suspensions to dominant or tonic triads.

In the Key of C:

Sus 4 chords- Formed by raising the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a half step.

C-E-G is your basic major triad C chord. The E in bold is your 3rd.
C-F-G: The F in bold is your suspended 4th. Notice that the distance between E to F is a half step. This chord now becomes your suspended 4th chord. If you play a I IV V progression, the IV is the best chord to play as a suspended 4th.

Sus 2 chords- Formed by lowering the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a whole step.

C-E-G This is your basic major triad C. The E in bold is your 3rd.
C-D-G The D in bold is your suspended 2nd. Notice that the distance between E to D is a whole step. This chord now becomes your suspended 2nd chord. I hope this helps! ~ LadyD

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Hoagy Carmichael- The Nearness of You

Love this song, Nearness of You! I still have a long ways to go, especially trying to figure out camera angles! The above music resources helped me to play these chords w/ my own style!
You'll have access to common licks but also techniques to help you create your own musical ideas so that you can eventually develop your own style as a musician playing favorite jazz tunes!

Jazz 101 AUDIO http://www.hearandplay.com/at.cgi/441295/jazz
Jazz 101 DVD http://sell.hearandplay.com/at.cgi/441295/jazz.html
Jazz 201 DVD http://www.hearandplay.com/at.cgi/441295/jazz201special.html


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It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

• When a major interval is made smaller by a half step, it becomes a DIMINISHED INTERVAL The Diminished Chord is a Minor chord with the 5th made smaller by one half step. For more information on identifying chords:
• Hear and Play Audio Chords Series to learn qualifying terms http://www.hearandplay.com/441295/hpchords.html
• Learn "stupid chords" from Jonathan Powell's Dvd http://www.hearandplay.com/441295/gkurban.html
• Audio Course with Jon Powell http://www.hearandplay.com/441295/gkurban625.html

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