I find it surprising the number of musicians who don’t understand or haven’t mastered the number system.

It is one of the single, most important elements of playing by ear.

On a grander level, it allows musicians to speak on a “universal level.” We can describe what we’re doing in a song without relying solely on letters. It’s not, “D minor to G dominant 7 to C major 7″ anymore. Now it’s, “2-5-1″ in C!

Better yet, because we’re using numbers to describe a string of chords (aka – “chord progression”), we can take this same progression to ANY key by simply “recalibrating” our numbers to the new key.

In other words, sure, in C major, a 2-5-1 is a chord on D moving to a chord on G, ending with a chord on C.

(Taking this further, we even know what chords are most likely to be played because each tone naturally creates a particular chord. In this case, the 2nd tone of the scale [D] is usually minor, the 5th tone [G] is usually dominant, and the 1st tone [C] is usually major).

To take this to a new key if you understand numbers is pretty simple.

In F major, this same progression is:

G minor 7
C dominant 7
F major 7

In Bb major, it’s:

C minor 7
F dominant 7
Bb major 7

How did I do this?

By simply numbering the major scales of each of these keys.

For example, the C major scale is: C D E F G A B C.

But I don’t stop there. I simply number this scale starting at 1.

C is 1
D is 2
E is 3
F is 4
G is 5
A is 6
B is 7.

That’s it. Pretty simple.

The more difficult part is doing this in all 12 keys and memorizing each tone.

Luckily, you’ve got me!

I’ve created a free video tutorial emphasizing the importance of numbers. It’s the second video in a free series I’m giving away.

Simply sign up at this link and go through each of the videos.

While I haven’t talked about “finding the key of a song,” that’s what you’ll be studying first and foremost since that’s the MOST important skill you’ll need as an ear musician.

Then once you finish that video, the next video on the number system will be unlocked.

As a free bonus, I also throw in flash cards to help you study the number system. Lots of people have marveled over this method.

So sign up at this link to get started.

Until next time -

This week’s question comes from Bob Myers in Alabama.

“Jermaine, I’m loving your lessons but I have one question that’s been on my mind for a while. When are you supposed to use sharps or flats? Sometimes I see flats, other times I see sharps. Thank you in advance for your answer.”

My answer:

Hey Bob, this is a great question and there are different layers to it.

First, it depends on the key you’re in.

If you’re in Eb major, your scale is:

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

So when you see musicians referencing the key of Eb, but calling the “4,” G#, that is incorrect.

And to be honest, a lot of “ear musicians” do this out of habit. They usually stick with how they first learned the notes. They are hardly thinking about scales and being enharmonically correct (especially in gospel… most musicians got used to saying C# instead of Db in the beginning… yet they’ll say Eb for the second tone of the scale).

On the other hand, if you want to be in C# major, that’s fine but you need to be consistent. The C# major scale is:

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

7 sharps!

You can’t cheat! You can’t say C# Eb F F# Ab Bb C C#… totally incorrect.

So, knowing your scale answers 80% of this question.

But we all know songs don’t just stay within the confines of the major scale. They go outside the scale all the time (for variety) and you get things like “b3” or “b5″ or “b7.” That’s “flat 3,” “flat 5,” and “flat 7″ respectively. These are tones outside the scale. You’re literally taking the 7th tone and lowering it a half step.

This is where people really mess up.

Instead of literally flatting the 7th tone, they just use whatever note they like the best (which is fine if you’re being informal but since your question specifically asked when to use one over the other, I’ll point out the difference).

If you’re going to say “flat 7,” and you’re in C major, your B must become Bb.

It can’t be A# (which makes the same sound), because “A” is the 6th tone of C major. And by calling this A#, you’d be playing the sharp 6 rather than the flat 7. That distinction is important.

So to recap, the first thing to identify is what scale you’re going to use (Db vs C#). Next, just make sure you stay consistent with the tones of the scale (even if you flat or sharp various degrees).

Hope this helps Bob.

Yesterday, we briefly introduced modes.

We learned that although they have fancy greek names and sound all intricate, they are no more than individual scales that simply start and end on a different tone of the major scale.

So you literally play ONE scale but you start and end on different notes of that scale, depending on the mode you want to play. It’s that simple.

What I’ll show you now isn’t quite as simple as yesterday’s concept, but still easy to grasp.

Consider the single note, “F.”

As we learned yesterday, F is the 4th tone of C major and thus creates the lydian mode.

Playing a simple C major scale starting and ending on “F” is known as F Lydian.

Say you’re on an F chord (in the key of C major), this mode would definitely be something to try.

But guess what? You don’t have to be confined to F Lydian. And you don’t have to be confined to one key. ANY time you go to any F chord in ANY key, you can think of the various modes with F as starting note.

Sure, F is the 4th tone of C major and the Lydian mode but what if you got a little creative and incorporated other modes with F as starting note?

That means, you ask yourself:

1) In what key is F the first tone of the scale?

Answer: F major

Play F major from F to F and you get F Ionian (pretty simple because all Ionian modes are essentially major scales since they start and end on FIRST TONE).

So F Ionian (a.k.a – “F major scale”) would be one option to try whenever I’m on an F chord.

Again, I may be in C major (or maybe in any other key) but that doesn’t stop me from venturing outside and playing other F modes.

2) In what key is F the 2nd tone?

Answer: Eb

That means, you could play an Eb major scale starting and ending on F.

Pop quiz? What’s this called?

Answer: Whenever you play a scale starting and ending on the 2nd tone of the scale, you’re playing the DORIAN mode. (We learned this yesterday!)

Now just add “F” to the front of that name and you’d call this “F Dorian.”

F Dorian is simply playing Eb major from F to F.

Note: You have to know your modes very well and be able to think backwards a little bit. If the dorian mode is ALWAYS the 2nd tone of the scale and you want to play F dorian, you basically do what we did above and ask yourself, “In what key is F the 2nd tone of the scale?”

3) In what key is F the 3rd tone?

Answer: Db major

That means, you can play F Phrygian by playing the Db major scale from F to F.

This might also be something you try when on F.

Note: Each mode carries a different feeling. Some are more associated with major scales. Others are more minor.

4) In what key is F the 4th tone?

Answer: C major

We already know this mode. It’s the first one we did above where we played C major scale from F to F. This is the F Lydian mode.

5) In what key is F the 5th tone?

Answer: Bb major

So you’d simply play a Bb major scale but starting and ending on F. That gives you the F Mixolydian mode.

6) In what key is F the 6th tone?

Answer: Ab major

By now, you should have it. Play an Ab major scale starting and ending on F and you’ve got yourself an F Aeolian scale.

7) Lastly, in what key is F the 7th tone?

Answer: Gb major

Simply play Gb major scale starting and ending on F, the 7th tone of that scale, and you’ve got yourself the F Locrian scale.

—–

Wow, you’ve just now learned 7 possibilities. Keep in mind, not all will work. Some are associated with major, some minor, some diminished. They all have alterations that should hint you at what chords they work best with. But at the end of the day, use trial and error and let your ear be the final judge.

I won’t kid you… this takes some work to get used to.

#1 – You’ve got to memorize your modes and what scale degrees they fall on.

#2 – You’ve got to be good at knowing each major scale as numbers (i.e. – “what is the 2nd tone of the scale?”)

#3 – You’ve got to be able to quickly recall the major scale and play it starting on the appropriate tone.

This should keep you busy for a while. :-)

Until next time -

In your playing, there comes a time when you start getting into soloing and improvisation… and one place to start is “modes.”

Every major scale comes with 7 modes. At first glance, they can appear intimidating:

Ionian
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
Mixolydian
Aeolian
Locrian

These are greek names to describe each mode of the scale. They sound harder than they are to play, trust me!

The concept is very simple.

Take any major scale and play the SAME notes of the scale starting and ending on a tone of your choice.

In fact, you may already know one of the modes if you’ve been following me for a while.

The AEOLIAN MODE (a.k.a. – “minor scale”) is created by playing a major scale starting and ending on the 6th tone.

So, in C major, since the 6th tone is A, you’d simply play the same notes of the C major scale but starting and ending on “A.”

This is the concept of modes in a nutshell.

Ionian – Starting and ending on the 1st tone
Dorian – Starting and ending on the 2nd tone
Phrygian – Starting and ending on the 3rd tone
Lydian – Starting and ending on the 4th tone
Mixolydian – Starting and ending on the 5th tone
Aeolian – Starting and ending on the 6th tone
Locrian – Starting and ending on the 7th tone

“Ionian” and “Aeolian” tend to be the most commonly played modes since they are essentially the major and minor scale.

Think about it… playing C major from the 1st tone of the scale to the 1st tone of the scale is the same old regular major scale you’ve always played! No changes needed! We’re just calling it something different here (Ionian mode).

Same with the 6th tone — it’s a regular minor scale but now we’re calling it the aeolian mode.

The others are not so known but carry the same easy concept.

Dorian – Simply start on 2nd tone of scale. In C major, that’s D E F G A B C D.

Phrygian – Simply start on 3rd tone of scale. In C major, that’s E F G A B C D E

Lydian – Simply start on 4th tone of scale. In C major, that’s F G A B C D E F

Mixolydian – Simply start on 5th tone of scale. In C major, that’s G A B C D E F G

Aeolian – As you know, start on 6th tone of scale. In C major, that’s A B C D E F G A

Locrian – Simply start on last tone of scale (7th tone). In C major, B C D E F G A B

Later, we’ll talk about how and where to use them.

But for now, just remember each mode can be played with each diatonic chord of the scale.

C major 7 – Play C Ionian

D minor 7 – Play D Dorian

E minor 7 – Play E Phrygian

F major 7 – Play F Lydian

G dom 7 – Play G Mixolydian

A minor 7 – Play A Aeolian

B half-dim 7 – Play B Locrian

Just by understanding modes, you’ll develop tons of things to do off every tone of the scale.

Let’s not kid ourselves.

The whole point of learning all these theories, principles, and shortcuts isn’t because we’re in love with this stuff (well, some of us are). But for most, learning this stuff is a means to an end.

And without a doubt, the ultimate “end” (at our website at least) is to hear a song and in a matter of minutes, be able to play it.

There’s a lot that goes into it, don’t get me wrong. But here, I want to give you a really concise blueprint… a series of steps that, if followed, can produce you results very quickly.

I call it the “GO-TO CHORDS” principle.

These are chords you can always rely on when you’re on certain tones of the scale. Many of you know them as diatonic chords.

In this post, I’m going to show you how they fit into my quick system.

But first, let me give you all the steps to playing a song or pattern quickly.

GOAL #1 – Be able to find the key quickly

When you’re an ear-player, everything starts here.

You don’t have sheet music in front of you.
You have no grand staff with a key signature telling you the key.

You must rely on your ear.

Luckily, I’ve done a 30-minute free video lesson on this topic that has helped tens of thousands. And if you’re really serious, you’ll invest a few bucks in the 80-minute audio course I put together on this same subject.

GOAL #2 – Know your scales & numbers

Finding your key puts you on the right planet.

Now you must speak the language of the planet you’re on.

The major scale (and minor for that matter) is the language. Not only must you know your scales but you must know them as numbers.

C major: C D E F G A B C.

C is 1, D is 2, E is 3, F is 4, G is 5, A is 6, B is 7.

Luckily, I made a free guide that helps you with this as well. Click here to check it out.

GOAL #3 – Master the “go-to chords”

Once you know your scales as numbers, there are certain chords that happen naturally on certain numbers. If you’re on the 1st tone of the scale, there’s a “GO-TO chord” you can almost always rely on. Same with every other tone of the scale.

Here’s a quick list of them but check out this free guide I created on chords. It will break all of this down in all 12 keys.

1st tone = Major Chord
2nd tone = Minor Chord
3rd tone = Minor Chord
4th tone = Major Chord
5th tone = Major Chord
6th tone = Minor Chord
7th tone = Diminished Chord

Goal #4 – Learn to pick out bass notes

Once you come into a world (by determining the key in step #1), you automatically have 7 notes before you that will occur most often.

When you’re trying to pick out bass notes, you’re not being random. You’re relying on what you know about the major scale to guide you. Those 7 notes are key.

And to take it just a step further — even within those 7 notes are keys that occur most often. The first, fourth, and fifth tones are what we call “primary.” Out of the 7 notes that make up the scale, look for these 3 to occur most often. The others (aka “secondary”) support the primary ones.

Newbies: When I say bass notes, I mean the root of the chords. Most likely, you’ll be listening to a band playing. The bass player is holding down the root note while everyone else is playing chords, melodies, licks, and patterns. You’re really trying to key in on what the bass player is doing.

Having bass boost headphones can help. Turning up the bass may also help.

But from experience, it’s not really ONLY what the bass is doing but when you get good, you can just hear overall what’s going on. Your excuse will never be “the bass isn’t loud” because even if you can’t hear the bass itself, you can hear everything else and that should still hint you in the right direction.

Say you hear these 5 bass notes in the key of C major:

C >>> A >>> D >>> G >>> C

Good job, you picked them out!

Now all you gotta do is put this system all together:

Goal #5 – Put it all together

If you’ve picked out these notes in the bass:

C >>> A >>> D >>> G >>> C

…all you do now is backtrack.

You’ve already used step 1 to tell you the key (hopefully).

If you’ve listened to me, you’ve also used step 2 to key in on the major scale and limit your choices to the 7 notes of the scale (which will occur majority of the time; outside notes can occur too but they are not the norm).

Now you’ll use step 2 to also make sure you know your numbers for these bass notes:

C is 1
A is 6
D is 2
G is 5
C is 1

Now that you have the numbers, you can use the “go-to chords” in step 3.

I’m not saying these will always be your final chords. But they should always be your “GO-TO CHORDS.” The only exception to this rule is when you’ve developed your ears so well that you know without a doubt what chords are occurring.

If not, start with your go-to chords. And at least, if one or two don’t work, you can try other chords on those tones (like if one tone usually has a minor chord, try a major chord).

If your go-to chords sound right, then you focus on finding the right voicings or inversions.

Sure, you may be correct in knowing that C major is played off the 1st tone of the scale. But which C major?

C + E + G (root position)?

E + G + C (first inversion)?

G + C + E (second inversion)?

And if you’ve gotten the right inversion, have you got the right voicing?

Maybe the composer put two “E’s” in the chord (e.g. – E + G + C + E). It doesn’t change the fact that it’s a C major chord but it definitely accentuates the E’s (aka – “3rd tone”)… which sounds very good by the way when playing major 7 chords (E + G + B + E over “C” bass).

That’s basically the system.

Find key >>> identify major scale and numbers >>> determine bass >>> put correct go-to chords on each bass tone >>> tweak.

It seems long but each step is pretty short. And you get better and better over time.

For me, this all happens in about 20 seconds after turning a song off. For a beginner, it may take several hours. That’s ok. It’s better than sheet music because you’re FREE and liberated with this method. And as you get better and better, you’ll add stuff to the song. As Paula Abdul on American Idol used to say, “you’ll make it your own.”

Well, I’m done for today. This lesson has quite a few gems in it. Save it, print it, read and re-read it. Tack it up on your wall.

This is it right here. Follow it, hone it, and you’ll do really well.

Until next time.

Today, let’s talk about borrowed chords.

They are chords literally borrowed from what we call the “parallel” minor or major key.

Let’s not mix up “parallel” with “relative.”

If we were in the key of C, as we’ve learned in other lessons, A, the 6th degree of C, is the relative minor of C. Likewise, C is the relative major of A. That’s not what we’re talking about here.

Parallel keys have the same tonic note… or home base. That means, the starting note of their scales are the same.

So the parallel minor of C major is — you guessed it — C minor!

The parallel minor of A major is — yup, A minor!

So parallel keys have the same first note and understanding this allows you to start using borrowed chords almost immediately.

Borrowed Chords Explained

To really understand borrowed chords, let’s compare the diatonic chords of C major to C minor:

C major or C major 7

D minor or D minor 7

E minor or E minor 7

F major or F major 7

G major or G7

A minor or A minor 7

B diminished or B half-diminished 7

Vs. C minor:

C minor or C minor 7

D diminished or D half-diminished7

Eb major or Eb major 7

F minor or F minor 7

G minor or G minor 7

Ab major or Ab major 7

Bb major or Bb7

Borrowed Chords – Continued

So when you employ borrowed chords, you simply take chords from the parallel minor and play them in your major key. Or vise versa… if the song was in C minor, you could take chords from C major.

Some common borrowed chords in C major:

1) On the 2nd tone of the scale, instead of playing your normal D minor (or 2-minor), you could play D half-diminished 7. Sounds great leading to a 5-chord.

2) Instead of going to the 5-chord to end a song or half-cadence, you can go to Bb major (the “b7″). Sounds great and you hear it in a lot of contemporary music.

3) If you want to change the mood of your song, change your 4-chord — which is normally F major — to an F minor.

4) Use Ab major (the b6) to come down to your 5-chord (Gdom7)

5) Even though this chord isn’t technically in C natural minor (it’s in C harmonic minor), use Bdim7 (B+D+F+Ab) on the 7th degree. It’s a great leading tone back home to any C chord.

6) Use Eb major (b3 tone) in certain spots… like to lead to the 4-chord… or to lead to the b6 (Ab), which can come down to the 5-chord (G), which leads back home to C. See how these things are chained together?

Well, that’s all I have for today. It’s Saturday at about 6am so everyone’s sleep. I thought I’d add another content lesson but don’t get used to Saturdays… this is an anomaly! :-)

These borrowed chords should give you a lot to work on.

The other day, I answered a question regarding popular gospel scales one can play — and the diminished scale was on my list.

But it haunted me because this is a pretty big scale… 8 notes to be exact. It’s what we call an octatonic scale. Octa = 8.

(Incidentally, there’s such a thing as pentatonic scales, which have 5 notes. Hexatonic scales have 6 (like blues scales). Heptatonic scales have 7 (like major scales). And here we are at a diminished scale, which has 8).

I knew many wouldn’t even try to learn the diminished scale in all 12 keys because it simply has too many notes. (Well, I take that back… 80% wouldn’t try but there are those “dedicated few” — the 20% — who make an effort tackle stuff like this).

How to play any diminished scale in seconds

So here’s what you do to play any diminished scale. The ONLY prerequisite is that you know your diminished 7 chords, which are pretty easy because there’s only really 3 of them.

C Diminished 7 (C + Eb + Gb + A) — The “A” should really be named “Bbb” but let’s keep it simple.

C# Diminished 7 (C# + E + G + Bb) — Yes, you can mix sharps and flats. See these two lessons here and here.

D Diminished 7 (D + F + Ab + B) — The “B” should really be named “Cb” but again, let’s keep it simple here.

If you learn these 3, you can play all the other diminished chords. In other words, you can transform the D Diminished 7 chord above into an F diminished 7 chord by simply taking the D off the bottom and putting it on the top:

F diminished 7 (F + Ab + B + D) — again, written in slang or else it’d be F + Ab + Cb + Ebb

So basically, the D diminished 7 has the same notes as the F diminished 7, which has the same notes as the B diminished 7, which has the same notes as the Ab diminished 7. All the notes in the chord share the same notes in their own respective chords. That’s why you only need to know 3 distinct sets of diminished chords.

One Step To Master The Diminished Scale

Now that you know your chords, this is the only step you have to do.

Remember, half steps are from key to key with no keys in between. Whole steps always skip a key with one key in between.

Now, you’d skip the first note but don’t worry, we’ll get back to it at the END of our scale since scales start and end on the same note.

And I’m not too concerned with the spelling here… just the quick concept. So pick sharp or flat… your call.

If we were to do this with the D diminished 7:

First, we identify the regular notes of this chord:

D + F + Ab + B

Now, just slide in half step notes between each tone. Remember, we’re slipping notes half-steps BEFORE so notice how we slip an “E” before the “F”… a “G” before the “Ab”… a “Bb” before the “B”… and “Db” before the “D.”

D + (E) + F + (G) + Ab + (Bb) + B + (Db) + D

(Notice, we didn’t put a half step in front of the first D because it started our scale… but we did insert a half-step note prior to the last “D.” That’s how it works).

So you have 4 notes in your regular chord… and 4 “inserted” notes which happen to be half steps before your original notes. Pretty simple!

Another Diminished Scale Revelation

Notice anything interesting about the notes we inserted: E + G + Bb + Db?

Maybe not in that order. How about in this order and alternate spelling:

C# Diminished 7 (C# + E + G + Bb)

(This is the same chord ordered differently and with C# instead of Db).

So the half-step notes you added also form a diminished chord of their own!

That means the diminished scale is nothing more than two diminished chords superimposed on top of each other.

But for now, I think the easiest way to think about the diminished scale is to take one diminished chord and basically fill in the notes a half-step before each note of your chord.

I know my promise was big in the title of this lesson but didn’t I deliver?

That’s my philosophy — to take the complicated and make it drop dead simple. Elsewhere, the name of the game is to sound the smartest… I guess to compete with other professions like doctors and lawyers. “Music has terminology and theory too!” they must say. Well, I don’t care for all that. I just want you to play!

If you haven’t invested in one or more of my courses to keep this cause going, check out my selection.

Well, there you have it. A simple 2-second method to play any diminished scale you want.

Yes, I’m back! (I’ll explain why I’ve been gone so long in a subsequent post but please come through and comment to let me know you’re still anxious about hearing from me… even though I’ve been gone for a couple of months. I apologize.)

(By the way, thanks for all your support. You have been tremendously supportive on our radio show, the new gospel music training center, our various product launches, etc. I appreciate you).

Well, since I’ve been helping out with e-mails lately (to make sure we keep response times under 1 day), I’ve had an epiphany. Why not take a question a day from the REAL e-mails that come in and elaborate on them? It makes it easier on me because I’m answering that e-mail anyway — now I can simply format it, expand it a little further, and post it on the blog for all to see. Works for you?

(Granny calls that “killing two birds with one stone.)

And I won’t always limit it to one question per day either. If another good question comes in, I’ll post it too. You might end up with a bunch of smaller posts rather than one big long post, like in the past. I’ll see how this works.

Submit your questions at: blogquestion@hearandplay.com (you may not get a personalized reply but they will queue up for future posts).

So here’s today’s question submitted by Judy:

***********
Question
***********
“Hey, I don’t know what you mean by things with a “b” in FRONT of a scale number, such as “b3″ Whattup?”

***********
Answer
***********

Great question!

So we all know that I’m a big advocate for numbering your scale.

In other words, just don’t think of the C major scale as:

C D E F G A B C

Think of it as:

C is 1.
D is 2.
E is 3.
F is 4.
G is 5.
A is 6.
B is 7.

So if I ask you, “what is the 7th tone of C?” you should know it right away. These “numbered” degrees are what we call scale tones (or you can call them “scale degrees,” whatever you want frankly).

Now, let’s cover our little friends called “sharps” and “flats.”

A sharp is not a black key.
A flat is not a black key.

Rather, to “sharp” something means to raise it.
To “flat” something means to lower it.

(I guess I should define another term… a “half step” is from key to key with absolutely NO keys in between. A “whole step” ALWAYS skips a key with one key always in between).

Plain and simple.

When you see a “flat” sign (b) in front of a scale tone, that means to lower that tone one half step.

So if I say “the 3rd tone of C,” I’m referring to E because E is, indeed, the third tone of C.

C D (E) F G A B C = C major scale

If I say the b3 (“flat third” or “flatted third”) of C, then it would be E flat (Eb).

I simply take the same third tone and lower it a half step.

C D (Eb) F G A B C (believe it or not, this is actually the C melodic minor scale.)

I hope this helps!

***********************
Judy’s Follow Up Question
***********************

“Thank you for your help. Curious why it wouldn’t be written 3b for i.e. ‘Eb’
instead of b3?”

***********************
My Follow Up Answer
***********************

Well, because we say “flat 3″ or the “sharp 5,” instead of “3 flat” or “5 sharp,” it transposes the sign in FRONT of the note rather than after. That’s just how the terminology works.

Like the chord “C7 #9#5″

Pronounced: “C Seventh Sharp 9, Sharp 5″ or “C Seventh Sharped 9, Sharped 5″

I wish I knew more of the history but it’s like they say: “That’s just how it is…” :-)

I hope this helps.

——————

Until next time.

Today’s lesson is real important because it puts together all the stuff we’ve learned in the past few posts. If you haven’t read them, now may be a good time…

Today’s lesson (in audio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) gives you a nice little recap and method to apply this altered scale to real chord progressions and songs! Check it out…

Until next time —

For the past two posts, we’ve been talking about the altered scale.

Now I want to teach you a trick that will have you playing ANY altered scale you want in 3 seconds… that is, if you know your major scales!

Here’s the ONE and only rule you need to know:

1) Take any major scale and sharp the first and last note. Bam! That’s it!

Yup! I taught you all that other stuff so that you’d understand it… but this is the shortcut I use to play the altered scale!

Of course, it can still be thought of as the ascending melodic minor scale, starting and ending on its seventh note. It can still be thought of as the super locrian mode. All that stuff remains the same.

But what I’m saying is when it’s time to play and you need to think of an altered scale really fast (…because you’re playing some type of dominant chord with a b9 or #9 or b5 or #5… or combination thereof) — this trick will do the job!

But let me make it even plainer for you…

1) If you want to play a particular altered scale, go down a half step. That will be the major scale you’ll need to know…

2) Then basically raise the FIRST and LAST notes of that major scale to get your altered scale. The first and last note will be the same note.

So if I want to play a C altered scale, what do I do?

1) I go down a half step to “B” and determine its major scale.

2) Now I change the “Bs” to “Cs” and I’m ready to go! I’m basically playing a B major scale but replacing the B with C. “B major” just got carjacked! :-)

Here’s the correct way to spell the C altered scale (the notes will essentially sound the same as the ones above… just spelled to take into account the “Db melodic minor” scale, ascending). Remember, that’s the other way you can think of the C altered scale — as the Db melodic scale from “C” to “C.” But to me, this “major scale” shortcut is a lot easier…

C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C

(I would use my piano graphic here but it doesn’t do Fb yet, darn).

This altered scale will work perfectly over any chord that has the following alterations:

C7 #9#5
C7 b9 #5
C7 b9
C7 #9
C7 #5

These chords are commonly found on 2nd, 3rd and 6th degrees of a scale. They substitute perfectly for minor chords when you need to pull strongly to another minor chord of the scale. I guess you can say they operate as secondary dominant chords… just altered.

I know, I know! Another big one to digest!

Take it slowly and let me know what you think.

Until next time —

I’m back!

Things have been so hectic. From the launch of GMTC to server problems and Thanksgiving, I’ve had enough to keep me busy indeed.

But now, my head is clear and I’m ready to go full force!

Recall, the other day, I taught you the altered scale (a.k.a. – the ‘super locrian‘ mode)

You’ll really want to check out this past post if you haven’t already. You’ll be lost if you don’t.

You learned, step-by-step, how to play the altered scale.

It’s basically any melodic minor scale played from the 7th tone to the 7th tone (… in other words, instead of starting and ending on the first tone of the scale like you’d normally do, you start and end on the 7th tone of the SAME scale. It gives it a totally different feel). So in essence, we’re mixing together two past ideas you’ve already learned: 1) the melodic minor scale and, 2) modes.

So here’s the “B Super Locrian” scale you learned from my previous post:

Now, let’s take it a step further and show you how to multiply your usage of scales, modes, and “runs.”

In my last lesson, I explained that you can play this scale pretty much over any of these types of chords:

B7 #9#5
B7 b9 #5
B7 b9
B7 #9
B7 #5

…Basically, any chord with a sharp or flat 9 or a sharp or flat 5… essentially, some of the most commonly used “altered” chords (thus the name, “altered scale”).

Why? Because those are the tones represented in the scale (if you write the scale degree numbers out)…

Altered / Super Locrian scale = 1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, b7

But these aren’t the only chords you can use this scale with…

Remember the concept of “tritones?” I taught this a few months back.

Every note has another note that’s a “tritone” away in distance. I told you to memorize these “pairs” as if your music career depended on it — because they’re used EVERYWHERE!

I don’t have enough space to talk about tritones in depth but check out this past lesson and similar ones in my archives.

So in order to find out where else you can use this “B super locrian” (a.k.a – “B altered scale”), among many places, ask yourself this question…

“What is a tritone away from B?”

Hint: A tritone is either 3 whole steps up or 3 whole steps down… you’ll arrive at the same place!

The answer is: F

F is a tritone away from B and they collectively create a tritone if you play them together (“B + F”).

So that means you can play the same scale over an F dominant chord (or even altered chord but you may have to omit some “avoid notes.”). I personally prefer a dominant 13 chord or some type of extended dominant chord (9th, 11th, 13th, etc).

Example:

F9 (add 13)
(F not shown but play it on your bass)

And you can use the same “B altered / super locrian” scale from above to solo over it:

Why does this work so well?

Because if you simply keep the chord the same and only change your bass from “F” to “B,” you’ll be back to a “B7 #9#5″ altered chord and as you know from the list of chords above, it’s one of the ones the work really well with the altered scale.

B7 (#9#5)
(B not shown but play it on your bass)
<img src='http://www.hearandplaymusic.com/dynamicimage/pianokeys.php?first_octave=Ds,G,A&second_octave=D&color=99CCFF&size=2'

Note: This is actually how all dominant chords work. If you just keep your right-hand chord the same and switch your bass to a "tritone" away, you'll have two chords that can be substituted for each other! Works most of the time… like a charm! We call this idea… "tritone substitutions.”

See… I told you this post would be detailed! Just making up for a few MIA days!

Take it slowly. Repeat it if you have to.

Until next time —

In Friday’s lessons, I talked about the “altered” scale (or super locrian mode) and how you can use it to solo over various altered chords.

Today, I want to talk about another mode you can use to solo or improvise over certain chords.

That mode is called “mixolydian.” (If you didn’t see my last post, it’ll really catch you up).

Basically, it’s when you play a major scale starting and ending on it’s fifth tone.

For example, take the C major scale:

C major scale

The fifth degree of the scale is G.

So if you wanted to play the mixolydian mode, just play these SAME exact notes starting and ending on G. Don’t change any notes. I repeat, keep the notes the same. Just change the starting and ending points.

G mixolydian

Notice that the mixolydian mode is just like a regular major scale with ONE change.

Compare it to the regular G major scale:

It’s the 7th tone. Yup, you guessed it.

Basically, the 7th tone is lowered a half step in the mixolydian mode. So instead of F#, you play F.

This works very well over dominant chords because if you think about the notes of the G dominant 7 chord (which falls on the fifth degree of the C major scale), its notes are:

See the lowered “F?”

That’s why the mixolydian mode works so well over dominant chords. In fact, not just dominant 7 chords either… you can use this same scale over 9th chords… 11th chords… 13th chords… even sus chords.

G9

So the next time you want to find something to do while you’re on the 5th degree of the scale, consider the mixolydian mode. You don’t have to learn anything “new” to employ it. Just think of it as your C major scale from “G” to “G” and you’ll be good to go! Skip notes, rearrange notes — just play around with those notes of the mode and see what you can come up with!

Until next time —

In this past lesson, we covered the melodic minor scale. And in this past lesson, we covered the modes of the major scale.

In today’s lesson, we’ll actually combine the two concepts.

But let’s review first…

Recall my easy way of remembering the melodic minor scale. There’s tons of ways to think about the melodic minor scale but the easiest way is to simply look at it as a major scale with a lowered 3rd tone.

C major scale

C melodic minor scale

The only difference is the 3rd tone. In the melodic minor scale, it is lowered by a half step. Simple!

Now that you’re caught up on playing melodic minor scales, let’s recap on the concept of “modes.”

Modes are a system of scales that began in Ancient Greece. Basically, if you start and end on a different degree of the major scale, you’ll get a different mode.

Let me explain…

If you play the C major scale starting and ending on C, that’s called the Ionian mode. Now most of us would think of this as the regular C major scale and we’re correct… it is! The Ionian mode is the regular major scale. But this isn’t the case for the other modes of the scale.

For example, if you play the same C major scale starting and ending on D, this is what we call the “Dorian” mode.

And when you look at what’s really going on when you play a “C major” scale from “D” to “D,” you’d realize that it’s basically a regular minor scale with the 6th tone raised a half step.

Think about it…

The regular D minor scale is…

And the “D Dorian” mode is…

The only difference is the 6th tone.

So basically, every mode gives you these unique changes and therefore provides great soloing tools over certain chords.

Here are all 7 modes…

If you play a major scale from the first tone of the scale to the first tone of the scale (e.g. – “C major scale from ‘C’ to ‘C’), this is called the IONIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the second tone of the scale to the second tone of the scale, this is called the DORIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the third tone of the scale to the third tone of the scale, this is called the PHRYGIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the fourth tone of the scale to the fourth tone of the scale, this is called the LYDIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the fifth tone of the scale to the fifth tone of the scale, this is called the MIXOLYDIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the sixth tone of the scale to the sixth tone of the scale, this is called the AEOLIAN mode (you should know this as the “natural minor scale”).

If you play a major scale from the seventh tone of the scale to the seventh tone of the scale, this is called the LOCRIAN mode.

So now that you’re refreshed on the modes, let me combine the two concepts.

See that last mode… the Locrian mode?

Well, what if you applied that same thinking to the melodic minor scale?

What if you played the melodic minor scale from the 7th tone of the scale to the 7th tone? This is what we call the “altered” or “super locrian” mode.

Here’s the scale you’d get…

B Super Locrian

In terms of the scale itself, here’s what you end up with…

Altered / Super Locrian scale = 1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, b7

If you think about it, this is the basis for a lot of altered chords.

For example, if you’ve watch our GospelKeys 202 or GospelKeys Urban Pro 600 courses, you’ve undoubtedly seen these chords:

C7 #9#5
C7 b9 #5
C7 b9
C7 #9
C7 #5

All these chords come from the altered scale. That means if you just find out what the C altered scale is, you could play that scale over any of these chords and it would sound awesome!

So let’s recap…

How do you play an altered scale?

1) You’ll need to know your melodic minor scales

2) That’s easy! Just play a major scale with lowered 3rd note

3) And then play THAT scale from the 7th tone to the 7th tone. So if you know your locrian mode, just change your mindset a bit to think of the 7th tone of the melodic minor scale and you’re good to go!

In other words, if you play this chord on your left hand:

B7 #9#5 (B on bass not shown)

…and solo with the B super locrian mode…

…you’ll sound great and people will think you’ve been playing for years!

Well, I know this is a lot to digest so take your time!

Until next time —

This lesson comes from pages 35 and 36 of the second version of my home study course (it isn’t out yet but I’ve been writing it for like 2.5 years now). Check it out…

On Friday, I taught you how to look at chords according to the number of notes they have.

This introduced us to names like “tetrads,” “pentads,” “hexads,” “heptads,” and of course, the “triad.” These are names for collection of notes played at the same time (i.e. – “chords”).

Today, I want to talk about the other side of things — the names of collection of notes played one after the other (i.e. – “scales”). And specifically, I want to focus on the tetrachord.

A tetrachord is a series of four notes, usually played one after the other. A major tetrachord is a series of four notes, in ascending order, separated by the following sequence: whole step – whole step – half step.

In other words, if I start at “C” and add a whole step, that gives me “D.”

So far, I have “C – D.”

In following the “tetrachordal” formula, I add another whole step from “D.” That gives me “E.”

So far, I have “C – D – E.”

And lastly, I add a half step since my formula is “whole step – whole step – half step.”

That gives me “F” at the end.

Altogether, “C – D – E – F.”

This may look familiar to many of you. It is the same pattern that starts your major scales!

Recall my little acronym I made up several years ago to help people remember the major scale…

Why Won’t He Wear White When Hot?

W W H W W W H

(This is my way of getting you to memorize the “whole step / half step” relationships that make up the major scale. You won’t find it taught anywhere else like this, I promise…)

If you’re really paying close attention, you may notice not ONE major tetrachord, but TWO!

W W H W W W H

In other words, a major scale is just two major tetrachords separated by a whole step.

[C major tetrachord] – whole step – [G major tetrachord]

So if you know all 12 major tetrachords, this can be another way to remember scales quickly:

C major tetrachord: C D E F
G major tetrachord: G A B C
D major tetrachord: D E F# G
A major tetrachord: A B C# D
E major tetrachord: E F# G# A
B major tetrachord: B C# D# E
F# major tetrachord: F# G# A# B

(switch to flats)

Gb major tetrachord: Gb Ab Bb Cb
Db major tetrachord: Db Eb F Gb
Ab major tetrachord: Ab Bb C Db
Eb major tetrachord: Eb F G Ab
Bb major tetrachord: Bb C D Eb
F major tetrachord: F G A Bb
C major tetrachord: C D E F

Do you see what I see?

Gosh! Where do I start? There’s so many patterns and observations to make.

First off, I was moving in “FIFTHS,” just like the circle of fifths chart below:

Secondly, notice that the next “tetrachord” in line finishes the previous one. So if you actually read the “C major tetrachord” out loud and then the “G major tetrachord,” that’s the entire C major scale.

Same goes for the G and D tetrachords… and the D and A tetrachords — on and on.

Another thing worth pointing out is the first note of one tetrachord is always the last note of the next tetrachord (when moving in fifths like I did above). So two tetrachords joined by a whole step always equal an octave.

Fourthly, it further proves how related major keys are on the circle of fifths chart. Now you know that they also share tetrachords!

Fifthly, it points out how ANYTHING can be broken down to smaller parts. Maybe you’ve mastered major scales already but if you look at other unfamiliar scales this way, it should be much easier.

For example, I haven’t talked about trichords yet but as the name implies, it’s a series of 3 notes just like a tetrachord is a series of 4 notes.

2 trichords separated by a whole step create a minor pentatonic scale. Check it out…

A trichord:
A – C – D

E trichord:
E – G – A

Together, “A – C – D – E – G – A.”

And, since minor and major are related, you can easily start this scale from C to get a regular pentatonic scale (i.e. – “major pentatonic”).

A – C – D – E – G – A – C – D – E – G – A

(Just like we can take a C major pentatonic scale and play the same notes from “A” to “A,” we can take the minor pentatonic scale and play the same notes from “C” to “C” to get a C major pentatonic scale.)

And it doesn’t stop there…

There are pentachords, hexachords, and others. I’ll talk about those in other posts.

For now, I hope this helps to give you another perspective.

Until next time —

For the past couple of days, I’ve been stuck on teaching you how to name chords correctly.

Today, I want to shift the focus to scales because I’ve seen many people incorrectly write their major scales.

For example, here are some common mistakes:

F# major (incorrect)
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – F – F#

Gb major (incorrect)
Gb – Ab – Bb – B – Db – Eb – F – Gb

Or worse…

F# – Ab – Bb – B – C# – D# – F – F# (the popular incorrect “hybrid” way)

Now, to be fair… and I always say it —

There’s the “I just wanna play” method and there’s the “pass a music theory test” method.

Even when I’m talking and I don’t want to say Cb or E# (because then I’ll have to explain it to the recipient and that’ll slow me down), I’m guilty of using the “I just wanna play” method. It’s not going to alter the way you play. As long as you have the RIGHT notes, it’s all going to come out the same way when played. We all know that.

But why not spell it right? That’s always my underlying philosophy when I write about these sort of things. Why settle for bad musical grammar when you don’t have to? Especially when there are easy little rules to remember…

So here are 4 simple rules to making sure your major scales are labeled correctly:

1) Always use ALL alphabet letters (if even ONE letter is missing from your major scale, it’s WRONG)

2) Never skip any alphabet letters (this one is like rule #1 because if you’re skipping something, it’s missing and that’s WRONG)

3) Never duplicate any alphabet letters (only ONE unique alphabet letter per tone… if you’re duplicating, you’re most likely skipping another letter and that means it’s _________ … you know it! …WRONG!)

4) In major scales, sharps go with sharps… flats go with flats! Don’t mix and match and you’ll be fine! (Note: Not all scales operate this way. For example, melodic and harmonic minor scales may have mixed sharps and flats, among others… but that’s another lesson).

So let’s take our incorrect scales and figure out where they have broken the rules…

F# major (incorrect)
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – F – F#

In this scale, the letter “E” wasn’t used at all. That breaks rule #1. Why? Because we totally skipped it by using two “F’s.” That pretty much breaks rules 2 and 3.

That “F” is the problem. We need to use some kind of E there. All letters are required or we fail the test. What can we do the E to make it sound like F?

Answer: Sharp it! So we turn our E into E# and this helps our scale to be complete. Now we’re using all letters, and thus, not skipping or duplicating any.

Correct way

F# major (correct)
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#

*Another “unwritten rule” (not shown in my list, that is) concerns the number of sharps or flats a major scale has. Notice now that the F# major scale has 6 unique sharps (don’t include the second F# at the end). When we spelled it incorrectly, it only had 5 sharps. If you look at any “circle of fifths” chart, you will see that F# is supposed to have 6 sharps. So we pass that test, too!

Gb major (incorrect)
Gb – Ab – Bb – B – Db – Eb – F – Gb

This scale has the same problem. We used the letter “B” twice and we skipped C altogether. Simply calling the “B” a “Cb” will solve this problem.

Correct way…

Gb major (correct)
Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb – F – Gb

*And just like F#, Gb should have six unique flats. We weren’t getting that when we were spelling it incorrectly. Now we do. So spelling correctly has its benefits! :)

So remember…

There’s your “I just wanna play” method — and there’s your “pass a music theory test” method. Usually, I’m operating under the second but it depends on what my purpose is.

I know that many people read this blog… mainly people who “just want to play.” And sometimes, if I have to throw a “C flat” out there on a lesson that is focusing totally on something else — as a teacher who doesn’t want anyone to be super confused, I feel like I have to STOP and explain that “C flat” if I’m going to throw it out there… or the whole lesson is messed up from that point on because someone who has never heard of C flat will be thrown off.

So sometimes, I’m “innocently” guilty of just calling it “B” and moving on to the main meat of my lesson. But don’t worry, if I do it, I usually preface it by calling it the “informal” way.

Even I have two natures so that’s why I come from BOTH places when I’m teaching. I know some people could careless if it’s called “B,” “C flat” or “Z.” They just want to know if it’s in their major chord and if it’s going to make them sound good. And I totally understand that. After all, we teach how to play by ear and most people who fall under our category just wanna play.

So there you have it! A nice little lesson AND some insight into my teaching philosophy, too! :)

Until next time —

Minor Pentatonic Scales

About a month ago, I posted a lesson on how to play pentatonic scales. If you’re not familiar with the major pentatonic scale, it may be a good idea to check out that lesson first… then return here to learn its minor counterpart.

As you learned in that post, this scale is called “pentatonic” because it has 5 notes. “Penta” is an ancient Greek prefix meaning “five.”

We unraveled the numerical names for other scales too…

How to turn major pentatonic into minor pentatonic

In this lesson, I want to take it a step further and show you one easy shortcut you can implement to also learn all your minor pentatonic scales. Yes, minor!

The thing about minor stuff is that there’s always a relative major key you can piggy back on.

Let me explain…

Just like you learned in this prior lesson, every major key has a relative minor key. This relative minor key pretty much shares EVERYTHING with this major key. They share the same notes in their scales (except you just start and end on different notes). They even share the same chords.

The secret is the 6th tone (this is nothing new… all of those past lessons I’ve linked to above cover this). To find the relative minor of any major key, you just go to the 6th tone. If you play the SAME EXACT major scale starting and ending on the 6th tone, there’s your minor scale! So if I basically play the C major scale, starting and ending on “A” instead of “C,” I’ll be playing an “A minor” scale. It’s as simple as that.

Well, the pentatonic scale works the same exact way! No joke!

Recall from my past lesson how to play a pentatonic scale…

You just play a major scale without the 4th and 7th tones.

That leaves you with:

1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6

In the key of C major, that’s:

C D E G A
1 2 3 5 6

Repeated, it looks like this:

C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A

or

1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6

So, to play the minor pentatonic, you don’t change the notes you play (just like you don’t change the notes of the major scale when you play its relative minor scale). You just change your starting and ending points.

C D E G A C D E G [A C D E G] A C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A

1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 [6 1 2 3 5] 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6

So the “A minor pentatonic” scale is:

A C D E G

Repeated, it looks like this:

A C D E G A C D E G A…

Minor Pentatonic (Continued)

So that you can see another one at work, here’s the “Eb major pentatonic” scale:

Eb F G Bb C

Here it is repeated:

Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb C

Since “C” is the 6th tone and therefore the relative minor of “Eb,” let’s play the C minor pentatonic scale from the same notes above.

C minor pentatonic

C Eb F G Bb

Minor Pentatonic and Blues Scale

C minor pentatonic (repeated)

C Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb

Doesn’t that look like something to you?

YES YES YES!

The minor pentatonic scale is basically the blues scale with one missing note!

For example, the C blues scale is:

C Eb F Gb G Bb C

Versus the C minor pentatonic:

C Eb F G Bb C

*Note the flat 5th note in the blues scale example. That’s the only difference between a minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale.

So if you know your regular pentatonic scales, you know your minor pentatonic scales… and if you know your minor pentatonic scales, you know your blues scales!

Do you see these patterns? Once you start recognizing these systems and shortcuts, less and less of it will be memorization and more will be just understanding how to do something else from something that you already know… on the spot!

That’s the key! And that’s why the 300-pg home study course is so powerful. You learn the underlying systems, patterns, and shortcuts… not just memorization.

Hear and Play Jazz 201: Chords, Licks, and Soloing

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So there you have it… minor pentatonic scales.

In this exercise, I taught you the melodic minor scale.

It was around the time we were talking heavily about minor concepts.

We studied:

• The natural minor scale, triads, and sevenths
• The harmonic minor scale, triads, and sevenths
• The melodic minor scale (but we never got to triads and sevenths).

So in this lesson, I want to introduce you to the chords that are naturally created by the melodic minor scale.

But first, let’s review…

The melodic minor scale is basically the regular natural minor scale with a raised 6th and 7th tone.

So if you already know how to play your regular C minor scale, simply raise the 6th and 7th notes of the scale and there’s your C melodic minor scale!

Easy!

C minor

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

The 6th and 7th tones are “Ab” and “Bb.”

Raise em’!

So “Ab” becomes “A” and “Bb” becomes “B.”

C melodic minor

C D Eb F G A B C

By golly… want to know an even easier shortcut?

I think it’s just easier to think of a melodic minor scale as a MAJOR scale with a flatted third note.

In other words, you just find your third tone in the C major scale and lower it a half step.

C major

C D E F G A B C

Which gives you…

C D Eb F G A B C

So whichever way you like best is up to you. But either way, here’s your C melodic minor scale:

C D Eb F G A B C

But this is all review…

Let’s play the chords of this scale, shall we?

Just like any other scale, all we do is play block chords on each tone of the scale, skipping every other note.

So on C, we play “C + Eb + G” (again, all I did was take C and skip every other note of the scale until I had a 3-toned chord).

If you do that with the rest of the scale tones, you’ll get:

So basically, the chords that correspond to each tone of the melodic minor scale are as follows:

1st tone – minor
2nd tone – minor
3rd tone – augmented
4th tone – major
5th tone – major
6th tone – diminished
7th tone – diminished

Compared to the chords of the harmonic minor scale:

1st tone – minor
2nd tone – diminished
3rd tone – augmented
4th tone – minor
5th tone – major
6th tone – major
7th tone – diminished

… and major scale:

1st tone – major
2nd tone – minor
3rd tone – minor
4th tone – major
5th tone – major
6th tone – minor
7th tone – diminished

So there you have it!

The triads of the melodic minor scale (and believe me, they’re used a lot… we’ll talk about their application in future posts. But for now, play around with them and see what you come up with!)

Hear and Play Chords 102: The Power of Seventh Chords

This audio course will start where chords 101 left off and show you step-by-step…

• How to form various types of seventh chords and why they are so important in playing by ear.
• Why seventh chords are the foundation of many more extended chords like ninths, elevenths, thirteenths, and altered voicings.
• The power of the "magic 3rd & 7th" and how manipulating them can help you to instantly play dozens of chords in all twelve keys… very easily!
• And much more! Click here to learn more | Buy now

Until next time —

Lately we’ve been talking about minor scales.

Yesterday, I introduced the harmonic minor scale and how easy it is to play when you know your natural minor scales.

Today, I’ll go a step further and teach you how to form the melodic minor scale.

Let’s start by reviewing the natural and harmonic minor scales.

C natural minor

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

C harmonic minor

(simply raise the 7th tone a half step)

C D Eb F G Ab B C

Later on, composers thought the interval from “Ab to B” (which is an augmented second) was awkward and preferred a whole step between the 6th and 7th degrees.

So they raised the 6th tone a half step and called this the melodic minor scale since it made melody writing in minor keys smoother.

So let’s take our C harmonic minor scale and see what happens when we raise the 6th.

C harmonic minor

C D Eb F G Ab B C

Raise the Ab to A

C melodic minor

C D Eb F G A B C

So essentially, to create the harmonic minor scale, we raise the 7th tone of the natural minor scale.

Similarly, to create the melodic minor scale, we not only raise the 7th tone but we also raise the 6th tone of the natural minor scale.

Natural minor >>> creates >>> harmonic minor >>> creates >>> melodic minor

I like to look at the melodic minor as simply the major scale with a flat third because that’s exactly what it is:

C major

C D E F G A B C

C melodic minor

C D Eb F G A B C

There you have it! The melodic minor scale!

Exercise: Let’s use the comment area below to list all 12 natural, harmonic, and melodic scales. In your post, list the natural minor scale first, then raise the 7th to create the harmonic minor scale on the next line… then on the final line, take the harmonic minor scale and raise the 6th to create the melodic minor scale. Let’s try to list all 36 of em below! I’ll start it off!

So by now, you’re probably familiar with how to create minor scales. If not, type “minor scale” in our search box and you’ll get tons of lessons.

When I say “minor scale,” I’m usually talking about the natural minor scale (the most common). Sometimes, the “natural” part makes all the difference when you’re differentiating between other types of minor scales like the “harmonic” and “melodic.” When you leave off the “natural” part, most people will know you’re talking about the regular minor scale though.

But back to the “other” minor scales because that’s exactly what I want to talk about today… the harmonic minor scale.

The good news is that it is drop dead simple to play harmonic minor scales if you already know your natural minor scales.

But before I go there, let me talk about this first…

If you’ve read this post, then you’ll be familiar with the chords that correspond to the natural minor scale:

1st tone – minor 7
2nd tone – half-diminished 7
3rd tone – major 7
4th tone – minor 7
5th tone – minor 7
6th tone – major 7
7th tone – dominant 7

What I want you to pay attention to is the 5th tone and its chord. Notice it’s minor.

This created a problem for western composers because the fifth tone was almost always major. It provided that strong pull needed to get back to the tonic, or first tone. But now that it was minor, it made music sound ancient and folkloric, at least to westerners.

For example, a common 1-4-5 progression would have all minor chords if you only played chords from the list above. You try playing C minor to F minor to G minor and tell me how it sounds to you… kinda ancient and gloomy.

Let’s go to the key of C minor to make this even clearer.

The natural minor scale is:

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

Notice the 7th tone, which is Bb. This is the tone that forces the fifth degree to be minor.

Why?

Well, because the fifth tone is G and if you create a chord off G by taking every other note, you’d get G+Bb+D, which is a G minor chord.

Contrast it with the regular C major scale (C D E F G A B C) and the 5th chord is G+B+D, which is a G major chord… the chord we’re used to hearing.

So that’s one reason the harmonic minor scale was created.

And for the good news…

All it does is take the natural minor scale and raise the 7th tone a half step. In the key of C minor, it basically gets that “B” natural back so that the fifth chord can be major instead of minor.

C natural minor scale:

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Now, to transform this into a C harmonic minor scale, just take the 7th tone (Bb) and raise it a half step to B.

C harmonic minor scale:

C D Eb F G Ab B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Note: The skip from “Ab” to “B” in this scale creates an interesting sound. I’ll tell you how they fixed that later… (cough cough – “melodic” minor scale).

Recap:

Source

So now you know how to transform any natural minor scale into a harmonic minor scale and the history behind why it was created.

Until next time!

If you’ve been keeping up with my occasional “What Key Am I In” posts, then you’re probably familiar with the chords that correspond to the major scale.

For example, the C major scale is:

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Each one of these scale degrees has a chord that corresponds with it; a chord that is naturally created on each tone of the scale.

1 – C major 7
2 – D minor 7
3 – E minor 7
4 – F major 7
5 – G dominant 7
6 – A minor 7
7 – B half-diminished 7

This can be applied to any scale, not just C major.

1st tone – major 7
2nd tone – minor 7
3rd tone – minor 7
4th tone – major 7
5th tone – dominant 7
6th tone – minor 7
7th tone – half-diminished 7

So if you know all 12 major 7th chords, all 12 minor 7th chords, and all 12 half-diminished chords (which are also known as minor 7 b5 chords), then you can play these 7 chords in practically ANY key!

But that’s not what I want to talk about (you know I’m notorious for writing two blog posts in one… one that could be a lesson on its own, just catching you up to what I want to show you… and then the part of the post that actually shows you what I really want to show you… hehe! I’m sorry, I’m just addicted to making sure I’m very thorough and that no one gets left behind).

By the way, if you are totally lost right now, please click here.

—-

So is it true, Jermaine? If I know my major keys, do I already know my minor keys?

That is absolutely true!

What if I told you that you don’t have to learn anything new to play the chords of the minor scale? Well, that’s true and I’m going to show you how to shortcut your way to being a pro both in major and minor keys in no time!

What you MUST understand about minor keys

Minor keys come from major keys.

In fact, every minor key is related to a particular major key.

Every major key has a relative minor key and every minor key has a relative major key.

So, if you’re in the key of C major, how do you figure out what the relative minor of C is?

Just go to the 6th tone!

Boooooyyyyahhhhh! Done! Over! Simple!

Just go to the sixth tone, that’s it.

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The 6th degree of C major is “A” — so “A” is your relative minor of C.

If you were in the key of “A minor” and wanted to figure out its relative major, then you’d go to the third tone of the “A minor” scale and that’ll give you “C.”

So C is the relative major of A minor and A minor is the relative minor of C. That’s how that all works.

The circle of fifths (yes I know, I’m a big fan) gives you all the “major-minor” relationships you’ll need to know. Just look inside the circle and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

How does knowing the relative minor of a major key translate into playing chords of the minor scale?

Glad you asked!

If you know that, “A,” for example, is the relative minor of “C major,” then here are some things you need to know about their relationship:

1. They share the same key signature. C has no sharps or flats in its key, nor does “A” minor.
2. They share the same notes. There are no notes in C major that you won’t find in “A” minor and vise versa.
3. They also share the same corresponding chords so if you know the chords for each tone of C major, then you already know the chords for each tone of A minor

In fact, if you don’t know already, you play an “A minor” scale by simply playing the C major scale from “A” to “A” rather than from “C” to “C.” Like I said, it shares all the same notes, just a different starting and ending point.

Well, if that is true, then you do the SAME exact things with the chords I taught you above.

C major scale with corresponding chords

1 – C major 7
2 – D minor 7
3 – E minor 7
4 – F major 7
5 – G dominant 7
6 – A minor 7
7 – B half-diminished 7

Now, let me do something… let me repeat these same chords from the C major scale but instead of stopping at B, the 7th tone, I’m going to keep it going for two octaves.

But I want you to pay close attention to it and you’ll notice something…

1 – C major 7
2 – D minor 7
3 – E minor 7
4 – F major 7
5 – G dominant 7
6 – A minor 7
7 – B half-diminished 7
8 – C major 7
9 – D minor 7
10 – E minor 7
11 – F major 7
12 – G dominant 7
13 – A minor 7
14 – B half-diminished 7

What you see bolded, my friend, are the chords of the A minor scale!

You just change your starting and ending points. You don’t alter anything else!

So with that said, let’s rewrite our chords now based on the minor scale, keeping in mind that all we did was take a chunk right out the middle of our major scale chords:

1st tone – A minor 7
2nd tone – B half-diminished 7
3rd tone – C major 7
4th tone – D minor 7
5th tone – E minor 7
6th tone – F major 7
7th tone – G dominant 7

Or, better yet, let’s apply this to any key:

1st tone – minor 7
2nd tone – half-diminished 7
3rd tone – major 7
4th tone – minor 7
5th tone – minor 7
6th tone – major 7
7th tone – dominant 7

So the next time someone tells you to play in a minor key, figure out the the relative major and you’ll find it a lot easier!

(Note: When you do this, you’re going to find that the 6th tone of the relative major scale seems to act as the tonic, the home base… and it should — because you’re in a minor key! Remember, with my tips here, you’re just thinking in terms of the relative major key to make things easier for you rather than tackling minor scales and chords from scratch).

The first 11 to write out the other 11 minor scale chords will get a chance to win any of our courses! Just post a comment below and I’ll randomly pick a winner once I receive all 11 minor scales and their chords. If someone has already done a scale and its chords, you have to do a new one or you won’t qualify.

Until next time!

Update:

Winner of contest is Freddy, comment #8!

(see live video of how winner was picked)

I’ve received a lot of questions about the pentatonic scale lately so I wanted to reserve some time to break it down.

Like a pentagon, which has 5 sides, pentatonic scales have 5 notes.

“Pentatonic” doesn’t mean one type of scale though, as some might think. There is a most common one that I’ll talk about below, but the truth is, there are tons of pentatonic scales and they vary widely depending on where you are in the world.

So for now, pentatonic scales have 5 notes. That’s my first point.

(You may find it useful to know that a heptatonic scale, like a heptagon, which has 7 sides, subsequently has 7 notes. The most common heptatonic scale is a major scale. The blues scale is an example of a hexatonic scale, which has 6 notes. Heck, there’s even an octatonic scale… a diminished scale).

So, just take your favorite shapes, count their sides, find out the prefix that correlates to that number (i.e. – “hexa” vs “penta” vs “hepta”) and add “tonic” to the end, and you’ll sound like a music theory pro! By attaching one of these prefixes, it’s just a fast way to characterize scales by the number of notes they have.

I’ll do a separate post on all of them at a later time.

Ok, back on topic…

Let’s talk about the major pentatonic scale.

I’m going to show you two ways to create this scale. One will be drop dead easy and the other will be a little more involved so that you can get a little more understanding of how music works.

Drop dead easy way

To play a major pentatonic scale, take any major scale and remove the fourth and seventh tones.

So let’s apply this to C major:

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The 4th is “F”
The 7th is “B”

Play this scale without those notes:

C D E G A

5 notes! 5 notes = pentatonic.

And this specifically is a C major pentatonic scale.

It sounds really good going all the way up your piano. Try this:

C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A C

Maybe you heard this in the hit song “My Girl.”

C D E G A C! (Play it in rhythm and you’ll hear the melody line I’m talking about). Click here for an example.

The more involved approach

Remember the circle of fifths from other lessons?

Well, if you start at any given point on the circle and go clockwise until you’ve included 5 total notes, that’ll give you a pentatonic scale (you’ll just need to add one more step to make it usable).

For example, if you start at C and move clockwise 4 more tones… C to G to D to A to E… bammmmmmm! That’ll give you the notes of the C major pentatonic scale.

Obviously, you can’t play the pentatonic scale like this: C G D A E. You have to rearrange the notes to be within one octave. That is, from one “C” to the very next “C,” eight notes up.

So how do you take the notes C, G, D, A, and E and rearrange to fit into an octave?

Simple!

Start at C…

Just move to the right asking yourself if you have the next note in line…

C… ok do I have a D? Yup!

So C and D are in place so far.

Do I have an E? Yup!

So C, D, and E are in place so far.

Do I have an F? No. F is not a part of the C pentatonic scale.

Do I have a G? Yes! Put G in place.

C D E G

Well, since pentatonic means 5 notes and I already have 4, then it’s obvious that the “A” goes on the end.

C D E G A

There’s my scale!

—-

So Jermaine, why would I go through all that trouble when I can use your simple way, which takes the C major scale and removes the 4th and 7th tones?

Because, I’m a big proponent for using the circle of fifths as much as you can. The circle of fifths pretty much describes in ONE picture how music works! When you start seeing the relationships the keys have to one another and how those relationships lead to other things you thought were random before, then many things start making sense.

Just like you took 5 neighboring notes going clockwise on the circle, if you took 5 neighboring notes going counter-clockwise, that would give you one of the most commonly played chord progressions in music. Heck, taking only 3 neighboring notes and going counter-clockwise gives you the famous “2-5-1″ chord progression in any key! Don’t believe me… what’s C to F to Bb? Those are the keynotes of a “2-5-1″ in the key of Bb. Add a minor to the “C” keynote, a dominant chord to the “F” keynote, and a major chord to the “Bb” keynote and you’ve got yourself a basic chord progression!

(Also another lesson in and of itself).

So when I give you harder ways to do the same thing, usually those are the methods that pay off the most because they lead to understanding something BIGGER than the situation at hand.

Until next time!

Playing your major scales should be a part of your daily practice regimen.

However, practicing them in a “circle of fourths” or “circle of fifths” pattern is even better.

Let’s focus more on circle of fourths.

If you type “circle of fourths” or “circle of fifths” in google, you can actually find a host of other examples.

Notice that the keys go from: C >>> F >>> Bb >>> Eb and so forth.

If this were a clock, C would be at 12 o’ clock. F would be at 11 o’ clock. Bb would be at 10, and so forth.

This is the optimal way to play your scales. Start with C major. Play it all the way through (C D E F G A B C).

Then play your F major scale all the way through (F G A Bb C D E F). Then your Bb major scale (Bb C D Eb F G A Bb).

Why the circle?

Because music also happens to move in this same pattern (way beyond the scope of this article but I’ll touch on it a little bit). As you play chords and progressions later, you’ll find that any C chord going to any F chord going to any Bb chord will be a very popular progression and you’ll play it ALL THE TIME.

But here’s another reason to use the circle.

Because it lets you know how related the major keys are to each other.

If one just looked at a piano, they’d assume that C and Db, for example, were related because of how close they appear to each other on the piano. BUT THIS ISN’T TRUE.

The reality is that C and F are more related. This is why they are neighbors on the circle and not C and Db (or C#).

Let’s look at this.

The C major scale is: C D E F G A B C

The F major scale is: F G A Bb C D E F

Really take the time to analyze these notes. Notice anything?

Bingo! The only difference between the C major scale and the F major scale is ONE note. Notice that F major has all white notes just like C. The only difference is one black key and that’s Bb.

So here’s the golden rule.

***********
To get from one key on the circle to the next (going the counter-clockwise direction of C to F to Bb to Eb and so on), just take the 7th note of any scale, lower it a half step, and that gives you the ONLY difference between the current scale and the next one on the circle.

C major: C D E F G A B C

Count 7 notes… B is the 7th note.

Lower it one half step (remember half steps are from key to key with NO keys in between… whole steps always skip a key with ONE key in between). So in this case, we’d lower it from B to Bb.

This Bb represents the only difference between C and F major… and it’s true.

The only other thing we’d have to do is play these same exact notes (C D E F G A Bb C) but starting and ending on F instead of C (because this is the F major scale, not the C major scale anymore).

Make sense?

If you wanted to find out how to find the notes of the next major key on the circle after F major, you’d do the same thing.

Take the 7th note of F major, lower it one-half step to find the only change. Then start and end on the next key of your major scale.

VERY SIMPLE! Re-read this article until it clicks.

I hope this helps.

“The C major scale with 7th chords”

This progression is very interesting. It does not utilize every note of the 7th chord however. In fact, it only utilizes 3 fingers of the chord (but sounds excellent)!

Here it is:

1) Bass = C

Right hand = E + B + E (higher)

Note: With the “B”, after you have played the chord above, play “A”, then return back to the “B.” Because I have to write this, it is very hard to explain. I’ll try:

Right hand = E + “B” + E
Right hand = E + “A” + E
Right hand = E + “B” + E

Note: You don’t even have to play the two “E’s” on the end each time. Just alternate between the “B” and “A.” You will have to do this with every chord below. Simply alternate the 2nd finger with the white note right next to it, ok?

1) Bass = C

Right hand = E + B + E

2) Bass = D

Right hand = F + C + F

3) Bass = E

Right hand = G + D + G

4) Bass = F

Right hand = A + E + A

5) Bass = G

Right hand = B + F + B

6) Bass = A

Right hand = C + G + C

7) Bass = B

Right hand = D + A + D

8) Bass = C

Right hand = E + B + E (back to the beginning)

Well, let’s get to work!

******************************************

Piano Lessons Workshop #1: Major Scales (i)

In music, there is a pattern for everything! I’m going to teach you the pattern used to create major scales.

First, let’s start with the basics. There are 12 major scales; one for every major key on the piano

You have the white keys:

C major
D major
E major
F major
G major
A major
B major

… and then you have the black keys (called “sharps” or “flats”):

C Sharp or D flat
D Sharp or E flat
F Sharp or G flat
G Sharp or A flat
A Sharp or B flat

Today, we will learn how to form the following major scales:

(1) C Major Scale
(2) D Major Scale
(3) E Major Scale
(4) F Major Scale
(5) G Major Scale
(6) A Major Scale

In order to form major scales, you have to understand the concept of “whole steps and half steps.” I have a free piano lesson on “whole and half step intervals” at: http://www.hearandplay.com/p2abc3xkpt.html

… but for the sake of this e-mail lesson, I will recap:

Whole steps and half steps describe distance in music. That is, the distance in notes from one key to another.

————-
Whole Step
————-

A “whole” step always skips a key…

————-
Half Step
————-

A “half” step never skips a key…

Remember this poem:

“A half step is from KEY TO KEY with NO keys in between,
A whole step always SKIPS a key with one key in between”

EXAMPLES:

“D” is 1 whole step higher than “C”

Why? Because if you start at C and “skip” a key, you’ll arrive at “D”. What key are you skipping? Let’s see:

C — (skip C#) — D

However, “C#” is 1 half step higher than “C”

Why? Because you are NOT skipping any keys to go from “C” to “C#.”

So essentially:

1 Whole Step = 2 keys
1 Half Step = 1 key

More examples:

C to D = 1 whole step
C to E = 2 whole steps

… and so on.

(Whole Step = “w” *** Half Step = “h”)

The Major Scale pattern is as follow:

w – w – h – w – w – w – h

This means:

1. From the starting note, the second note will be 1 (w)hole step higher.

2. From the second note, the third note will be another whole step higher.

3. From the third note, the fourth note will be a (h)alf step higher.

4. From the fourth note, the fifth note will be a whole step higher.

5. From the fifth tone, the sixth note will be a whole step higher.

6. From the sixth tone, the seventh tone will also be a whole step higher.

7. From the seventh tone, the last tone will be only a half step higher.

In C major:

1. The starting note is “C”
2. 1 whole step up is “D” (w)
3. Another whole step up is “E” (w)
4. 1 half step up is “F” (h)
5. 1 whole step up is “G” (w)
6. Another whole step up is “A” (w)
7. Another whole step up is “B” (w)
8. 1 half step up is “C” (h)

Exercise:

Repeat these 8 steps with the following major scales. The answers are listed below:

2) D major
3) E major
4) F major
5) G major
6) A major

————————–

D major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

E major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

F major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

G major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

A major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

———————————-

Note: Remember, in major scales, each note is played separately. Only in chords are more than 2 notes played at the same time.

Scales = play each note separately
Chords = play all notes together

Here are the answers:

D major

D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D

E major

E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E

F major

F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F

G major

G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G

A major

A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A

——————–

If you thought this little lesson was informative, imagine what you will learn in my 300-pg piano course? For more information, visit:

http://www.hearandplay.com/course

… or call 1-877-856-4187

Thank you for your time!

Let’s get to today’s lesson…

I’ve already taught you the basics. Let’s just quickly finish up the major scales so that we can learn the chords tomorrow!

If you need a reminder on forming scales, pull out yesterday’s e-mail lesson…

Here are the remaining major scales to learn:

B Major
Db Major
Eb Major
Gb Major
Ab Major
Bb Major

Using the same formula as yesterday, create the following major scales:

B major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

Db major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

Eb major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

Gb major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

Ab major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

Bb major:

1) Starting note = ______
2) 1 whole step up = ______
3) 1 whole step up = ______
4) 1 half step up = _____
5) 1 whole step up = ______
6) 1 whole step up = ______
7) 1 whole step up = ______
8) 1 half step up = ______

Now that you have completed the worksheet above, check your major scale answers with the answers below:

B Major

B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B

Db Major

Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db

Eb Major

Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb

F# Major

F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – F (but technically “E#”) – F#

Note: With the F# major scale, technically the “F” would be referred to as “E#” (even though “E” does not have a black key in front of it). But since we are not reading music, I will keep it simple.

Ab Major

Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab

Bb Major

Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb

Congratulations on learning all 12 major scales. Join me tomorrow to learn the major chords!

Good job!

So far, you should know:

–how to build a major scale
–how to build a minor scale
–how to build a major chord
–how to build a minor chord
–how to play a basic 12-bar blues

Today, we will focus on scales and chords:

As you know, chords are created from scales.

For example, in a (major scale), the (1) (3) and (5) degrees make up the major chord.

In a (minor scale), the (1) (3) and (5) degrees also make up the minor chord.

When playing a major chord with your left hand (any inversion), the same major scale can be played with your right hand.

Try this:

Play a (C major) chord while playing a c major scale (with the right hand.)

Sounds good doesn’t it?

The same principle applies to the minor scale. While a minor chord is being played in the left hand, the same minor scale (or the blues scale if you prefer) can be played with the right hand.

Note: I personally prefer making patterns up with the blues scale. Try playing the blues scale in your own style!

———————
Arpeggios
———————

“Arpeggio” is the term given when each tone of a chord is played separately (but in order).

So instead of playing (C) (E) (G) all at once, you play (C), then (E), then (G). While playing a C major chord in your left hand, you can play arpeggios in the right hand. This creates a nice combination!

Try this: Play the chord changes in lesson 7 on your left hand. With your right hand, play the corresponding major scales to each chord.

-The 300-pg workbook teaches scales and chords in depth. Visit:

http://www.hearandplay.com/course

… for more information!

Thank you for your time once again and good luck with those arpeggios!

As we’ve learned in other posts…

Scales are important!

If you know your scales, playing chords will be very very easy to do!

The Minor Scale

If you remember, the major scale pattern is:

W-W-H-W-W-W-H

Now, to add another “scale” to your musical toolbox, the minor scale pattern is simply:

W – H – W – W – H – W – W

The (C Minor Scale) is:

C – D – E flat – F – G – A flat – B flat – and C

Let’s explore this closer:

From C to D is a whole step (w).

From D to E flat is a half step (h).

From E flat to F is a whole step (w).

From F to G is a whole step (w).

From G to A flat is a half step (h).

From A flat to B flat is a whole step (w).

From B flat to C is a whole step (w).

Try playing all 12 minor scales with the pattern above (C min, D flat min, D min, E flat min, and so on…)

Minor Scales In Gospel Music

Gospel music is closely associated with the minor scale. Another scale that gospel music (and many other styles of music) utilizes is the:

Blues Scale

You’ve heard it in B.B. King’s music! You’ve heard it in gospel, jazz, and rock. Just about any type of music you can think of utilizes the Blues Scale.

The Blues Scale is simply a minor scale without a few notes, and… with one “other” note added. An example is given below:

Remember that the (C minor) scale is:

C (1), D(2), E flat (3), F(4), G(5), A flat (6), B flat (7), and C (8)
*numbers represent scale degree

To create a blues scale, simply get rid of the (2) and (6) degree. In (C minor), that would be D and A flat. Then add the note in between the (4) and (5) degree.

Try playing it!

Note: A blues scale only has 6 unique tones.

You’ll find blues scales all throughout blues, gospel, and other genres. Listen to some of your recordings and you’re guaranteed to hear them!

Well… thank you for your time once again!

Until next time —

The "Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear" course covers everything from the basics and fundamentals to Cmin13 (b9b5) chords. The following lesson focuses on chapter four from the course. If you are already familiar with major scale fingerings, you may skip this lesson.

Fingerings for major scales (02)

Note: Please pay attention to this lesson as you will need to know how to play scales when forming various major chords.

Get the rest of this lesson by clicking here

Note: Disregard the "SLXYZ" numbers (if any) as they refer to sound examples. Our 300-pg course comes with a CD with over 330 sound examples which can be heard with the click of a button. (Example: SL003)

This concludes lesson #2. This lesson is just half of what our course covers on major scales! To see how you can get this chapter with tons of written and interactive exercises, along with 19 other chapters, please click here

If you are enjoying these lessons, please recommend them to your friends!