can you plese tell me the difference between Harmonic and Melodic Minors? what about the Natural minor? isnt that the same as the Melodic Minor? i am really confused . can you also explain me when do you usually use Harmonic or Melodic keys?
thanks
what is the difference between harmonic and Melodic Minor keys?
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- KVRist
- 132 posts since 10 Dec, 2009 from Greensboro
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- KVRian
- 1209 posts since 11 Jan, 2006 from Pittsburgh
This page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_key explains things pretty well. It should help a lot.alinenunez wrote:can you plese tell me the difference between Harmonic and Melodic Minors? what about the Natural minor? isnt that the same as the Melodic Minor? i am really confused . can you also explain me when do you usually use Harmonic or Melodic keys?
thanks
Typically, I would use whichever minor scale fits the mood I'm trying to set. Composers frequently switch from one scale to another within the same song; if you like the way it sounds, use it.
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- KVRist
- 140 posts since 20 May, 2005
Hi- You can just think of it as slight variations, but it's all just minor. in other words, all 3 scales have the same first 5 notes. The scale degrees 6 and 7 are variable (You have choices). If you flat them both (b6 and b7) then it's natural minor, if you flat neither (natural 6 and 7) then you have melodic minor, and if you flat the 6 but not the 7, harmonic.
So, in a single song, you can have the melody hit the b7, implying natural minor, but then later the melody can be on the natural 7 note. Or, you could write a song that completely conforms to one of those scale choices (meaning, whenever the melody goes to the 6th and 7th scale degrees, it stays consistent.) Also, there are some other possible variations- like using dorian, which is again the same for the first 5 notes, but this time has a natural 6 and a b7.
Here's an idea--play a simple song like happy birthday (which is in major). Play it again, but this time, in natural minor-- So, for example, in the key of C, the melody of Happy Birthday would go: G-G-A-G-C-B, G-G-A-G-D-C, G-G-G(up an octave)-E-C-B-A, F-F-E-C-D-C. Now, the C natural minor scale has all the same notes, except instead of E you have Eb, and instead of A and B you have Ab and Bb. So if you want to play this in natural minor, every time you get up to one of these notes (E,A or B)you should substitute it with the flat note. So it would be: G-G-Ab-G-C-Bb, G-G-Ab-G-D-C, G-G-G(up an octave)-Eb-C-Bb-Ab, F-F-Eb-C-D-C. That should sound quite different! Now play it again, this time in melodic minor. It's exactly the same as major, except it has Eb instead of E. So play the major version, but replace every E with Eb. Now do the same with harmonic minor (same as major except Eb replaces E, and Ab replaces A.) This exercise should let you hear and understand the differences between these scales.
So, in a single song, you can have the melody hit the b7, implying natural minor, but then later the melody can be on the natural 7 note. Or, you could write a song that completely conforms to one of those scale choices (meaning, whenever the melody goes to the 6th and 7th scale degrees, it stays consistent.) Also, there are some other possible variations- like using dorian, which is again the same for the first 5 notes, but this time has a natural 6 and a b7.
Here's an idea--play a simple song like happy birthday (which is in major). Play it again, but this time, in natural minor-- So, for example, in the key of C, the melody of Happy Birthday would go: G-G-A-G-C-B, G-G-A-G-D-C, G-G-G(up an octave)-E-C-B-A, F-F-E-C-D-C. Now, the C natural minor scale has all the same notes, except instead of E you have Eb, and instead of A and B you have Ab and Bb. So if you want to play this in natural minor, every time you get up to one of these notes (E,A or B)you should substitute it with the flat note. So it would be: G-G-Ab-G-C-Bb, G-G-Ab-G-D-C, G-G-G(up an octave)-Eb-C-Bb-Ab, F-F-Eb-C-D-C. That should sound quite different! Now play it again, this time in melodic minor. It's exactly the same as major, except it has Eb instead of E. So play the major version, but replace every E with Eb. Now do the same with harmonic minor (same as major except Eb replaces E, and Ab replaces A.) This exercise should let you hear and understand the differences between these scales.
Sam
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- KVRer
- 5 posts since 31 Mar, 2010
Sam thanx a million , i had trouble understanding harmonic /melodic minors.. Your one post made things 100% clear ! Thanks much
