Piano Scales...

Melodic and Harmonic Minor

To form melodic minor piano scales simply lower the 3rd tone (note) of a major
scale a half step. This would give you the following sequence of whole steps and half
steps; whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half
step. So, a melodic minor scale would !e comprised of the tones (notes) , ",
"#$%!, &, ', (, ), (octave).
These tones (notes) would !e played ascending (going up from low to high) the
piano *ey!oard. +elodic minor scales differ from other minor scales in that you play
a natural minor scale decending (going down from high to low) the piano *ey!oard.
This would ma*e the tones (notes) decending (going down) a , (#$)!, '#$(!, ',
&, "#$%!, ", and ending on the tone (note) you !egan on.
,ets ta*e a loo* at our piano *ey!oard graphic and count the whole steps and half
steps in a melodic minor piano scale ascending (going up the *ey!oard from to
octave ). to " is a whole step, " to "#$%! is a half step (no tones (notes) in
!etween), "#$%! to & is a whole step (half step down to % and then on to &) & to ' is
a whole step, ' to ( is a whole step, ( to ) is a whole step and we finish the melodic
minor piano scale ascending with ) to octave , half step (no tone (note) !etween
these two *eys).
(s noted a!ove, you will play the natural minor scale decending(going down from
high to the !eginning lower ). -f you have not already reviewed the rules for the
construction of natural minor scales you can clic* here or the lin* !elow and see the
series of whole steps and half steps used in their formation.
.ne more melodic minor scale this time !eginning on #$"!. The tones (notes)
would !e; #$"!, "#$%!, %, &#$'!, '#$(!, (#$)!, , and #$"! (octave). #$"!
to "#$%! is a whole step, "#$%! to % is a half step (stepping up from the !lac* tone
(note) to the white *ey immediately adjacent which is %), % to &#$'! is a whole
step(% to & is a half step so going up to &#$'! ma*es a whole step), &#$'! to
'#$(! is a whole step,'#$(! to (#$)! is a whole step, (#$)! to is a whole step
(no !lac* *ey !etween ) and ), and we finish the #$"! melodic minor piano scale
ascending (gong from low tone (note) to octave higher tone)with to #$"! octave,
half step. (gain as already mentioned you would play the natural minor scale
decending (going down from high #$"! to the lower !eginning #$"!).
)y using these rules you can now construct a melodic minor scale from any point
(*ey) on the piano *ey!oard. -f you would li*e to see the melodic minor scales in all
/0 *eys clic* on minor scales and you will !e transported to our 1virtual piano
*ey!oard1. 2ust pic* a *ey (, ", &#$'!, etc) and clic* melodic minor scale and the
notes will appear on the *ey!oard.
3ractice these scales with !othhands until you can move smoothly (not necessarily
quic*ly) from !eginning to end and !ac* againin all /0 *eys. 4hen you practice your
scales, - want you to use the fingering technique - have outlined here, scale fingering
technique. This technique wor*s with major and minor piano scalesand will help with
your finger de5terity and control. So get to it and practice those melodic minor
scales6
Piano Scales-Harmonic Minor
Harmonic minor piano scales are formed !y lowering the 3rd and 7th tones
(notes) of a major scalea half step. This will give you the following sequence of whole
steps and half steps in constructing a harmonic minor scale. 4hole step, half step,
whole step, whole step, half step,whole step plus a half step, half step. (s you
can see, this minor piano scale is differentfrom the other minor scales in that it has a
whole step plus another half step !etween the 7th and 8th tones (notes) of the
scale.Therefore the tones (notes) in a harmonic minor scale would !e; , ",
"#$%!, &, ', '#$(!, ), and (octave).
-f you loo* at our piano *ey!oard graphic and use the harmonic minor scale
e5ample you get the following sequence of whole steps and half steps. to " is a
whole step, " to "#$%! is a half step (moving to the ne5t *ey with no *eys in
!etween), "#$%! to & is a whole step (there are no *eys !etween % and & so this is a
half step), & to ' is a whole step, ' to '#$(! is a half step (moving from the !lac*
*ey to the white *ey immediately adjacent (ne5t) to '#$(!), '#$(! to ) is our
whole step plus another half step (one and a half steps), and we finish the
harmonic minor piano scale with ) to octave, half step.
,ets do another e5ample this time !eginning with (#$)!. The tones (notes) would
!e; (#$)!, , #$"!, "#$%!, &, &#$'!, (, (#$)! (octave). (#$)! to is a whole
step (remem!er from ) to is a half step !ecause their is no *ey !etween them),
to #$"! is a half step (moving to the immediately adjacent *ey to ), #$"! to
"#$%! is a whole step, "#$%! to & is a whole step (% to & is a half step !ecause their
is no *ey !etween them), & to &#$'! is a half step (moving from the white *ey to
the !lac* *ey immediately adjacent (ne5t) to &), &#$'! to ( is our whole step plus
another half step (one and a half steps), and we finish the (#$)! harmonic minor
piano scale with ( to (#$)! octave, half step.
)y using these rules you can now construct a harmonic minor scale from any point
(*ey) on the piano *ey!oard. -f you would li*e to see these scales in all /0 *eys clic*
on harmonic minor scales and you will !e transported to our 1virtual piano
*ey!oard1. 2ust pic* a *ey (, ", &#$'!, etc) and clic* harmonic minor scale and the
notes will appear on the *ey!oard.
3ractice these scales with !oth hands until you can move smoothly (not necessarily
quic*ly) from !eginning to end and !ac* again in all /0 *eys. 4hen you practice your
scales, - want you to use the fingering technique - have outlined here, scale fingering
technique. This technique wor*s with major and minor piano scalesand will help with
your finger de5terity and control. So get to it and practice those harmonic minor
scales6
3iano Scales9+ajor and :atural +inor