Minor Scales

If there are major scales there are also minor scales. The notes on a major scale
sound bright and cheerful while notes on the minor scale sound solemn and sad.
There are three types of minor scales:
Natural Minor Scale - When you play all the notes in a minor key signature,
you are playing the minor scale. To guide you, here are the minor scales in every
key:
C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C
D = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C D

E = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E
F = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F
G = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G
A=A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A
B = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - B
C# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#
Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb
F# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#
G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#
Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb

To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale = whole step half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step or w - h w - w - h - w - w.

Harmonic Minor Scale - To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the
seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale. For
example:
Natural C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C
Harmonic C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C

Melodic Minor Scale - When you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a
half step as you go up the scale and then return to the natural minor as you go
down the scale. For example:
Melodic C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)
Natural C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)