Warm-Up

• What is the difference between parallel

and relative minors?

• How many forms of a minor scale are

there?
Minor Key and the Diatonic Modes
 Terms
• Pentachord - first 5 notes of a scale
• Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) - Major
• Do, Re, Me, Fa, Sol (1,2, b3, 4, 5) - Minor

• Phrygian Tetrachord - H-W-W (low to high)

• Harmonic tetrachord - H-A2-H

USED TO BUILD THE MINOR SCALES

 Pentachord

Do Re Me Fa Sol
1 2 b3 4 5

W H W W
Pentachor
d
 Parallel Keys
• Parallel Keys - major and minor keys that
have the same tonic; key signatures differ.

• Pentachord - first 5 pitches of a scale (do, re,

mi (me), fa, sol OR 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

• Minor Pentachord - lowered third cosisting of

W-H-W-W steps.
 Key Concept - page 56
• Parallel keys share the same tonic.

• Parallel-key pentachord share four scale

degrees (do, re, fa, and sol OR 1, 2, 4, and 5)

• Scale-degree 3 of the minor pentachord is a

half step lower than the major pentachord (the
solfege syllable me instead of mi).
Finding Parallel Minor Keys
• Add 3 flats or take
away 3 sharps.

• Move
COUNTERCLOCKWIS
E three places around
the circle of 5ths.
 Assignment
• Try it #1 - page 56
 Warm-Up
• List the key signatures in the following
minor keys:
• A
• C
• F
• G
• B
 Forms of Minor
• Natural Minor - minor key signature comes from this
scale.
• Lowered 3, 6, and 7 from the major scale. Minor key
signature comes from this scale.

• Melodic Minor - different on the way up and down

• Different on the way up and down
• Up: flat 3 (major 6 and 7)
• Down: lowered 7, 6, and 3

• Harmonic Minor
• Augmented Second from flat 6 to major 7
 Natural Minor Scale
• Lowered 3, 6, and 7 ascending and
descending

• W-H-W-W-H-W-W
 Melodic Minor Scale
• Different on the way up from the way down
Melodic Minor Scale Examples
 Harmonic Minor Scale
• Lowered 3 and 6 (Major 7th)
• W-H-W-W-H-A2-H
Harmonic Minor Scale Examples
Major and Minor Scales
 Homework
• Write out the following NATURAL MINOR
Scales: C and G

• Write out the following MELODIC MINOR

Scales: D and A

• Write out the following HARMONIC MINOR

Scales: E and B

DUE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

 Warm-Up
• Write the following minor scales:
• F Natural Minor
• Bb Melodic Minor
• F# Harmonic Minor
 Relative Keys
• Relative keys have a different TONIC
pitch, but share the same key signature.

• For example, Bb Major is relative to g

minor.
 Finding the Relative Minor
Key Concept - page 63

To find the relative minor or any major key, identify

scale-degree 6 of the major scale: that pitch class
is the tonic of the relative minor.

Example:
Scale degree 6 of A Major is ________, which
equals ________ minor. Both have ___________
sharps/flats.
Circle of 5ths
 Assignment
Try it #3 - page 64

E Major =
Four flats =
D Major =
Eb Major =
Five sharps =
One flat =
 Finding the Relative Major
• The find the relative major of any key,
identify scale-degree 3 of the minor
scale: that pitch is the tonic of the
relative major.

Example: g minor’s 3rd scale degree is?

 Assignment
• Try it #4 - page 66

a minor =
g# minor =
c minor =
d minor =
c# minor =
f minor =
 MINOR RULE
(ACTUALLY IT IS A MAJOR RULE)

• IN MINOR - RAISE THE LEADING

TONE!!!!!!!!!! (ESPECIALLY WHEN ASCENDING IN A MINOR SCALE)
UNLESS THE SPECIFIC SOUND WANTED IS THE
MAJOR SECOND BETWEEN SCALE DEGREES TE AND
DO (7 AND 8).
 Determining the Key of a
Passage/Work
Key Concept - page 66

To determine the key of a work:

1. Look at the key signature.
2. Look at the beginning of the melody for
motion to and frm the tonic (Do or 1)
3. Look at the end of the melody for motion to
the tonic.
4. Look for a repeated accidental to raise
scale-degree 7 in minor.
 Writing Minor Scales
Minor scale forms were not identified when
Bach or even Mozart were living.

Ways to write a minor scale:

• Use the major scale and flat the approriate
pitches.
• Use the key signature.
• Use the pentachord tetrachord structure.
 Writing Minor Scales
Summary - page 68

• Natural Minor
= minor pentachord + Phrygian tetrachord (H-W-W)
= same key signature as relative major, not additional accidentals

• Harmonic Minor
= minor pentachord + harmonic tetrachord (H-A2-H)
= same key signature as relative major, but 7 is raised a half step

• Melodic Minor
Ascending:
= minor pentachord + major tetrachord (W-W-H)
= same key signature as relative major, but 6 and 7 are raised a half
step
Descending:
= same as natural minor
 Modes
• Modes are neither major or minor
scales but have scalar tendencies

• Modes are created by:

• altering pitches from the major or minor
scale
• using the key signature from a major scale
and starting on a different scale degree
 Name of Modes
• Ionian
• Dorian
• Phrygian
• Lydian
• Mixolydian
• Aeolian
• Locrian
 Modes
Key Concept - page 71

The diatonic collection from C to C (with no

sharps or flats) may be rotated to begin with
any pitch. Each rotation is a diatonic mode.

C to C: Ionian F to F: Lydian

D to D: Dorian G to G: Mixolydian

E to E: Phrygian A to A: Aeolian
Modes Examples
 Modes
Key Concept - page 72

Modes that begin with the major pentachord (or with what
sounds like a major pentachord):
• Ionian (scale is identical to major)
• Mixolydian (scale has a lowered 7th)
• Lydian (scale has a raised 4)

Modes that begin with the minor pentachord (or with what
sounds like the minor pentachord):
• Aeolian (scale is identical to natural minor)
• Dorian (scale has a raised 6)
• Phrygian (scale has a lowered 2)
 Another Way to Write Modes
• Know the major or minor tendency

• Know the alteration for each mode

• Write out the major or minor scale

• Write in the accidentals for each mode

 Modes
Major Based Modes Minor Based Modes

1. Ionian (Major Scale) 1. Dorian (raised 6th)

2. Lydian (raised 4th) 2. Phrygian (lowered 2nd)
3. Mixolydian (lowered 7th) 3. Aeolian (Minor Scale)
 Mode Tendencies and
Alterations
Major Minor
Ionian (Major Scale) Dorian (#6)
Lydian (#4) Phrygian (b2)
Mixolydian (b7) Aeolian (Natural Minor Scale)

Which mode is missing?

Locrian (minor with b2 and b5)
Another Way to Write Modes -
Example

• C Phrygian Mode
• Write the C NATURAL minor scale first
• What makes it Phrygian? The lowered 2nd.
• Lower the second scale degree by one half step.
 Try it #6
Spell each of the following modes.

Mode Spelling
E Dorian ___________________
Bb Lydian ___________________
B Aeolian ___________________
A Mixolydian ___________________
F# Phrygian ___________________
Eb Ionian ___________________
 Locrian Mode

• Scale degree 7 to 7

• Minor tendency lowered 2 and 5

 Minor Pentatonic

Minor Pentatonic uses scale degrees 1, 3, 4, 5, 7

of the natural minor scale.

Considered minor because:

-m3 between the first two pitches
-m7 from the tonic
 Whole Tone Scale

A Whole Tone Scale is constructed with 6 pitches (7 include the repeated octave).

There is a whole step (2 half steps) between each pitch. (Hence the name Whole Tone)

The interval pattern is – W, W, W, W, W, W

 Whole Tone Scales:
Examples in Music

opening theme to Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade

Debussy's Voiles, Preludes, Book I, no. 2, mm.1-4