Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein
I use mixolydian a lot (an unabashed ex-hippie), but I don't think of it as a blues scale. Maybe I need to try applying it where I usually don't.
Thanks for explaining the "charlie" scale - it's skipping those two notes that makes it.
What's the difference between natural and melodic minor?
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Here's the C major scale: C D E F G A B. The 6th note of that scale is A. If we write a scale starting from A, we get the A natural minor scale: A B C D E F G. Now the trick is to think of these notes as scale degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 starting on A. So, scale degree 6 is F and scale degree 7 is G.
The melodic minor scale is based on the natural minor scale. The difference is that when going up the scale, the 6th and 7th degrees are raised a semitone. When going down, they are not raised a semitone. Thus, when going down, you are playing the natural minor scale. So, here goes:
A B C D E F# G# A G F E D C B A.
In practice, there is no rule about up and down versions. That is something developed by pedagogues. In practice, you will find this in A minor: A B C D E F or F# G or G#. The composer and improvisor have their choice of whether to raise or not raise scale degrees 6 and 7. The composer can build a very rich set of chords, having these options. Thus the chords of A minor are:
A minor = A C E
B diminished = B D F
B minor = B D F#
C major = C E G
C augmented = C E G#
D minor = D F A
D major = D F# A
E minor = E G B
E major = E G# B
F major = F A C
F# diminished = F# A C
G major = G B D
G# diminished = G# B D
When I was starting out, I used to spell the chords for all major keys and all minor keys, as triads, seventh chords, and ninth chords. On the dominant chord, you can keep going and spell the 11th chords and 13th chords.
Based on the literature of music, the proportion of music that freely uses the notes of the minor scale with altered 6 and 7s is much greater than music that runs up the scale with raised 6 and 7s, then runs back down with the natural scale degrees. For this reason, I regard the melodic minor scale as a convenient way of showing that 6 and 7 can be raised or not raised.
When going up the scale, the reason for the raised 7 is to have it function as a leading tone that resolves on the tonic. However, this raised 7 creates a gap of 1 and 1/2 semitones, which is hard to hear as a step. The solution is to raise the 6. Doing this creates a whole step between 6 and 7 and a while step between 5 and 6.
When going down the scale, the idea is to fall away from the tonic, which is done by lower G# to G. That let's you use F, which is a whole step lower.
Now, in practice there are other combinations:
A B C D E F G# (this is called the harmonic minor scale)
A B C D E F# G (this is the dorian mode)
If we list all the versions of minor that are created by raising and lowering 6 and 7, we get:
natural minor (6 and 7 not raised)
harmonic minor (7 is raised)
dorian mode (6 is raised)
melodic minor (6 and 7 are both raised when ascending and 6 and 7 are both not raised when descending).
My brain does better thinking of 6 and 7 in their respective forms than trying to distinguish between the pedagogical terms or natural minor, harmonic minor, dorian mode, and melodic minor.
Here's a challenge: go through a piano sonata of Beethoven or a transcription of a blues solo and see how much fun it is (or isn't) labeling the various forms of the minor scale. Then go through and circle all the 6ths and 7ths and how their raised or not raised form relates to the melodic and harmonic ideas of the music. That, to me, is where the action is, not in the labeling of scales by name.
Again, it is excellent practice to go through the major and minor keys and spell the chords. You've got to know them sooner or later and time's a wasting.