Learning Objectives
- Practice building natural minor scales.
Minor Scales III: Building Minor Scales
Building Minor Scales
So far, we have only looked at one minor scale: A minor. This is a good scale to start with because, like C major, it only uses the white keys on the piano. A minor is the only minor scale that does not contain sharps or flats. In order to spell any of the other minor scales, we will need to use accidentals to maintain the pattern of whole and half steps (WHWWHWW) that makes a minor scale sound minor. It really doesn't matter what note we begin our minor scale on, as long as we consistently maintain this pattern, with half steps between 2 and 3 and between 5 and 6.
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Let's try building a minor scale on D. We will start by simply writing the notes from D to D on the staff (as shown in the example below). The resulting pattern of whole and half steps is correct for the first part of the scale: a whole step from D to E, a half step from E to F (between scale degrees 2 and 3), a whole step from F to G, and a whole step from G to A. But the rest of the scale pattern is incorrect: we should have a half step between scale degrees 5 and 6, followed by two whole steps, but instead we have a whole step from A to B and a half step from B to C. We can solve this by adding a single accidental to the scale. Click on "Show Me" to see the solution.
Building a D minor scale
Building a d minor scale
By lowering the B to a B♭, we now have a half step from A to B♭ (between scale degrees 5 and 6), followed by two whole steps from B♭ to C and from C to D. The pattern is now correct, and we have successfully built a D minor scale. We have also discovered that the D minor scale requires a B♭. In other words, the key of D minor has one flat in it, and that flat is a B♭.
Take a moment now to play the scale of D minor on the virtual piano below. Try singing the note names as you play them. Don't forget the B♭!
Click this small keyboard icon below.
Keyboard x
Let's try one more for practice. Which accidentals would you need to add here to create an E minor scale? Click on "Show Me" to see the solution.
Building an e minor scale
This scale starts out with a half step instead of a whole step. in order to create a whole step above E, an F# is required. Working from left to right, we move from E to F#, which is now (correctly) a whole step. Then there is a half step from F# to G, a whole step from G to A, a whole step from A to B, a half step from B to C (between scale degrees 5 and 6), and two more whole steps from C to D and D to E. Thus, the key of E minor requires one sharp (F#).
Take a moment to play the scale of E minor on the virtual piano below. Sing the note names as you play them.
Click this small keyboard icon below.
Now that we have practiced with these two scales, you should be able to apply the same basic principles to write any natural minor scale, adding accidentals to the scale to create the correct pattern of whole and half steps as required. Remember to refer to or visualize a keyboard (or to work at one) so that you can clearly see where the whole steps and half steps are in the scale. These whole and half steps are not clearly visible on the staff. Remember as well that you should always build your scales from left to right. You need to make sure that the pattern of whole and half steps is correct up to the point where accidentals are required.
In the activity that follows, you will be asked to write various minor scales beginning on different pitches.