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Topic: Q. re: scale harmonies |
Peter Goeden
From:
Aspen Hill, Maryland, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 6:43 am |
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| Question: If on a major scale you use major harmony with the I, IV and V, minor harmony with the ii, iii, and vi, and diminished harmony with the vii, what are harmonies that you would use when playing a MINOR scale? |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 2:17 pm
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Peter,
they sort of come out the opposite. In C the scale tones of a natural minor scale (C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C) yield:
i = minor (C-Eb-G)
ii = diminished (D-F-Ab)
III= major (Eb-G-Bb)
iv = minor (F-Ab-C)
VI = major (Ab-C-Eb)
vii= diminished (B-D-F)
Even though the scale tones dictate a minor V chord (G-Bb-D), The V chord is usually made major (G-B-D) because of its important function in tonal music, leading back to the tonic. This is why there is a "harmonic minor" scale: C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-B-C.
Dan
_________________
Durham, NH
dbmCk mUSIC |
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Peter Goeden
From:
Aspen Hill, Maryland, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 3:45 pm
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Thanks Ben - I'll take a look.
Dan, is the upshot that I would play the V with major harmony and the vii with diminished harmony on BOTH of these minor scales? |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 4:21 pm
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Yes and ooops!
I should have withheld vii in my first list as well as V, since , of course, vii would be B-flat, not B-natural (as I wrote it there). Thus, abstractly, VII = major (Bb-D-F). But, as you implied, vii is more relaistically diminished, with B-natural taking the place of B-flat, and viio serving as a substitute dominant for V. (And many would hear this as an abbreviated dominant without its root; i.e., G-B-D-F, with the root [G] omitted.)
There is a place for VII (Bb major; Bb-D-F) in C minor, namely as the dominant of E-flat major (III), which is the relative major chord in C minor. So in that case, VII would adhere to the natural minor scale and use B-flat (not B-natural) as its root.
Dan |
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Peter Goeden
From:
Aspen Hill, Maryland, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 5:04 pm
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| Someone said they tend to play the harmonic minor ascending and the natural minor descending. Can you make sense of this? |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 5:14 pm
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Hmmm,
they may be referring to the third of the triumvirate of minor scales: the "melodic minor," which would have 5 and 6 "sharp" (in this case natural) on the way up (A-natural and B natural), and "flat" on the way down. This follows the principle that there is a stronger pull from one note to another the smaller the interval between them; thus A and B natural lead more purposefully up to C (only a whole step between them and a half step to C), whereas A-flat and B-flat would require two whole steps. Likewise, the B-flat and A-flat lead down more purposefully to G, the dominant tone in the scale, because of the half step between A-flat and G.
The last point refers to the natural minor scale (going down as you alluded to). The harmonic scale is a little hairy going up because of the augmented second (Ab-B) between scale degrees 5 and 6.
Dan |
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John Steele
From:
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 20 Apr 2007 5:37 pm
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The most common is the dorian scale, which is the second mode of the major diatonic scale.
For example, for a Dm7 chord, you would use the notes from the C major scale.
D E F G A B C D
-John |
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Peter Goeden
From:
Aspen Hill, Maryland, USA
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Posted 21 Apr 2007 5:02 am
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| Thanks All. I have an 8 string lapsteel tuned C6+2 (low to high: ACEGACED)and I want a drill that helps my right hand practice a repetitive three-string picking pattern (e.g. cecg gegc)while my left moves up and down the neck. I've been using the harmonized major scale to do this (I ii iii IV V vi viidim I) and want to know if there is a minor scale I can do the same thing with. |
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