minor and major scale

[drazh]

hi
what is the differences between minor and major scale  in a written pieces eg a minor C major ?
thanks

[slobone]

There are three minor scales used for different purposes:

(in key of a)

Natural: a b c d e f g a (same notes as C major -- also known as the something-or-other mode)
Melodic: a b c d e f# g# a
Harmonic: a b c d e f g# a

Was that what you wanted to know?

[rachfan]

In addition to slobone's excellent points, the melodic minor mode is considered an old form of the minor scale, while the harmonic minor mode is a more modern scale.  (In ancient music there were also, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Ionian scales, etc.  And in the early 20th century, Debussy used Pentatonic and Whole Tone scales.) 

Because the harmonic minor mode is more recent than the melodic mode, it is more commonly encountered and is generally more prominent in the Classical and Romantic periods.  In Contemporary music, it seems that anything goes.

[keypeg]

The hallmark difference between major and minor scales is that the distance between the first and fourth note is a major third for the major scale, and it is a minor third for a minor scale.

Example:  C major:   C D E F G A B C
From C to E is a major third.

C minor:  C D Eb F G Ab Bb C (natural minor)
From C to Eb is a minor third.

The minor third gives the minor the "sad" sound, while the major third gives the major scale a "happy" sound.

The chord at the tonic is a major chord for  C major (C E G) because there is a major third in the middle.
The chord at the tonic is a minor chord for C minor (C Eb G) because there is a minor third in the middle.

Slobone, the word you're looking for is Aeolian.  It has too many vowels and I can never spell it without looking it up.   They should rename it the something-or-other-mode or "soom" for short.

[drhosseinzadeh]

hi
I know what is the differnces but I cant diferentiate it in a written piece for example mozart turkish march ,Is it in C major or a minor ?do you know what I mean?
I know it may be a silly question but because i dont have any teacher so i have to ask you
thanks for help

[keypeg]

In case I understand the question:
C minor has the key signature of Eb major.  In other words, C minor has Bb Eb Ab.
C major has not sharps or flats.

If you see Bb Eb Ab you might wonder if this is Eb major of C minor.  If it ends on Eb, then it is probably Eb major because pieces end on the tonic.  If it ends on C, then it is probably C minor.
A minor key will usually have the note below the tonic raised through an accidental.  So if you have C minor, the Bb in the key signature will be raised throughout the piece by a natural sign.  You will see natural signs peppered through the piece, and always on B.

[slobone]

hi
I know what is the differnces but I cant diferentiate it in a written piece for example mozart turkish march ,Is it in C major or a minor ?do you know what I mean?
I know it may be a silly question but because i dont have any teacher so i have to ask you
thanks for help

Not a silly question at all, in fact it's an interesting challenge for people who do a lot of sight-reading. Generally the easiest way to tell is to look at the chords in the piece. In the Turkish Rondo, the first chord (in the left hand) has the notes a-c-e. That's an a minor chord, so it suggests the piece is in a minor. Of course later there's a section in C major, so you see how it can get confusing. And for some later composers like Chopin, there are pieces where you never can decide which key it's in.

[tompilk]

And for some later composers like Chopin, there are pieces where you never can decide which key it's in.

or schoenberg... 

[drazh]

hi slobone
thanks for your helpful response
as i understood the scale is determined
 with first  chords part of note .the first note of the first chord is
the the name of the scale of that piece ,right?
thanks

[dan101]

There are no set rules on finding the key of a piece, although the beginning and end bass notes of a work usually provide an answer. Also, look for a raised 7th peppered throughout most minor written compositions.

[slobone]

hi slobone
thanks for your helpful response
as i understood the scale is determined
 with first  chords part of note .the first note of the first chord is
the the name of the scale of that piece ,right?
thanks

Unfortunately it's not that simple. Even in the Turkish Rondo, the first note you hear is a B, which isn't in the chords for A minor or C major! The first bass note is an A, and that corresponds to the key, but that's not always going to be the case.

If you want to know what key a piece is in, it's not too hard. First look at the key signature, and that will tell you which two keys are possible. If there's one flat in the signature, for example, you know the piece is in either F major or D minor.

So play the notes on the piano: F-A-C for the F major chord and D-F-A for the D minor chord. You should be able to hear the difference (the major chord sounds happy and the minor chord sounds sad, as keypeg pointed out).

One of these two chords will be the basis for the underlying harmony. As you read the music, notice which chord seems to be the best match for the harmonic feeling of the piece. That may sound vague, but it's usually pretty obvious, especially in music of Mozart's period.

But again, there are lots of exceptions. And the rules break down to a great extent in music written later on.