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Topic: minor and major scale (Read 7219 times)

drhosseinzadeh

PS Silver Member
Newbie
Posts: 17

minor and major scale

on: April 06, 2008, 03:02:49 AM

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

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Bob

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 16364

Re: minor and major scale

Reply #1 on: April 06, 2008, 03:10:26 AM

Key center. The note that everything else revolves around.

C Major and a minor have the same key signature, but the central note is different.

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thalberg

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Sr. Member
Posts: 1950

Re: minor and major scale

Reply #2 on: April 06, 2008, 03:17:59 AM

Quote from: drhosseinzadeh on April 06, 2008, 03:02:49 AM

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

Yes, what you have noticed is that the key signature is the same in both C major and a-minor. No sharps or flats. This often confuses people.

And you are asking specifically about how to tell the difference in the middle of a written piece--quite difficult for a beginner because it depends on context.

The difference in the scales lies in the arrangement of the intervals (an interval is the space between notes). Minor sounds sad and dark, major sounds happy and bright. Also, in a-minor, the 6th and 7th scale degrees (F and G) can be either sharp or natural. So if you see an F-sharp or G-sharp that is a good indicator you are in a-minor. Also if you look at the surrounding accompaniment, scales and chords of the same key are often placed together.

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slobone

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 1059

Re: minor and major scale

Reply #3 on: April 06, 2008, 08:24:23 AM

Isn't this the same thread from another forum?

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allthumbs

Sr. Member
Posts: 1632

Re: minor and major scale

Reply #4 on: April 06, 2008, 09:33:31 AM

Greetings

The C major scale and all major scales are based on the same pattern with respect to the distance between each note, that is - tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semi-tone.

Semi-tone = black key to white key or white key to black key with the exception of B to C and E to F.

The C major scale of C D E F G A B C, follows the above pattern and has no sharps or flats.

Minor scales are three semi-tones lower than major scales, thus the relative minor scale of C major is A minor.

There are three types of minor scales.

1. Natural minor - A B C D E F G A - has the same notes as C major ascending and decending.

2. Harmonic minor - raises the 7th note by a semi-tone ascending and descending
- A B C D E F G# A G# F E D C B A

3. Melodic minor - raises both the the 6th and 7th notes ascending and lowers these notes decending - A B C D E F# G# A G F E D C B A.

Cheers

allthumbs

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nia_kurniati

PS Silver Member
Jr. Member
Posts: 60

Re: minor and major scale

Reply #5 on: April 17, 2008, 05:43:22 AM

I just like to add besides above mentioned. In a song, you can see at the end, is it end in C or A. If C then the song in C major and if it end in a then the song in a minor. Mostly the ended like that.

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Topic: minor and major scale (Read 7219 times)

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