Theory Made Easy 12

Minor Key Structures - continued

[ 3 ] A Minor - D Major - E Major

This is the least used of the minor key structures. Its main point of interest is the scale that derives from it.

If you analyze the notes that make up these three chords you will find a scale of A Melodic Minor

A - B - C - D - E - F# - G# :- ( this does not relate to any Major scale or key structure )

In classical music theory you can find the Melodic Minor ascending and the Melodic Minor descending as two slightly different scales.

In forty years of playing I have never had occasion to use this information ( I'm not a classical player )

I do sometimes however switch between the Melodic Minor scale and the Natural Minor scale or Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor ( see next lesson ) which may amount to more or less the same thing.

The chords that go with this Structure are ;

A minor - B minor - C augmented - D Major - E Major - F# minor b5 - G# augmented

Exercise

Learn the Melodic Minor scale.