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| Minor Scales |
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There are five Minor Scales, three of which define commonly used chord symbols. The way in which they are different is in the treatment of the 6th and 7th degrees, except for the last one. Degrees 1-5 are the same for three of these scales. Which means they are more similar than different. The most used minor scale is the Dorian Mode, which has a natural 6th and a flat 7th. This is the sound that best defines a Minor 7 chord, Minor 6, Minor 9, etc., and is the "default" scale choice for any minor chord that doesn't specify something else. It is the ii-7 in a ii-7 V7 I chord progression, and is also the most used scale when playing in a modal situation. It's important to be on good speaking terms with this mode. Here it is: |
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| If you raise the 7th of a Dorian Mode, you get a Minor Maj 7 Scale, also known as Melodic Minor. This is the scale that defines a Minor Maj7 chord. The natural 7 is a useful color over other minor chords, and is traditiinally used as the tonic in minor key tunes. Trane would often use it in a modal tune (such as Impressions) after first establishing a Dorian sound. The effect is really dramatic. The long and the short of it is: if you hear a natural 7, by all means play it. It goes something like this: | ||
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If you lower the 6th degree of a Dorian scale, you get an Aeolian Mode or Natural Minor Scale. The chord symbol defined by this scale is Minor7 b6, which is rarely seen. This scale is used as the six shord when playing in diatonic major key oriented tunes (A-7 in the key of C). Basically, the flat 6 is a usable option as a color tone, but it is not used as a point of rest or emphasis in the same way that the natural 6 is. Aeolian looks like this: |
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| If the 2nd degree of the Aeolian is lowered, it creates a Phrygian Mode. It is used as the three chord in a diatonic Major key (E- in the key of C) as used in the chord progression E-7 A-7 D-7 G7 CMaj7. Other uses are as the defining scale for the chord symbols C-phryg., DbMaj7/C and Bb-/C. The most common usage is in modal situations and could be thought of as suggestive of Spanish music. The Phrygian scale needs to be heard for a longer period of time to be effective. Trane's compostion Transitions is an excellent example of this scale as the basis for improvisation. | ||
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| For a discussion of Harmonic Minor, see Dominant Scales. | ||
| "Don't take the hair dryer with you in the shower" is an example of a rule that should always be follwed. Any rules mentioned above can be broken as often as you like. It's your solo. | ||
| Ask a question about Minor Scales | ||
