Chords for Minor Scales Explained in 8 Minutes

_ Edna, chill out.
Hey [E] everyone, it's Peggy at [Abm] LANDR and in this video I'm going to explain to you [Eb] minor
scales and how to best use them in your [Abm] music.
Let's get started.
_ [Dbm] _ _
_ _ [Abm] The minor scale is an organization [Eb] of notes that brings gripping [Ebm] emotion to music.
[Abm] Use the notes of the minor scale to create longing melodies and emotive harmonies.
Before we get started with minor scales, let's review the major scale formula.
Every minor scale has a relative major key that shares the same [Eb] key signature.
If we build a [C] major scale starting on C, _ we'll have a whole [D] step to D, whole step [E] to E, half
step to F, [F] whole step to [G] G, _ whole step to [A] A, _ whole [B] step to B, and half step back [C] to C.
_ _ If you're still unsure about how to build a major scale, check out this video.
As I mentioned before, the natural minor scale exists naturally in the major scale.
To determine the relative minor of any major scale, count back three half steps.
If we use C as an example, and I count back three [B] half steps, [Bb] _ _ [A] _ _
I'll land on A.
Follow the major scale notes to find the minor scale.
You'll find that the formula goes like this. _
_ Whole step to [B] B, _ _ half step to C, [C] _ whole step to [D] D, _ whole step to E, [E] _ half step to [F] F, _ whole
step to [Gm] G, and whole step back to A.
[D] _ _ _ You can use this formula starting on any note to play the minor scale in a different key.
_ _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ [F] _
_ [G] _ _ [A] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _
[C] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [C] Along with the natural minor scale, there are two other types of minor scales, the harmonic
minor and the melodic minor.
Let's explore them now.
In the major scale, the half step from the seventh degree of the scale to the tonic creates
a sense of destination and longing.
Let's listen to how that sounds in C major. _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [E] _ [F] _
_ [G] _ _ [A] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ [C] _ _ _ To achieve that same effect with the minor scale, we need to use what's called harmonic minor.
[A] In harmonic minor, we raise the seventh degree of the scale to create a half step and that
sense of destination.
_ Let's listen to how it sounds in A harmonic minor.
_ _ _ _ [B] _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _
_ _ Generally, we use the harmonic minor scale to achieve the major fifth chord leading back
to the one chord in harmony.
Similar to the harmonic minor scale, we have the melodic minor scale.
You'll notice that in the harmonic minor scale, there's a really big gap [D] between the sixth
[A] and seventh degrees of the scale.
So for melodic minor, we fix that gap by raising the sixth degree of the scale as well.
Let's listen to how that sounds in A minor.
_ _ [B] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
[E] _ _ [Gb] _ _ [Dbm] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ [B] By raising the sixth degree of the minor scale, it makes it a lot easier to sing.
You'll find that the melodic minor is used a lot in jazz music and it's a more hopeful
sounding minor scale.
Now that we know all three types of minor scales, let's review them starting from a different note.
If we use D and we apply the natural minor formula, we'll get [D] _ _ whole step [E] to E, _ _ half step
[F] to F, _ whole step to G, [G] _ whole step [A] to A, _ half [Bb] step to B flat, whole step to [C] C, and whole
step [D] back to D.
_ _ _ _ _ [E] If we start from the natural minor and we apply the other two types of minor scales,
you'll notice that we're only raising either the sixth and seventh or just the seventh.
In the case [D] of the harmonic minor, we're raising just the seventh and it sounds like this. _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [G] _ _
[A] _ _ [Bb] _ _ Here we have the raised [Db] seventh.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
In melodic minor, we raise both the sixth and seventh degrees of the scale and this
is what it sounds like. _ _
_ [E] _ _ [F] _ _ _ [G] _ [A] _
_ [B] _ Here's the raised sixth [Db] _
and the raised seventh.
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _
[N] Now that you've learned all three types of minor scales, listen for them in your favorite [B] songs.
Here are some of the examples I like best.
TLC's No Scrubs is built around the natural minor scale.
It uses A flat minor and it sounds like this.
_ _ _ _ _ _ [B] _ _
[Db] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Abm] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ You'll see that the A flat minor scale is outlined by the melody.
[Ab] _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ [Db] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _
_ _ Using the [Eb] natural minor scale in No Scrubs gives it a moody vibe and really, really great attitude.
Billie Eilish's Bury a Friend is built on the G minor harmonic scale and it sounds like this.
_ _ [C] _ _
[A] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Gbm] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _
[Bb] _ You'll see that in the melody, _ [A] _ _
[Gb] _ _ _ [G] the seventh of the scale is raised, which makes it the
harmonic minor scale.
[A] _ [Bb] _
_ _ _ [Ebm] _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ Raising the seventh in this melody creates a sense of longing [E] and destination, bringing
the ear back to the tonic of G.
_ Greensleeves is a great example of melodic minor used in a song.
_ I don't remember the words to Greensleeves, but if you do, you can comment them below.
Here's what the melody sounds like.
_ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ [Gb] _ _ _ [Gbm] _ _ [D] _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Db] At the end of the melody, you'll hear that raised sixth and seventh.
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _
This song is written over E melodic minor.
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ [Db] _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ [Eb] The use of melodic minor makes this song singable and it also gives it a hopeful vibe because
melodic minor retains so many of the qualities of the major scale.
Now that you know all three different types of minor [D] scales, try using one of them and
creating your own interesting melodies.
_ _ _ _ [E] I wish [B] I could leave my [Gb] parents' [D] basement, but I _ can't. _ _ _ _
_ [Dbm] Well, everyone, that's it for minor [Abm] scales.
I hope this video [Eb] helped you and that now you're more able to [Abm] use minor scales to help
you explore different [E] sounds in [Abm] your music.
Let me know in the comments [Eb] below if you have any questions.
[Ebm] And don't forget to like and subscribe for [Abm] more videos like this one from Lander.
[Ab] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ _ Oh my god. _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _