Minor Scale Structure

When working out the minor scale structure, there are two forms, the harmonic minor and the melodic minor.

I will show the structure of the harmonic minor. The first stage is working out the key signature of the minor scale. If we want to know C minor, we must move up the keyboard three semitones from C, this would be to Eb. The key signature of Eb is Bb, Eb, Ab. To work out the key signature, see Key Signatures and Writing Key Signatures posts on this blog. The next stage is to raise the 7th note a semitone. This is B in the scale of C minor. B is Bb on this scale so it would be raised a semitone to B natural.

So the scale of C minor is;

C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, B natural, C

Now I will show the structure of the melodic minor. The first stage is the same as the harmonic minor, we work out the key signature, but then raise the 6th and 7th note of the scale a semitone on the way up and lower the 6th and the 7th on the way down.

So the scale of C melodic minor is:

C, D, Eb, F, G, A natural, B natural, C then back down C, Bb, Ab, G, F, Eb, D, C

In the picture below are examples of melodic minor scales, they have a raised 6th and 7th note on the way up and a lowered 6th and 7th on the way down. The first scale on the left is an example of D melodic minor. The scale underneath is an example of C melodic minor. The top scale on the right is an example of G melodic minor and underneath that scale is an example of F melodic minor.


Photo credit: Internet Archive Book Images via Foter.com / No known copyright restrictions

In the picture below are examples of harmonic minor scales. The top scale is D harmonic minor, then G harmonic minor, then C harmonic minor, F harmonic minor, Bb harmonic minor and Eb harmonic minor. They all have the raised 7th note.


Photo credit: Internet Archive Book Images via Foter.com / No known copyright restrictions

Note:
Each key signature has its own major and minor scale.
C minor and Eb major, D minor and F major, G minor and Bb major and so on.

If you want to work out the minor key signature, count up three semitones from the tonic note for example: C minor will be to Eb, D minor will be to F, E minor will be to G, G minor will be to Bb and so on.

Warburton, Annie O. Basic Music Knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print, p. 40.