Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Minor Scale |
Minor ScaleNoun1. A diatonic scale with notes separated by whole tones except for the 2nd and 3rd and 5th and 6th. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Synonym: Minor ScaleSynonym: minor diatonic scale (n). (additional references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A minor scale in musical theory can be viewed as the sixth mode of the major scale.
Minor scales are sometimes said to have a more interesting, possibly sadder sound than plain major scales.
Like major scales, minors are named after their tonic (first) note. However unlike majors, minor scales do not have their own set of key signatures. Instead it is necessary to use the key signature of a minor's relative major scale. The relative major is found by raising the minor tonic note by 3 semitones(an interval of a minor third); for example the relative major of E minor is G major. We know that the key signature of G major has one sharp (see major scales for how to find this,) therefore E minor also has one sharp in its key signature.
This table illustrates the relative major key signatures for minor scales.
Scales produced from just the key signature of the relative major are sometimes called natural minors. The simplest natural minor scale is A natural minor:
The ascending melodic minor scale is constructed by sharpening the 6th and 7th scale degrees of the minor scale (or, equivalently, flatting the third degree of the major scale). This variation is used primarily for ascending lines, since it has strong motion towards the tonic.
For example, in the key of A minor, the ascending melodic minor scale is:
Harmonic minors are constructed by sharpening the 7th degree of the minor scale.
For example, in the key of A minor, the harmonic minor scale is:
Constructing and recognising minor scales
Finding key signatures
Key Sig. Major Scale Minor Scale
0# - C major - A minor
1# - G major - E minor
2# - D major - B minor
3# - A major - F# minor
4# - E major - C# minor
5# - B major - G# minor
6#/6b - F#/Gb major - D#/Eb minor
5b - Db major - Bb minor
4b - Ab major - F minor
3b - Eb major - C minor
2b - Bb major - G minor
1b - F major - D minor
Types of minor scales
Descending melodic minor scales
A B C D E F G A'
This variant is sometimes referred to as the descending melodic minor scale as it is often used in descent from the tonic. Ascending melodic minor scales
A B C D E F# G# A'
Harmonic minor scales
A B C D E F G# A'
This scale is used in constructing harmony as it contains the major dominant chord and the minor subdominant chord.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Minor scale."
Crosswords: Minor Scale |
| English words defined with "minor scale": Diatonic scale, Dorian mode ♦ La, lah ♦ submediant ♦ tonic. (references) |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
minor scale | 46 |
harmonic minor scale | 14 |
major minor scale | 14 |
melodic minor scale | 11 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "minor scale"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||
Hungarian | melodikus moll (melodic minor scale), hangsor (melodic minor scale, scale), dallamos moll skála (melodic minor scale), dallamos moll hangsor (melodic minor scale). (various references) | ||||
Japanese Kanji | 短音階 . (various references) | ||||
Japanese Katakana | た"お"かい. (various references) | ||||
Pig Latin | inormay alescay | ||||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: normalcies. | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-e-i-l-m-n-o-r-s" | |
-1 letter: acroleins, almonries, amelcorns, censorial, cornmeals, normalise. | |
-2 letters: acrolein, ailerons, alienors, almoners, alnicoes, amelcorn, calories, camisole, carioles, carlines, carmines, claimers, clarions, colinear, cornmeal, cremains, incloser, incomers, laconism, laminose, lanciers, licensor, limacons, marlines, melanics, meniscal, minerals, minorcas, miracles, misenrol, mislearn, moraines, moralise, reclaims, romaines, romances, romanise, scenario, scleroma, semolina, sermonic. | |
-3 letters: acinose, aileron, alienor, aliners. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-e-i-l-m-n-o-r-s" | |
+1 letter: ceremonials, chloramines, complainers. | |
+2 letters: infomercials, lamellicorns, reclamations. | |
+3 letters: ceremonialism, ceremonialist, ceruloplasmin, compressional, comradeliness, counterclaims, microanalyses, microbalances, nonnumericals, semiporcelain. | |
+4 letters: ceremonialisms, ceremonialists, ceruloplasmins, cholestyramine, cliometricians, laryngectomies, microfilaments, miraculousness, miscorrelation, neurochemicals, noncommercials, nonsymmetrical, recompilations, semiporcelains, triamcinolones, vermiculations. | |
+5 letters: adrenalectomies, chlorpromazines, cholestyramines, commercialising, commiseratingly, complementaries, comradelinesses, conglomerations, electrodynamics, incommensurable, incommensurably, macroevolutions, microtonalities, miscorrelations, monocrystalline, organometallics, overcompliances, uncompromisable. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Expressions: Internet | 5. Translations: Modern 6. Anagrams 7. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
