Contributing to the diversity of a minor

So, now you know that the minor scale is related to the major scale in that it uses the same notes but starts instead on the sixth.  And you know, from your playing, that the minor scale is used a great deal.  Although in modern western music the minor scale is considered dark, sad, lamenting, etc. earlier in western civilization the scale was considered happy.  Things change.

The minor scale remains a very useful convention.  But what you might not know is that one of the things that the minor brings is diversity – there are a number of minor scales.  Yikes!  But with a little bit of explanation, you’ll soon understand (and be able to use) the different types of minor scales.  

First, there are different minors!  And there are terms that can be confusing.  But once you get the lay of the land, you’ll be able to participate in those high-falutin’ music conversations with anyone!

There are the relative minor, the natural minor, the parallel minor, the harmonic minor, and the melodic minor.  First off, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.  Sort of like the Future Perfect Continuous Conditional verb tense – it sounds terrifying but you use it all the time (I would have been practicing…).  Like last week, now, we’re just learning the formalized rules.  So, here we go!  We’ll work from C major (again, because with no sharps or flats, it’s easy to see and write). 

Relative minor.  On the harp this is the easy one.  Start at the root of the major scale and walk your way to the sixth of the scale. If you’re lazy (and flexible), you’ll just go down three (in our example, from the C go down to the A) and start the scale from there (of course, you can also go up to the a above and start there).  Because you’re clever, you’ve already figured out that this is the Aeolian scale that we talked about last week.  The intervals in this scale are: W(whole), H (half), W, W, H, W, and W and the notes of the scale are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.  This is also referred to as the Natural minor. 

Parallel minor. This minor scale is “parallel” because it starts on the same note as major scale in consideration.  In our C example, the parallel minor starts on C – so you can already see that something else will have to change – we are going to have to engage some levers.  The intervals in this scale are W, H, W, W, H, W, and W, while the notes of the scale are: C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, and B♭. You’ll see that the key signature has three flats.  Let’s think that one through.  That means that this is the relative minor of E♭! 

Harmonic minor.  This scale is close to, but different from, the relative (or natural) minor.  In this scale you raise the 7^th up ½ step.  The intervals are W, H,W, W, H, W+H, H (you can see the "big jump" going to the raised 7th).  In our example working from the C major scale, the notes become A, B, C, D, E, F, and G#.  This scale allows you develop some delicious harmonies when you use it to build up the chords for the scale. 

Melodic minor.  Ok, there’s no way to dress this one up – it’s a little bit challenging to understand and to remember because going up the scale is different than coming down!  Except when it doesn’t.  It is often expressed that for the melodic minor, on the way up the scale the 6^th and 7^th are raised.  But on the way down, scale goes back to “normal” (with the 6^th and 7^th lowered).  In this case the intervals are W, H, W, W, W, W, and H on the way up and W, W, H, W, W, H, and W on the way down.  For the A minor scale, the notes would be A, B, C, D, E, F#, G# on the way up and on the way down, the scale is A, G, F, E, D, C, and B (you’ll see that it goes back to the natural minor).  Of course, some of the weird comes because sometimes the scale is the same up and down.  You might hear that this is a jazz scale – and it is, but it is also quite present in classical music as well.  In addition, you might find that sometimes this scale is played the same in both directions.  I told you it was a bit challenging.  

Play with these scales.  Really give them a working through so that you can find what you like and what you think you can use.  The diversity in these versions of the minor scale will give you plenty to work with as you work through tunes and as you develop arrangements – you’ll be delighted with the things you find!

In the Mode - Useful theory

Ok, first, let’s be honest – simply saying “Music Theory” in a room may cause you to come out with no friends.  Most people don’t like theory.  They don’t understand theory.  They probably don’t actually know anything about theory, but they have heard the stories…and those stories are terrifying!

But really, theory is just a way to have a common language to talk about music.  Think of it as the “English Class” of music. It’s where all the rules and conventions are held so that you don’t have to find out the rules every time you use them (or abuse them). And, of course, if you’re a rule-breaker, that’s bad.  But if you know the rules and elect to bend them, that’s avant guard!

So, knowing the rules becomes a first step.  You don’t have to learn theory by sweating over a badly written book.  In fact, some of the best theory lessons can come right at your harp.  But you’ll be faster at learning all the rules if you use a mixed approach of reading about it and sitting at your instrument and exploring.

Melody is one of the basic elements of music.  Melodies are built from scales.  So, it can only help to know what the scales are.  This is where some of you will be shuddering – because you know I’m about to talk about…modes (dun-dun-duhhhh).

The modes have a rich (and depending on who you read, varied) history.  Much of this history is interesting.  And it doesn’t seem to have much to do with music today.  But we do still use the names.

Modes are not really that mysterious.  They really are just variations of a scale.  Let’s work in C for this example (everything will be applicable to any scale – but C doesn’t require a lot of #s and bs!).

Think of what we call the C Major Scale.  It consists of: C D E F G A B.  The relationships of the interval are either whole steps (W) or half steps (H).  Therefore this scale is: W W H W W W H and it is called the Ionian mode.

BLAHBLAHBLAH, yeah, we know that.  This is a good time to bring your harp in so you can play along at home.  If you have a piano (or keyboard or piano app) this might be easier to visualize.

So, if you started on the D instead, now the scale is: D E F G A B C and the interval relationships become W H W W W H W.  It’s a totally different sound – and it’s called Dorian.  It sounds sort of “jazzy”.

And if you started on the E, now we’re at E F G A B C D.  The intervals are H W W W H W W and we call it Phrygian.  This scale sounds a little dark.

Starting on the F we get: F G A B C D E and the intervals are W W W H W W H which gives us the Lydian mode which is pretty peppy.

If we begin on G the scale becomes: G A B C D E F and W W H W W H W.  This is the Mixolydian mode – and for those playing Scottish and Irish traditional music, it probably sounds very familiar – it has the flatted 7^th that we’re so used to hearing.

By starting on the 6^th we get: A B C D E F G with intervals W H W W H W W.  This may also sound hauntingly familiar – this is what we usually call “minor” – it is the Aeolian mode. 

The last mode is the Locrian – it begins on the 7^th: B C D E F G A, and the intervals are: H W W H W W W.  This mode is just weird (to us) and you don’t hear many songs in that scale typically because it doesn’t resolve which we don’t really like in western music (of course, other cultures have different scales and many include “unresolving” scales that we might shy away from).

No one scale is “better” than another, although you might prefer the sound of some over others.  And that’s ok – music is a cultural thing so what you’re used to will likely sound better to you than something that is new and different.

Spend some time on your harp playing with these scales – see what you like.  Keep at it and see if what you like changes over time, as you become more familiar with the sounds of the “different” scales.  Once you get used to hearing and thinking about these, you might be more inclined to look for them or to use them.  Later we’ll talk about the chord progressions that might set these different scales off if you use them for a melody.  Keep practicing and the theory will work its way into your brain!

Work

I am spending this week at an engineering conference.  No, it is not as boring as it sounds.  Yes, there are lots of very cool and interesting people there.  The first session I went to was what I think of as a “hero round”.  There were a few speakers who have “made it”.  That is, they are recognized as being at the top of their respective heaps (in fact, that is why they were invited to come).

They gave interesting talks that shared glimpses of challenges they have faced, how they continued to grow, what they liked best and least about working their way up.  It was fairly inspiring.  They were asked questions about glass ceilings, impediments, and pratfalls that might have befallen them.

Interestingly, their answers were similar and focused.

They both talked about the importance of doing the work.

They talked about knowing their stuff.  

About having their fundamentals firmly in hand.

About spending time to get their ducks in a row – whether they thought they had to prove themselves or if they already had command of the room.  

They also talked about the importance of continually learning. 

They talked about sometimes failing - and how much they learned in those instances.

All of those things really resonated – because no matter what you do, it matters.

Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist – it matters.

When you do the work, when you know your stuff – you are more comfortable when it’s your turn to play.  

When you do the work, you get your fundamentals in hand – and the work becomes easier.

When you do the work, continued learning is a joy and adds to your baseline.  And you learn more quickly and possibly more thoroughly.

And really – how much work is it?  We play a beautiful instrument that (at least to the people I talk to) we really enjoy playing.  Even when it’s hard.  Even when we don’t have it quite right.  Even when we think e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e else is better, more experienced, more competent than we are - we still enjoy playing.

So, keep playing.  Enjoy.  Savor learning and growing and experiencing.

Now, GET BACK TO WORK!