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Chords in the Minor Scale

Lesson 18 from: Music Theory Essentials: Chords, Scales and Modes

Tomas George

Chords in the Minor Scale

Lesson 18 from: Music Theory Essentials: Chords, Scales and Modes

Tomas George

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Lesson Info

18. Chords in the Minor Scale

<b>In this lesson, you will learn what chords to write in the natural minor scale.</b>

Lesson Info

Chords in the Minor Scale

OK. Before we move on to the harmonic minor scale, let's have a look at writing out the chords for a natural minor scale. So this is the pattern if you want to remember it and we're also going to work it out. So the pattern goes minor diminished major, minor, minor major major. So remember the lowercase M is minor, the capital M is major and the circle is diminished. It's actually the same as working at the diatonic core progression in the major scale. In a different order. The major scale starts in this third here. Major minor minor, major, major, minor diminished major, but we're just going back free and starting on this minor. So it goes minor diminished, major, minor, minor major major. So you don't have to remember this, but it can be quite useful. So let's work this out. First of all, I've written out the key of C minor. So the first one is a minor. So remember this pattern as well, major equals five and four minor equals four and five and diminished equals four and four augmente...

d as well, which we look at in the harmonic minor. This will equal five and five. OK. So let's work this out. First of all, let's count top three and then count top five to find the triad. So C let's count top 3123. We have this E flat here and then for five, we have this J let's work this out. So we have, so we can either count up and find the triads or we can use this pattern of minor diminished major, minor, minor major major. But for this first one, let's just work it out. So we have the root which is ac, the E flat and a G. So if we count up from C to E flat, 1234, including the first and last note, this is four. And then we count up again from E flat to G 12345. So we have four and five looking at this four and five will mean minor. So the first one is a minor. So let's just work this out. And then we check it with this pattern just to double check. But this is the pattern to work out the chords of the natural minor scale. The second one is this D, so if we count up 3123, we have an F and then for five, we have this a flat. OK. So let's start on D and let's count up to F 1234. And let's count up to, from F to a flat. 1234. So we have form four. This is quite an unusual sounding cord and that's because it's a diminished. And let's check with the passing up here. Yep, that's a diminished. Next one, we have a E flat. Remember the flats from over here this E flat and let's add on the third. So we have 123, which is this G and then 45 is this B flat. So let's have a look at E flat in here. So let's count up to G 12345. Let's count up to B flat. 1234. So this is five and four, which is a major. So the third one is a major. OK. The fourth one. So let's count up three. There's F so 123, we have an A flat and then 45, we have ac, so fa flat and C let's find the F count up to a flat. 1234, a flat to C 12345. So we have four and five and form five means a minor. So here we go, we have a minor. So it's matching up and the next one which is a G. So let's add on the 3rd 12 and three. We have this B flat and let's add on four and five which is ad here. So we have GB flat and D so G let's count up to B flat 1234. So we have four. Let's count up again to ad 12345. So we have four and five which is another minor which matches up here as well. And then we have an, a flat. So let's count up to the 3rd 123. This will give us ac and then up to five. So we have 345. I'm counting that again because it's the same note, just a different octave. So up to five, which is a E flats. OK. So from a flat to C, 12345 and then from C to E flat 1234. So we have five and four which is a major. And if we look here, we have the capital M which is a major and the last one is B flat. So let's just count up to 3123. We have ad and let's count up again. So we have 345. We have this F OK. So we have a B flat ad and a F and that's count up from B flat to D 12345. So we have 12345 and count up from D to F 1234. So this is a major again. And if you look on the pattern here, it adds up again to a major and the last one repeats again, back to this minor. So we have ac minor at the end. So it's AC and E flat and a G. Let's just hear this back. So there we go. These are the cores we can use in a natural minor scale. So you can go through and work it out, you can work out the scale and then work out the third and the fifth or you can remember this pattern. Minor diminished major, minor, minor, major major. So that's how we can work out the chords in a natural minor scale. So thank you for watching this lecture and I'll see you in the next one. We look at the harmonic minor scale.

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