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The minor scale
Let's have a look at that other scale, the minor scale, where the distance between the tones is different.
For this we will look at the scale of A minor. Just as the scale of C major, this scale is easy to remember because it does not have any flats or sharps. This is the scale:
Just as with all scales, you can repeat the scale (you repeat it "after the octave"):
The distances between the different tones in the minor scale are:
So that is:"whole half whole whole half whole whole"
There is a whole tone between A and B.
There is a semitone between B and C.
There is a whole between C and D.
There is a whole tone between D and E.
There is a semitone between E and F.
There is a whole tone between F and G.
There is a whole between G and A.
When played on a single string on the guitar, the distance between these tones can be seen clearly:
On the piano it looks like this:
This is the A minor scale, because it start on the tone A. It is the A minor scale because of the specific ditsances between the successive tones.
Here again, the ratio between the first tone (tonic/ground tone) (the A) and the third tone (the C), is
especially important. We saw earlier that the third tone is called the “third”.
In this scale, the distance between A and C is one and a semitone. That is a small distance, which is why
we call it a minor third. One and a semitone = minor third.
A minor scale subjectively creates a “melancholic”, “sad”, “gloomy” atmosphere. The minor scale is also called
“Minor Third Scale”.
A minor on the guitar
This is how you can play the A minor scale on the guitar:
