User:Rafikisimba

Bold text THE MELODIC ASCENDING MINOR SCALE

This page can serve to help a novice or as remediaton for the theoretically confused as regards to scale structure. I need to preface the text by statng that any reference to any as yet unexplored and/or confusing scale form should, whenever possible, be introduced as a C scale. I make this recommendation because the key of C major has no sharps nor flats. Therefore any alteration or modulation to another form or another key can more readily be understood ( as opposed to  in any other key ). The user can immediately see what changes are taking place within the key and/or form in question. I prefer to call C the clear key. In terms of the melodic minor scale, students are typically shown how to first establish the Aeolian minor mode ( or scale ) based on the major scale that occurs a minor 3rd above the proposed tonic minor. Then to raise the 6th and 7th degrees of that minor scale a half-step to form the major 6th and leading tone 7th of the melodic minor. Finally, in descending they are told to lower those two tones, reverting to the Aeolian mode. Theoretically this works but is very confusing to the unitiated. I advocate simplicity as much as possible so long as the desired results can be accomplished. The method I suggest be used in the constructon of the melodic ascending minor scale is to simply lower the 3rd degree of the major scale a half-step and proceed from the same tone on which the major scale was constructed. This eliminates the need to raise any tones in ascending. Of course the descending melodic minor reverts to the use of the Aeolian form from its 6th degree ( tonic minor ). MODES IN MELODIC MINOR

Unfortunately the Greek scientist, Pythagorus, in his travels and explorations of the musics of various peoples had no occasion to deal with the modes in minor ( most probably because there was no need to approximate the sounds of musics from which he was probably separated perhaps by oceans as well as centuries. So the minor modes were left up to whichever musicologist(s) or pedagogue(s) had a desire to seek out or name them based on their own knowledge base.     The terms mode and scale are used interchangeably by a wealth of persons (performers, musicologists, students, etc.)The two modes in ascending melodic minor most often referred to are those located on the fourth and the seventh of the scale ( Lydian flat seventh and super Locrian respectively ).       Hopefully I'm not moving too fast. I would have preferred to have illustrated the scales and modes inherent thereto on music manuscript, but not knowing how to upload same, the letter names should suffice for now. Here we go:

C MAJOR SCALE

C D  E F  G  A  B C  ( notice the 3 to 4 [E to F]and 7 to 8 [B to C] are shown more closely together to approximate half-steps . The rest are whole steps.

MODES IN MAJOR

If we understand the modes in major the transference of knowledge to modes in minor or any other newly acquired scale related information shold not be too difficult to fathom. Some people think it necessary too know all intervallic relationships within each mode. I would suggest that if you know where the mode occurs within the scale, the intervallic integrity within the scale dictates the intervallic relationship within the mode. In short, if you know all the modes in C major you know all the modes in any major scale you study. The modes in major are:

I .Ionian     : 1  2  3 4  5  6  7 8  in C: C  D  E F  G  A  B C         II.DORIAN      : 2  3 4  5  6  7 8  2(9)     D  E F  G  A  B C  D        III.PHRYGIAN    : 3 4  5  6  7 8  2  3        E F  G  A  B C  D  E         IV.LYDIAN      : 4  5  6  7 8  2  3 4        F  G  A  B C  D  E F           V.MIXO-LYDIAN : 5  6  7 8  2  3 4  5        G  A  B C  D  E F  G          VI.AEOLIAN     : 6  7 8  2  3 4  5  6        A  B C  D  E F  G  A        VII.LOCRIAN     : 7 8  2  3 4  5  6  7        B C  D  E F  G  A  B

MODES IN MELODIC ASCENDING MINOR

I.            : 1  2 b3  4  5  6  7 8  IN C: C  D Eb  F  G  A  B C          II. : 2 b3 4  5  6  7 8  2        D Eb  F  G  A  B C  D         III. : b3 4  5  6  7 8  2 b3       Eb  F  G  A  B C  D Eb          IV.LYDIAN b7th  : 4  5  6  7 8  2 b3  4        F  G  A  B C  D Eb  F           V.             : 5  6  7 8  2 b3  4  5        G  A  B C  D Eb  F  G          VI. : 6 7 8  2 b3  4  5  6        A  B C  D Eb  F  G  A         VII.SUPER LOCRIAN: 7 8  2 b3  4  5  6  7        B C  D Eb  F  G  A  B