Melodic Minor Scales - Brigham Youngemp.byui.edu/WatkinsM/applied/Scales/4 Melodic Minor.pdf ·...
4
Melodic Minor Scales Dr. Mark Watkins, BYU–Idaho The following scales are included for reference only. They are not intended as part of the exercise routine. The same applies to the arpeggios. Work begins with the “Five‐note Patterns.” The Melodic Minor scale gets its name from usage in the construction of melodies: single note, sequential, linear. The scale is contrived from tonal harmony, which attracts to a tonic (the root or 1 st note of the scale). Both the 6 th and 7 th degrees are raised ascending, pulling upward to tonic. When descending they are lowered or returned to their natural minor state falling toward the dominant (5 th scale degree). A Melodic Minor D Melodic Minor E Melodic Minor G Melodic Minor B Melodic Minor C Melodic Minor F‐sharp Melodic Minor F Melodic Minor C‐sharp Melodic Minor B‐flat Melodic Minor G‐sharp Melodic Minor E‐flat Melodic Minor D‐sharp Melodic Minor A‐flat Melodic Minor A‐sharp Melodic Minor
Transcript of Melodic Minor Scales - Brigham Youngemp.byui.edu/WatkinsM/applied/Scales/4 Melodic Minor.pdf ·...
MelodicMinorScalesDr.MarkWatkins,BYU–Idaho
Thefollowingscalesareincludedforreferenceonly.Theyarenotintendedaspartoftheexerciseroutine.Thesameappliestothearpeggios.Workbeginswiththe“Five‐notePatterns.”TheMelodicMinorscalegetsitsnamefromusageintheconstructionofmelodies:singlenote,sequential,linear.Thescaleiscontrivedfromtonalharmony,whichattractstoatonic(therootor1stnoteofthescale).Boththe6thand7thdegreesareraisedascending,pullingupwardtotonic.Whendescendingtheyareloweredorreturnedtotheirnaturalminorstatefallingtowardthedominant(5thscaledegree).AMelodicMinor DMelodicMinor
EMelodicMinor GMelodicMinor
BMelodicMinor CMelodicMinor
F‐sharpMelodicMinor FMelodicMinor
C‐sharpMelodicMinor B‐flatMelodicMinor
G‐sharpMelodicMinor E‐flatMelodicMinor
D‐sharpMelodicMinor A‐flatMelodicMinor
A‐sharpMelodicMinor
PracticeSequenceDothefollowinginaselectedkeythenmovetothenextkey.
1. 5‐notepattern2. 9‐notepattern3. Fullrangescale
5‐NotePatternThedecisionregardingraisedorlowered6thand/or7thscaledegreedependsonthenotethatfollows.Whenascendinguseraisedoption;whendescendinguseloweredoption.Forexample,inCminorifthenotethatfollowsBascendstoC,aB‐naturalshouldbeplayed(Ex.1below).IfthenotethatfollowsBdescendstoanA,aB‐flatshouldbeplayed(Ex.2below).Likewise,iftheAcontinuesdowntoG,anA‐flatisthechoice(Ex.3).CMelodicMinor
Example1:Bascending
Example2:Bdescending
Example3:Adescending
Exercise:Startonthelowestnoteavailableonthesaxophonethatiswithinthekeysignatureandaccordingtothe“rule”oftheMelodicMinor:Cminorkeysignature/MelodicMinorscale=lowestnoteBnotB‐flat.Example:CMelodicMinor.Eachkeyisnotincludedherein.Studentsshouldinternalizetheconceptandplayallscaledegreepatternsandkeysfrommemory
9‐NotePatternFollowthesameconsiderationsasoutlinedabove.Example:EMelodicMinor
Full‐rangeScalesUseadifferentarticulationeachtimeascaleispracticed.Eventually,throughworkonnumerouskeys,allthepatternsbelowshouldbemastered.
PlayrangesasintheMajorFull‐rangeScales.KeysignaturesarethesameasNaturalMinor.Raisethe6thand7thscalesdegreeswhenascending;lowerthe6thand7thdegreesbacktoNaturalMinorpitcheswhendescending.
Topandbottompivotpointsfollowthesameprincipleasoutlinedfor5‐noteand9‐noteexercises.Thechoiceofraisedorlowered6thand/or7thdependsonwhetherornotthefollowingpitchisaboveorbelowthenoteinquestion.Examplesfollow.Example1:AMelodicMinor,6thattop(6thdescending=lowered)
Example2:GMelodicMinor,7thattop(6thascending=raised,7thdescending=lowered,6th
descending=lowered)
Example3:CMelodicMinor,7thatbottom(7thascending=raised)
Example4:DMelodicMinor,6thatbottom(7thdescending=lowered,6thascending=raised,7th
ascending=raised)
