Harmonic and Melodic Minor
Lesson 20 from: Music Theory for Electronic ProducersTomas George
Harmonic and Melodic Minor
Lesson 20 from: Music Theory for Electronic ProducersTomas George
Lesson Info
20. Harmonic and Melodic Minor
Lessons
Introduction
00:58 2Basic Music Theory Terms
08:07 3Keyboard Layout and Octaves
06:19 4Working out Major Scales
08:58 5Perfect 5ths
06:42 63rds - Part 1
08:05 73rds - Part 2
07:39 8Perfect 4ths
04:36Chords and Inversions - Part 1
10:05 10Chords and Inversions - Part 2
09:13 11Chord Progressions - Part 1
10:22 12Chord Progressions - Part 2
08:26 13Inversions
08:53 147th Chords
09:48 15Chord Extensions
08:09 16Suspended Chords
02:40 17The Circle of 5ths
04:30 18Minor Scales
08:09 19Chords in the Natural Minor scale
09:56 20Harmonic and Melodic Minor
09:30 21Write the Chords, then the Melody
09:03 22Write the Melody, then the Chords
18:01 23Arpeggios
08:00 24Writing Bass Parts
11:35 25Writing Bass Riffs and Adapting Melodies
14:10 26Song Analysis - Chords, Part 1
10:17 27Song Analysis - Chords, Part 2
05:58 28Song Analysis - Melody
08:55 29Song Analysis - Arrangement
07:30 30Song 2 Analysis - Arrangement
05:04 31Song 2 Analysis - Chords
08:55 32Song 2 Analysis - Melodies
06:34 33Song 3 Analysis - Chords
11:41 34Song 3 Analysis - Melodies and Arrangement
06:55 35Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 1
10:22 36Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 2
18:47 37Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 3
18:49 38Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 4
08:21 39Create a Song from a Chord Progression - Part 1
08:16 40Create a Song from a Chord Progression - Part 2
08:07 41Create a Song from a Melody - Part 1
07:27 42Create a Song from a Melody - Part 2
09:05 43Modes Intro
04:10 44Ionian
00:43 45Dorian
04:31 46Phrygian
02:09 47Lydian
01:35 48Mixolydian
02:13 49Aeolian
00:39 50Locrian
01:50 51Dorian Mode Example
09:12 52Pentatonic Scales
12:27Lesson Info
Harmonic and Melodic Minor
OK. Now we're going to continue looking at minor scales. So previously, we had a look at the natural minor scale. So it's basically the same as the major scale, but starting on a different note. So for example, C major, the natural minor is a minor. We know this because all we have to do is go up six notes in the scale and the sixth note is our natural minor scale. So let's just write in C major by using tone tone, semitone tone tone tone semi tone, you're probably sick of this. But the best way to learn something is through repetition. So we have tone tone semitone, tone tone tone semitone. So this is C if we go up six notes 123456, we have the A and you can see here, it actually matches up, it just needs a few more notes on the bottom to get rid of the ones here. This is a minus scale. The other way is we can use the pattern for minor scale which is tone semitone tone tone semitone tone tone. So if we just use tone semitone tone tone, semitone tone tone can work it out as well or we ...
can use the major scale and then flatten the third flatten the sixth and flatten the seventh. So if you write out a major, so we have tone tone semitone, tone, tone tone semitone, then all we have to do is flatten. Just means put the third note down one semi toone, put the sixth, one down one semitone and the seventh down one semitone, this makes a minor scale as well. So there's a few different ways we can actually work out a minor scale. And now we're going to have a look at the harmonic minor scale. And the melodic minor scale, melodic minor scale is kind of a hybrid half major, half minor scale. It's a little strange and the harmonic minor skull is basically the same, but all we have to do is raise the seventh note. So let's just type in the harmonic minor scale. So you can see there's kind of a bigger gap here. So this creates a leading note. So when we're on this note here, we really want to go back to here. So it gives us a lot more tension and when it resolves back to the root note or the first note, it just adds more release and adds more tension. So if you want to create something a bit more tense, maybe have a look at the harmonic minor scale. So if we play this again and I pause it on the seventh sounds really unnatural. You wanna go back to the first. So it's just another technique can you, you can use in pop music and EDM music, electronic music, dance music, it's not so common, but still explore it, still work with it. And then we have the melodic minor scale. So we still flatten the third. So the fed of an A major is a C#. So we have this flattened to a see, but then we don't flatten the sixth and the seventh, we sharpen the sixth and the seventh. So it's kind of first half of it is a minor scale and the second half of it is a major scale. It's a little weird, but we can create some interesting sound of this. So let's hear this melodic minor scale. First half, minor, second half major, this will of course change all our chords. So you will have to go through and work out the chords. Now, the best way to do this is to just write the notes in here. So now this is a melodic minor. So we have the first half. So we have the flat and third as a minor and the second half, no flattened third, uh no flattened sixth, no flat and seventh. So the second half is major. It's kind of weird. So we'll have to go through and work out route. 3rd, 5th, right, third, fifth, right fed fifth, right for fifth and so on. So we've got some kind of different chords here. The easiest way to do that's just count 12345. So the first one is 1234 is a minor then a major gap here. So 12345. So the first one is a minor, the second one we can see straight away that this is a minor just by the gap. So 123412345. So the second is a B minor. And then, so it does kind of change the chords quite a bit cos before this would have been a diminished and it's a minor. So it gives us some new chords to work with. So it's something you can experiment with. But I recommend just sticking with the natural minor scale and then going through working out which cause are next, I'm not gonna show you now, if you want to work out the melodic minor scale, I think it's best to go through and work it out yourself because that's the best way to learn really is to go through an experiment and work it out and tweak what you wanna work. But we'll change some of the chords. Like I said, this diminished chord is now a minor chord and this chord here, this looks like a weird one before would have been a major chord. 123451234. Now, it's this big chord sounds a bit weird. This is called the augmented cord. So this is where we get a normal major chord, make it a bit bigger really. So major chord, we have the gap of five and four for the semitones. So root to third is five semitones and then third to fifth is four semitones, but augmented is root to third, five semitones, third to fifth five semitones. So we get some newer cores here so we can get some interesting stuff going on. And this is basically what Ilo at minor scale is. So the harmonic minor, all we have to do is sharp in the seventh and the melodic minor is sharp in the sixth and the seventh. Or we could look at it the other way around. If we're in a major scale, we flatten the third, not the sixth, not the seventh. Or if you wanna look at it from the minor point of view, the minor scale is sharp in the 6th and 7th. So it might sound a bit complex. Let's have a look at this again. So if we're in a major, remember to, to semitone tone to tone semitone. So this is a major, want to turn this into a minor or a natural minor flatten the third flat in the sixth flat in the seventh. But do you want to change this a major into a melodic minor? Just flatten the third? Now, it's melodic minor kind of a hybrid half minor, half major first half, minor, second half major or wanna change this major scale into a harmonic minor. We flatten the third flat in the six and then we still have this semi tonal movement by the root and the seventh which gives a real leading note adds more tension. So it can be good to experiment with. Or if we're in a minor scale, all we have to do sharpen the seventh. It's a few different ways. It is a bit more complex. It's not that commonly used. Just remember, melodic minor, we've still got the flat third. We've got Yeah, sharp and sixth, sharp and seventh. Or if you look at it from a major point of view, all you have to do to create a melodic minor. It's flat in the third to create a harmonic minor. It's flat in the third flat in the sixth. That's basically the difference. But yeah, you probably won't use these very much. So I'm not going into too much detail. Just remember there is a melodic miner and a harmonic miner and you can go through and work out all the chores you can use for each of these, but generally a lot of electronic and pop music, it will be the natural minor but have an experiment with the natural, the harmonic and the melodic minor. And remember they're there. So you can always just create an, a song in a natural mind if you want to change it and stir it up for maybe even just one section. You could try changing that bit into a loving minor or a harmonic minor. But be careful of this. It's quite easy to get confused, but maybe just stick with the natural minor. Yeah, harmonic minor sharp in the seventh, melodic minor, sharp in the sixth and the seventh. So thank you for watching this lecture. I hope you found it useful. I hope you're starting to understand now that there's different types of minor scales, but maybe just start with the natural minor, but there is the melodic and the harmonic, they have different uses. Like I said, the melodics kind of this weird hybrid thing going on if you want it to be major and minor and the harmonics, if you want to create some more tension at the end and have that leading note.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials
Ratings and Reviews
Student Work
Related Classes
Electronic Music Production