The minor scale on the baritone ukulele in the key of E
The Natural Minor scale, also known as the Aeolian mode, has a darker, more somber tone compared to its major counterpart. This scale is often used to convey emotions such as sadness, melancholy, and introspection. It's a favorite in genres like classical, metal, and blues, where a more emotional and dramatic effect is desired.
Musicians and composers use the Natural Minor scale to add depth and complexity to their music. It's particularly effective in creating haunting melodies and rich, textured harmonies. This scale is also a key component in many traditional and folk music styles, lending an authentic and timeless quality to the compositions.
In addition to its melodic uses, the Natural Minor scale is crucial for constructing minor chords and chord progressions. These chords provide a contrasting sound to major chords, allowing for more dynamic and emotionally varied musical pieces. Whether you're crafting a poignant ballad or an intense soundtrack, the Natural Minor scale offers a wealth of expressive possibilities.
Switch between chromatic/diatonic/notes below to see/learn the relations between them. For convenience, the root note (E) is highlighted in red.
The minor scale explained for baritone ukulele players
Once you learned about Intervals you are ready to learn the scales. Scales are a selection of the 12 notes from the "chromatic" scale (which is just a fancy name for all the 12 notes). Scales are constructed with stepped intervals.
The relative steps of the minor scale are: w-h-w-w-h-w-w (w=whole step, h=half step).
Let's explore how that exactly works:
minor scale in chromatic intervals
To explain the the minor scale best, take a look at the piano. Especially to the highlighted notes. Those are the notes in the minor scale. Here is how it looks on piano:
Notice the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
minor scale in diatonic intervals
If we would re-number the red highlighted notes from previous section, we get the minor scale , which looks like this on piano:
Notice again the numbers of the highlighted notes.
Schematically they look like this scheme below:
Musical step names
The steps (also known as conjunct motion) of a diatonic scale are known by these names:- 1st – Tonic (key or root note)
- 2nd – Supertonic
- 3rd – Mediant
- 4th – Subdominant
- 5th – Dominant
- 6th – Submediant
- 7th – Leading tone
- 8th – Tonic (Octave)
What is the scale degree of minor scale?
The scale degree tells how the scale is transformed.
The relative steps of the minor scale are: w-h-w-w-h-w-w
The diatonic intervals 3♭6♭7♭ are flat, hence the ♭ sign. Flat means to go down a half step. On piano that's one key down, on a baritone ukulele that's one fret down.
If you scroll back to the piano above, you'll notice the black keys correspond to this.
What does diatonic mean?
The term "diatonic" refers to a scale that uses a mix of whole steps and half steps. When we say "diatonic," we mean notes that belong to the scale. For example, if you're playing in the key of E major and using E major notes, those notes are diatonic.
In the piano example above, you saw that only the notes from the scale are used. This means they only include notes "of the scale." Knowing about diatonic notes is important for understanding music theory and making melodies that sound good.
Using diatonic notes helps musicians keep their music in key, making it sound smooth and pleasant. Understanding diatonic notes will improve your musical skills and creativity.
| Scale name | Interval | Degree | Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major scale | 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-w-h-w-w-w-h |
| Minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7 | w-h-w-w-h-w-w |
| Melodic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | w-h-w-w-w-w-h |
| Harmonic minor scale | 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12 | 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7 | w-h-w-w-h-wh-h |
| Minor blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Major blues scale | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 | 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6 | wh-w-h-h-wh-w |
| Minor pentatonic scale | 1, 4, 6, 8, 11 | 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 | wh-w-w-wh-w |
| Major pentatonic scale | 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | w-w-wh-w-wh |
| Overview of more scales | |||
- Musical Scale Degree
- ♭=half step down, ♯=half step up, ♯♯=whole step up
- Musical Steps
- w=whole step, h=half step, wh=whole and half step
As you might notice, the scales have 7 notes, except for the blues and pentatonic scales.