Major scales contain seven notes arranged in a pattern of whole and half steps: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.
C NATURAL MINOR SCALE
Natural minor scales follow the key signature of their relative major key and have no additional accidentals.
The relative major key of C minor is E-flat major. Therefore, C minor has three flats: B♭, E♭, and A♭.
TIP: To find the relative major key, count up three half-steps from the root note of the minor key.
C HARMONIC MINOR SCALE
Harmonic minor scales follow the key signature of the relative major key and raise the seventh note of the scale by one half-step.
The relative major key of C minor is E-flat major and the seventh note of C minor is B♭. Therefore, C minor has three flats (B♭, E♭, and A♭) but B♭ is raised to B.
C MELODIC MINOR SCALE
In melodic minor scales, we raise the sixth and seventh notes up one half-step when ascending and lower them back down when descending. Melodic minor scales follow the key signature of the scale’s relative major.
The relative major key of C minor is E-flat major. Therefore, C minor has three flats (B♭, E♭, and A♭) and A♭ and B♭ are the sixth and seventh notes. We raise A♭ and B♭ to A♮ and B♮ when ascending the melodic minor scale, and we lower them back to A♭ and B♭ when descending.
Ascending
Descending
C MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE
A major pentatonic scale is a five-note scale built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.
C MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
A minor pentatonic scale is a five-note scale built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7.
You can also think of the minor pentatonic scale as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.
C MAJOR BLUES SCALE
A major blues scale is built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, ♭3, 3, 5, 6.
C MINOR BLUES SCALE
A minor blues scale is built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, ♭5, 5, 7
You can also think of it as being built on the following major scale degrees: 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7
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