The major scale
Pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H): W W H W W W H. In C major: C D E F G A B C. The half steps fall between the 3rd and 4th degrees (E–F) and between the 7th and 8th (B–C): the B is the leading tone, the note that pulls toward the tonic.
Names of the degrees: I tonic, II supertonic, III mediant, IV subdominant, V dominant, VI submediant, VII leading tone (it is called subtonic when it lies a whole step from the tonic, like G in natural A minor).
The three minors
- Natural (Aeolian): W H W W H W W. A minor: A B C D E F G. It is the relative of C major (same notes, different tonic). Typical chords: Am Dm Em F G.
- Harmonic: raises the 7th degree. A B C D E F G#. It arises to get a major dominant (E = E G# B) and the leading tone G# → A. An augmented second forms between F and G#, an “Eastern” sound widely used in dark pop and metal.
- Melodic: raises the 6th and 7th ascending: A B C D E F# G#. In classical practice it descends as natural; in jazz it is used the same in both directions and generates chords such as D7 (IV7) and Am(maj7).
Relative and parallel
- Relative: same accidentals, different tonic (C major ↔ A minor).
- Parallel: same tonic, different mode (C major ↔ C minor: C D Eb F G Ab Bb). The parallel key is the reservoir of modal interchange.
How you use them
- Minor pop/trap loop in A minor: Am F C G (i VI III VII), all from the natural minor.
- For a strong cadence in minor: Dm E7 Am (iv V7 i), with the G# of the harmonic minor.
- For melodies that rise toward the tonic in minor: the F# and G# of the melodic minor avoid the augmented second.
Real example
“Hit the Road Jack” (Ray Charles, 1961) rests on a descent i–VII–VI–V: in A minor it would be Am G F E. The first three chords come from the natural minor, the last (E major) from the harmonic minor: two forms of the scale in the same loop.