How do you think of the natural minor scale (or any non-major scale), when you play it?

How do you think of the natural minor scale (or any non-major scale), when you play it?

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I would be grateful to know how other beginner musicians think of the natural scale.

For example, do you think:

I need to play in A minor - the relative major is C. I shall therefore play in C major, but emphasis the A note or

I will play in A major, but flatten the third, sixth and seventh.

I have been playing guitar for quite a while, but on and off, so have would not really consider myself any good.

I grew up listening to heavy rock/metal and virtually everything I learnt to play was in the natural minor.

I then started messing around with improvising and learnt the minor pentatonic all over the neck in A.

I have now decided to properly start playing again and have realised what a fool I have been.

Had I learnt the major scales all over the neck, I would be able to easily construct any scale/chord from them.

Furthermore, I need to make sure that I practice other keys too.

Anyway, further to my original question, I am interested to know how others construct the natural minor scale, in their mind.

I assume that after years and years of practice, you would instinctively just know every scale in every key but I am so far from that point that I need some mental guidance for the process.

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

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Personally I think it's best to play the various minor scales until the whole/half progressions are locked into your memory. I knew some semipro musicians who could sing a scale in any mode (Dorian, Mixolydian, etc), which is a pretty cool trick.
â€“Â Carl Witthoft
1 hour ago

add a commentÂ |Â

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

I would be grateful to know how other beginner musicians think of the natural scale.

For example, do you think:

I need to play in A minor - the relative major is C. I shall therefore play in C major, but emphasis the A note or

I will play in A major, but flatten the third, sixth and seventh.

I have been playing guitar for quite a while, but on and off, so have would not really consider myself any good.

I grew up listening to heavy rock/metal and virtually everything I learnt to play was in the natural minor.

I then started messing around with improvising and learnt the minor pentatonic all over the neck in A.

I have now decided to properly start playing again and have realised what a fool I have been.

Had I learnt the major scales all over the neck, I would be able to easily construct any scale/chord from them.

Furthermore, I need to make sure that I practice other keys too.

Anyway, further to my original question, I am interested to know how others construct the natural minor scale, in their mind.

I assume that after years and years of practice, you would instinctively just know every scale in every key but I am so far from that point that I need some mental guidance for the process.

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

New contributor

Personally I think it's best to play the various minor scales until the whole/half progressions are locked into your memory. I knew some semipro musicians who could sing a scale in any mode (Dorian, Mixolydian, etc), which is a pretty cool trick.
â€“Â Carl Witthoft
1 hour ago

add a commentÂ |Â

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

I would be grateful to know how other beginner musicians think of the natural scale.

For example, do you think:

I need to play in A minor - the relative major is C. I shall therefore play in C major, but emphasis the A note or

I will play in A major, but flatten the third, sixth and seventh.

I have been playing guitar for quite a while, but on and off, so have would not really consider myself any good.

I grew up listening to heavy rock/metal and virtually everything I learnt to play was in the natural minor.

I then started messing around with improvising and learnt the minor pentatonic all over the neck in A.

I have now decided to properly start playing again and have realised what a fool I have been.

Had I learnt the major scales all over the neck, I would be able to easily construct any scale/chord from them.

Furthermore, I need to make sure that I practice other keys too.

Anyway, further to my original question, I am interested to know how others construct the natural minor scale, in their mind.

I assume that after years and years of practice, you would instinctively just know every scale in every key but I am so far from that point that I need some mental guidance for the process.

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

New contributor

I would be grateful to know how other beginner musicians think of the natural scale.

For example, do you think:

I need to play in A minor - the relative major is C. I shall therefore play in C major, but emphasis the A note or

I will play in A major, but flatten the third, sixth and seventh.

I have been playing guitar for quite a while, but on and off, so have would not really consider myself any good.

I grew up listening to heavy rock/metal and virtually everything I learnt to play was in the natural minor.

I then started messing around with improvising and learnt the minor pentatonic all over the neck in A.

I have now decided to properly start playing again and have realised what a fool I have been.

Had I learnt the major scales all over the neck, I would be able to easily construct any scale/chord from them.

Furthermore, I need to make sure that I practice other keys too.

Anyway, further to my original question, I am interested to know how others construct the natural minor scale, in their mind.

I assume that after years and years of practice, you would instinctively just know every scale in every key but I am so far from that point that I need some mental guidance for the process.

scales key modes

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

New contributor

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

New contributor

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

New contributor

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

asked 3 hours ago

elsmandino

62

62

New contributor

New contributor

elsmandino is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

Personally I think it's best to play the various minor scales until the whole/half progressions are locked into your memory. I knew some semipro musicians who could sing a scale in any mode (Dorian, Mixolydian, etc), which is a pretty cool trick.
â€“Â Carl Witthoft
1 hour ago

add a commentÂ |Â

Personally I think it's best to play the various minor scales until the whole/half progressions are locked into your memory. I knew some semipro musicians who could sing a scale in any mode (Dorian, Mixolydian, etc), which is a pretty cool trick.
â€“Â Carl Witthoft
1 hour ago

Personally I think it's best to play the various minor scales until the whole/half progressions are locked into your memory. I knew some semipro musicians who could sing a scale in any mode (Dorian, Mixolydian, etc), which is a pretty cool trick.
â€“Â Carl Witthoft
1 hour ago

Personally I think it's best to play the various minor scales until the whole/half progressions are locked into your memory. I knew some semipro musicians who could sing a scale in any mode (Dorian, Mixolydian, etc), which is a pretty cool trick.
â€“Â Carl Witthoft
1 hour ago

add a commentÂ |Â

2 Answers
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up vote
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So, you've learned the min. pent. there are only two more notes to add to make the natural minor, which you probably play anyway, with the stuff you already play. Taking part of your question - knowing natural minor, you already know its relative major. know Am? You know C maj!

Players use either method to learn scales (and modes). personally, I take the datum point as the major, so relative minor is the same set of notes, so is Dorian, so is Mixolydian, etc. As in, C major = A nat. min = D Dorian = F Lydian, etc.

Others will see it differently: C Mixolydian is C major with a b7; C Lydian is C major with #4, etc.

The point on guitar is that once you have a particular sort of scale sorted, it merely moves up and down the fretboard to become the same sort, but in different keys. So in reality it's not so bad learning scales, as all you need is the pattern and the start point.

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

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up vote
1
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I don't know about beginner musicians, but I'd suggest internalising the sound of the minor scales just as well as the major. That way, you don't have to think of altering some kind of major scale, and also later when one gets into modes, it'll be really helpful to think of phrygian as minor Ã¢Â™Â2 rather than major Ã¢Â™Â2 Ã¢Â™Â3 Ã¢Â™Â6 Ã¢Â™Â7. Also understanding harmonic minor and melodic minor pretty much requires this basic ability to conceptuallise the minor mode without calling on the major scale first.

It'll be more difficult, but I suggest beginner musicians try to think of the natural minor scale as its own entity rather than a derivative of major.

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

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2 Answers
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So, you've learned the min. pent. there are only two more notes to add to make the natural minor, which you probably play anyway, with the stuff you already play. Taking part of your question - knowing natural minor, you already know its relative major. know Am? You know C maj!

Players use either method to learn scales (and modes). personally, I take the datum point as the major, so relative minor is the same set of notes, so is Dorian, so is Mixolydian, etc. As in, C major = A nat. min = D Dorian = F Lydian, etc.

Others will see it differently: C Mixolydian is C major with a b7; C Lydian is C major with #4, etc.

The point on guitar is that once you have a particular sort of scale sorted, it merely moves up and down the fretboard to become the same sort, but in different keys. So in reality it's not so bad learning scales, as all you need is the pattern and the start point.

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

add a commentÂ |Â

up vote
1
down vote

So, you've learned the min. pent. there are only two more notes to add to make the natural minor, which you probably play anyway, with the stuff you already play. Taking part of your question - knowing natural minor, you already know its relative major. know Am? You know C maj!

Players use either method to learn scales (and modes). personally, I take the datum point as the major, so relative minor is the same set of notes, so is Dorian, so is Mixolydian, etc. As in, C major = A nat. min = D Dorian = F Lydian, etc.

Others will see it differently: C Mixolydian is C major with a b7; C Lydian is C major with #4, etc.

The point on guitar is that once you have a particular sort of scale sorted, it merely moves up and down the fretboard to become the same sort, but in different keys. So in reality it's not so bad learning scales, as all you need is the pattern and the start point.

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

add a commentÂ |Â

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

So, you've learned the min. pent. there are only two more notes to add to make the natural minor, which you probably play anyway, with the stuff you already play. Taking part of your question - knowing natural minor, you already know its relative major. know Am? You know C maj!

Players use either method to learn scales (and modes). personally, I take the datum point as the major, so relative minor is the same set of notes, so is Dorian, so is Mixolydian, etc. As in, C major = A nat. min = D Dorian = F Lydian, etc.

Others will see it differently: C Mixolydian is C major with a b7; C Lydian is C major with #4, etc.

The point on guitar is that once you have a particular sort of scale sorted, it merely moves up and down the fretboard to become the same sort, but in different keys. So in reality it's not so bad learning scales, as all you need is the pattern and the start point.

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

So, you've learned the min. pent. there are only two more notes to add to make the natural minor, which you probably play anyway, with the stuff you already play. Taking part of your question - knowing natural minor, you already know its relative major. know Am? You know C maj!

Players use either method to learn scales (and modes). personally, I take the datum point as the major, so relative minor is the same set of notes, so is Dorian, so is Mixolydian, etc. As in, C major = A nat. min = D Dorian = F Lydian, etc.

Others will see it differently: C Mixolydian is C major with a b7; C Lydian is C major with #4, etc.

The point on guitar is that once you have a particular sort of scale sorted, it merely moves up and down the fretboard to become the same sort, but in different keys. So in reality it's not so bad learning scales, as all you need is the pattern and the start point.

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

answered 55 mins ago

Tim

89.6k1091227

89.6k1091227

add a commentÂ |Â

add a commentÂ |Â

up vote
1
down vote

I don't know about beginner musicians, but I'd suggest internalising the sound of the minor scales just as well as the major. That way, you don't have to think of altering some kind of major scale, and also later when one gets into modes, it'll be really helpful to think of phrygian as minor Ã¢Â™Â2 rather than major Ã¢Â™Â2 Ã¢Â™Â3 Ã¢Â™Â6 Ã¢Â™Â7. Also understanding harmonic minor and melodic minor pretty much requires this basic ability to conceptuallise the minor mode without calling on the major scale first.

It'll be more difficult, but I suggest beginner musicians try to think of the natural minor scale as its own entity rather than a derivative of major.

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

add a commentÂ |Â

up vote
1
down vote

I don't know about beginner musicians, but I'd suggest internalising the sound of the minor scales just as well as the major. That way, you don't have to think of altering some kind of major scale, and also later when one gets into modes, it'll be really helpful to think of phrygian as minor Ã¢Â™Â2 rather than major Ã¢Â™Â2 Ã¢Â™Â3 Ã¢Â™Â6 Ã¢Â™Â7. Also understanding harmonic minor and melodic minor pretty much requires this basic ability to conceptuallise the minor mode without calling on the major scale first.

It'll be more difficult, but I suggest beginner musicians try to think of the natural minor scale as its own entity rather than a derivative of major.

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

add a commentÂ |Â

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

I don't know about beginner musicians, but I'd suggest internalising the sound of the minor scales just as well as the major. That way, you don't have to think of altering some kind of major scale, and also later when one gets into modes, it'll be really helpful to think of phrygian as minor Ã¢Â™Â2 rather than major Ã¢Â™Â2 Ã¢Â™Â3 Ã¢Â™Â6 Ã¢Â™Â7. Also understanding harmonic minor and melodic minor pretty much requires this basic ability to conceptuallise the minor mode without calling on the major scale first.

It'll be more difficult, but I suggest beginner musicians try to think of the natural minor scale as its own entity rather than a derivative of major.

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

I don't know about beginner musicians, but I'd suggest internalising the sound of the minor scales just as well as the major. That way, you don't have to think of altering some kind of major scale, and also later when one gets into modes, it'll be really helpful to think of phrygian as minor Ã¢Â™Â2 rather than major Ã¢Â™Â2 Ã¢Â™Â3 Ã¢Â™Â6 Ã¢Â™Â7. Also understanding harmonic minor and melodic minor pretty much requires this basic ability to conceptuallise the minor mode without calling on the major scale first.

It'll be more difficult, but I suggest beginner musicians try to think of the natural minor scale as its own entity rather than a derivative of major.

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

answered 23 mins ago

user45266

76219

76219

add a commentÂ |Â

add a commentÂ |Â

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