{"id":106,"date":"2018-09-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-14T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-01-16T11:50:16","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T19:50:16","slug":"how-to-play-any-minor-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-play-any-minor-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Play The Minor Scale In ANY Key"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Minor Scale is one of the first scales you\u2019ll probably come across. If you\u2019ve ever heard a song that sounds sad or moody, you\u2019ll find it to be written in the minor<\/span> <\/strong>Key. That means that you can play the minor<\/span> <\/strong>scale in all 12 keys, and the easiest way to ensure that you\u2019re playing the minor scale EVERY time is to know the formula. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any scale formula you ever come across is made up of two types of steps on the piano: <\/span>Whole Steps <\/strong>and <\/span>Half Steps<\/strong>. A whole<\/span> <\/strong>simply means that you\u2019re technically jumping up or down TWO keys on the keyboard, while a half step<\/span> <\/strong>means that you\u2019re stepping up or down to the VERY next key.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll write out the formula for you with <\/span>\u2018W\u2019 <\/strong>indicating <\/span>Whole Steps <\/strong>and <\/span>\u2018H\u2019<\/strong> indicating <\/span>Half Steps<\/strong>, and this will work in any key that you want to play the formula in. So here\u2019s that formula:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

W, H, W, W, H, W, W<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So if we take that formula in the key of <\/span>A minor<\/strong>, we\u2019ll have the notes <\/span>A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. <\/strong>That\u2019s pretty easy since you\u2019ll only be playing the white keys of the piano to play that scale.  Let\u2019s try that formula out in the key of <\/span>E minor.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting on <\/span>E, <\/strong>the notes will be <\/span>E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever wondered the <\/span>technical <\/span><\/em>reason why you\u2019ve got to play an <\/span>F#<\/strong> note in the <\/span>E minor <\/strong>scale, now you know! You\u2019ve got to play it to keep in line with the <\/span>Minor Scale Formula.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jordan Leibel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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