{"id":11450,"date":"2023-02-12T08:04:29","date_gmt":"2023-02-12T16:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=11450"},"modified":"2023-03-10T10:02:02","modified_gmt":"2023-03-10T18:02:02","slug":"a-scales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/a-scales\/","title":{"rendered":"Scales in the Key of A"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Click on the scale name for a diagram and explanation of each scale type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Major Scale<\/a><\/strong> | A Natural Minor Scale<\/a><\/strong> | A Harmonic Minor Scale<\/a><\/strong> | A Melodic Minor Scale<\/strong><\/a> | A Major Pentatonic Scale<\/a><\/strong> | A Minor Pentatonic Scale<\/strong><\/a> | A Major Blues Scale<\/a><\/strong> | A Minor Blues Scale<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A MAJOR SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The A major scale contains seven notes and starts and ends on A. Major scales are arranged in a specific pattern of whole and half steps: W-W-H-W-W-W-H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A NATURAL MINOR SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The A natural minor scale follows the key signature of its relative major: C major. In natural minor scales, there are no additional accidentals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relative major key of A minor is C major. Therefore, A minor has no sharps or flats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Keyboard<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

TIP:<\/strong> To find the relative major key, count up three half-steps from the minor key\u2019s root note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A HARMONIC MINOR SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Harmonic minor scales follow the key signature of the relative major key and raise the seventh note of the scale by one half-step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relative major key of A minor is C major and the seventh note of A minor is G\u266f. Therefore, A harmonic minor has no sharps or flats but G is raised to G\u266f.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A MELODIC MINOR SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relative major key of A minor is C major. Therefore, A minor has no sharps or flats and F and G are the sixth and seventh notes. We raise F and G to F\u266f and G\u266f when ascending the melodic minor scale, and we lower them back to F and G when descending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ascending<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Descending<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The A major pentatonic is a five-note scale built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The A minor pentatonic scale is a five-note scale built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also think of the A minor pentatonic as being built on the following major<\/em> scale degrees: 1, \u266d3, 4, 5, \u266d7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A MAJOR BLUES SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The A major blues scale is built on the following major scale degrees: 1, 2, \u266d3, 3, 5, 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A MINOR BLUES SCALE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The A minor blues scale is built on the following minor scale degrees: 1, 3, 4, \u266d5, 5, 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also think of the A minor blues scale as being built on the following major<\/em> scale degrees: 1, \u266d3, 4, \u266d5, 5, \u266d7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Keyboard<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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