AP Music Theory: Chapter 5

major: ionian mode

minor: aolian mode

parallel minor

parallel major

major scale: WWHWWWH

minor scale: WHWWHWW

relative minor or major

• the minor or major scale with the same key signature

• go up 6 scale degrees to find relative minor

  • ex) C major → C, D, E, F, G, A -→ A minor

  • OR go down a third to find relative minor

  • ex) C major → C, B, A → A minor

C→ E is a third

E → C is a sixth because 3+6=9

three forms of minor

• natural minor

  • scale whose pitches exactly match the key signature of the relative major

  • the tonic differs

• harmonic minor

  • raises the seventh scale degree from flat 7 to 7 to create a leading tone

  • distance from 6 to 7 is larger than a whole step it is an augmented second

• melodic minor

  • differs in ascending and descending form

  • ascending: the 6th and 7th scale degrees are raised (which corresponds exactly to the major scale)

  • descending: identical to the natural minor

natural

Ex) A B C D E F G A

pattern

harmonic

Ex) A B C D E F G# A

pattern: W H W W W W+H

melodic

Ex) A B C D E F# G# A

pattern up: WHWWWWH

pattern down: WHWWHWW

leading from a tonic moment, departing from a tonic moment