Minor Keys &

Diatonic Modes
Chapter 5

Parallel Keys: Shared Tonic

Parallel Keys: are keys with the same Tonic, ex. E
Major & E Minor!
Major Pentachord/Minor Pentachord. Only dier
by 1 note!
Parallel Keys often appear within a single piece or
movement much like Franz Schuberts
Der Lindenhaum

Relative Keys
Relative Keys- share a key signature but have
dierent tonics.!
The motion between keys creates interest by
changing mood and musical color!
Listen to Corellis Allemanda", from Trio Sonata in
A Minor

Finding the Relative Minor

The relative minor scale is
made from the same scale
as the Relative Major scale!
Either find the submediant or go down 3 half
steps!
Make sure to stay within
the major key signature

Finding the Relative Major

Find the minor 3rd, that
is the Tonic of the
Relative Major!
Go up 3 half steps!
Make sure it spans 3
letter names

More on Minor Keys

Key Signatures in parallel
keys dier by 3 accidentals#
Move 3 steps counterclockwise around the circle
of 5ths.

Forms of Minor
3 dierent minor scales:!
Natural Minor-Scale whose accidentals follow exactly what
the key signature states!
Harmonic Minor- Raises the 7th scale degree by a half step
creating an augmented second (A2). An augmented second
is equivalent to a step and a half!
Melodic Minor- Raises the 6th & 7th scale degree by a half
step ascending, then lowers it descending!
Lets listen to the difference between minor scales

Minor Penta & Tetra chords

Minor Pentachord- is the first 5
notes of all minor scales. W-H-W-W!
Natural minor Tetrachord- the last
4 notes of Natural minor. H-W-W!
Harmonic minor Tetrachord- the
last 4 notes of Harmonic Minor. HA2-H!
Melodic minor Tetrachord- the
last 4 notes of Melodic Minor.
Ascending W-W-H Descending W-WH

Scale Degrees in Minor

They are identical to major with a few exceptions
1=Tonic=Do!
2=Supertonic=Re !

b6=Submediant=Le#
6=Raised Submediant=la#

b3=Mediant=Me #
4=Subdominant=Fa!

b7=subtonic=te#
#7=leading tone=ti

5=Dominant=Sol
Modal
Scale Degrees- 3,6,&7 are crucial in the
distinction between major and minor.

Minor Pentatonic Scale

Minor Pentatonic- Made up of 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 (do,

me, fa, sol, te)!
Listen to Wayfaring Stranger which is in
Minor Pentatonic

Modes
I Dont Punch Like Muhammad Ali

Modes of the Diatonic Collection

Listen to GreensleevesWhat key are we in?!
When scales dont quite fit into major or minor
scales the are most likely Modal scales.!
In the case of Greensleeves we are in Dorian
Mode, The melody is altered at the end with an
added G#.!
Dorian mode: WHWWWHW

Modes of the Diatonic Collection

Now listen to Old Joe Clark!
Sounds somewhat Major with D as the tonic, but it
includes a C natural???!
Mixolydian is a mode similar to major with a
lowered seventh.!
Mixolydian= WWHWWHW

Modes in the Diatonic Collection

Listen to Bartoks piano piece In Lydian Mode!

Lydian mode sounds like a major scale with a #4!
Lydian=WWWHWWH

Relative Identification of Modes

Diatonic modes sometimes called church

modes.!
There are 6 Diatonic modes shared by the major
scale!
Listen to the 6 Diatonic Modes

The 6 Church Modes

Parallel Identification of Modes

The 6 modes can be sorted into 2 groups of 3!
Group 1 Based on Major Pentachords:!
Ionian (Major)!
Mixolydian (b7)!
Lydian (#4)

Parallel Identification of Modes

The 6 modes can be sorted into 2 groups of 3!
Group 2 Based on Minor Pentachords:!
Aeolian (natural minor)!
Dorian (#6)!
Phrygian (b2)

20th Century Modal Practice

Locrian Mode is a mode based on the 7th scale

degree of the Major scale!
One of the most popular examples is this

Terms You Should Know

Diatonic Modes:# Major Pentachord#

Mode#

Raised submediant#

Aeolian#

Minor Pentachord#

Parallel Minor#

Relative Major#

Dorian#

Minor Scale#

Parallel Major#

Relative Minor#

Ionian#
Locrian#

Harmonic#
Melodic#

Lydian #

Natural#
Mixolydian#
Phrygian

Modal Scale Degree

Pentatonic Scale#
Major
Pentatonic Scale#
Minor
Pentatonic Scale

Subtonic#
Tetrachord#
Major#
Harmonic Minor#
Natural Minor