Chapter 5

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 differ
by 1 note!
Parallel Keys often appear within a single piece or
movement much like Franz Schubert’s
“Der Lindenhaum”
Relative Keys
Relative Keys- share a key signature but have
different tonics.!
The motion between keys creates interest by
changing mood and musical color!
Listen to Corelli’s “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 differ by 3 accidentals#
Move 3 steps counterclockwise around the circle
of 5ths.
“Forms” of Minor
3 different 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 Don’t Punch Like Muhammad Ali
Modes of the Diatonic Collection
Listen to Greensleeves…What key are we in?!
When scales don’t 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 Bartok’s 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