Natural, harmonic and melodic minor: compare the changed notes

If you already understand the major-scale whole- and half-step pattern, the next task is to compare minor forms without changing the starting note. A scale degree is a position in the scale: the tonic is degree 1, followed by 2–7, then the tonic an octave higher.

We use the common classical scale-exercise convention: natural minor; harmonic minor with raised 7; melodic minor with raised 6 and 7 ascending, restored to natural minor descending. Source: Open Music Theory, minor scales. This is not an instruction to alter notes whenever a melody happens to change direction. Perform a composed passage as written. Jazz scale conventions are outside this guide.

For this worksheet, “raised” always compares a degree with its natural-minor version and means one semitone higher. In D minor, raising B flat produces B natural, while raising C produces C sharp. Checking the starting spelling prevents an instruction such as “raise 6” from accidentally becoming “write B sharp”.

Read across each row before looking down the changed-note column. Bold type marks notes changed from D natural minor. All names without a sharp or flat are natural.

Write a vertical mark after A in the ascending rows. Everything to its left stays unchanged. Read the last three notes of each ascent separately: B♭–C–D, B♭–C♯–D, then B–C♯–D. You have isolated the difference without learning three unrelated eight-note lists.

For harmonic minor descending, reverse the harmonic row: D C♯ B♭ A G F E D. Its raised seventh remains. The special ascending/descending change in this task belongs to melodic minor. Source: Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom, minor-scale forms.

1. Write the tonic, requested form and direction before the notes.
2. Write the seven different letter names in order, repeating the tonic at the octave.
3. Establish the natural-minor notes, then make only the requested changes.
4. Check the spelling and the distance between neighbours; a changed note must keep its scale-degree letter.
5. For a descent, read from the high tonic down. Do not paste an ascending sequence under a “descending” heading.

Our D natural-minor ascent has distances 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2 semitones. Raising C to C sharp changes its final two distances: B♭ to C♯ is three semitones, and C♯ to D is one. Raising B♭ to B as well produces the melodic ascent’s ending A–B–C♯–D: 2, 2, 1.

These calculations provide an independent check on the written rows. If your harmonic row ends B♭–C–D, nothing raised degree 7. If your melodic ascent contains B♯, you raised an already natural B instead of starting from B flat.

Use E natural minor as your reference: E F♯ G A B C D E. Work without copying the D-minor rows.

1. Write E harmonic minor ascending.
2. Write E classical melodic minor ascending and descending.
3. A learner labels D C♯ B A G F E D “D melodic minor descending”. Correct the row for the stated classical exercise.
4. A learner changes D natural minor’s B♭ to B♯ when asked to raise degree 6. What note is required, and why?

Check the notes and the reason

1. E F♯ G A B C D♯ E.
2. Ascending: E F♯ G A B C♯ D♯ E. Descending: E D C B A G F♯ E.
3. D C B♭ A G F E D. Restore natural-minor degrees 7 and 6.
4. B natural. B♭ to B is one semitone; B♭ to B♯ is two.

Notice that F sharp remains in both directions of the E melodic-minor exercise. “Return to natural minor” means use the natural-minor form; it does not mean erase every sharp or flat. Similarly, D natural minor still includes B flat.

On the minor-scale comparison worksheet (plain text), record the requested form, direction, changed degrees and final row. If you make a mistake, identify whether it concerns the baseline notes, the alteration or the descending order. Bring that exact question to a lesson.

The minor key signature corresponds to natural minor; the changes used for harmonic or melodic forms do not create separate “harmonic-minor key signatures”. Source: minor key signatures. Continue with relative and parallel keys to compare relationships between keys rather than forms within one tonic.