NATURAL MINOR SCALE

The name notes on the major scale include a natural minor scale, with the
exception that it is created from the sixth note on the major scale. When you play
all the notes in a minor key signature, you are playing the minor scale. To guide
you, here are the minor scales in every key:

C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C
D = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - D
E = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E
F = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F
G = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G
A=A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A
B = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - B
C# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#
Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb
F# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#
G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#
Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb

To simplify, you can memorise this formula to form a minor scale:

whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole
step (or) w - h - w - w - h - w - w

HARMONIC MINOR SCALE

The harmonic major scale is found in music like jazz. Rimsky-Korsakov, the
Russian composer, was a master of orchestration who named this scale.

To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the natural
minor scale by a semi-tone as you go up and down the scale.

For example:

Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C

Harmonic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B – C

MELODIC MINOR SCALE

A melodic minor scale occurs when you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a
scale by a semi-tone, as you go up the scale, and then return to the natural minor,
as you go down the scale.

For example:

Melodic C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)

Natural C Minor Scale: C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)