The Harmonic Solution – Origin of the Harmonic Minor Scaleīeing faced with the harmonic problem of the natural minor scale – that is, the absence of the leading note in its dominant chord, there was need to add the leading note to the minor scale. Therefore, the absence of the leading note in chord 5 creates a weaker progressions in the minor key. The chord progression from the dominant (chord 5) to the tonic (chord 1) is weak because the leading note (G ♯) is not a chord tone of E minor. In the minor key, a chord movement from chord 5 to chord 1 (the harmonic destination) is given as E minor (the dominant) to A minor (the tonic). Therefore, the leading note is the essential harmonic attribute of dominant chords (in tonality) that determines the strength or pull of the dominant to the tonic. The chord progression from the dominant (chord 5) to the tonic (chord 1) will have a stronger pull because of the presence of the leading note (B). In the major key, from chord 5 to chord 1 will imply a movement from G major (the dominant) to C major (the tonic). Let’s look at the strongest progression in tonal music: the 5-1 progression.Įarlier in this lesson, we associated the fifth degree of the scale with the technical name – dominant. This is the shortcoming of the pure natural minor scale – it does not have the leading note property. The subtonic can be called a leading note or leading tone if a scale possesses such a property.īetween the subtonic and tonic of the major scale (B-C) is a semitone or half step.īetween the subtonic and tonic of the minor scale (G-A) is a wholetone or whole step.įrom the illustration above, the major scale has the leading note property while the minor scale doesn’t. Every degree of the scale has its technical name and this largely depends on its tonal position and/or function.ħth Degree = Subtonic or Leading tone (see below)Ī scale is said to have the leading note property if the distance between the subtonic (seventh) and the tonic (first) is a semitone or half step. The major scale of C has seven tones:Įach tone is seen as a degree of the scale. Major and minor scales have seven degrees. In this article, we’ll use C major to represent major scales and A minor to represent minor scales. Ionian mode and the major scale are identical:Īeolian mode and the minor scale are identical: Even though tonal music replaced modal music, the present day major and minor scales are similar to two modes – Ionian and Aeolian. The terms major and minor are used to describe key centers (tonalities) and that’s why there’s a major key and a minor key. This largely depends on the characteristic emotion the scale evokes. In tonality, a note is represented as the key center or key and is associated with the term major or minor. We’ll be discussing the shortcomings of the natural minor scale and how it created the need for a suitable variation.īut first, let me take you back a little.Įven though the use of modes was revived in the 20th century by jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, etc, they are an obsolete melodic system.Īfter several centuries, tonality was introduced. If you’ve heard of the natural minor scale variation called the harmonic minor scale and always wondered how this variation came about, then this post is a must for you.