Do any of you know actual music numbers/compositions (not improv) that use/are based on melodic minor?
We were studying minor scales and the questions came up, "Why does the melody minor have raised 6th and 7th tones ascending, but not descending?" "Is there any specific feel generated by the scale?"
We've been searching the 'net for hours and have only found a few compositions that use melodic minor, and no audio files.
Thanks,
Joanna and Robyn Huffaker
Sorry I can't say I do know any pieces that use the MM scale but if I was to guess you'd find it prevalent the most in Jazz or Fusion music.
Ok, how it came about. The minor scale was good, but the VII note of the natural minor didn't seem to have the pull and create the type of tension that the major scale had. Composers then raised the VII degree so that the half step between it and the tonic would give a more resolved sound when played.
The melodic minor only really came about because singers had difficulty singing the minor third between the now raised VII and the I note of a Harmonic minor scale, so the VI note was raised a semitone to make it easier for vocalists. Thats the story behind it.
Last edited by Shred Fan; 10-30-2003 at 05:59 AM.
How about Greensleeves
"Listen to the Spaces Between the sounds."
Szulc's Site
thats A minor.
Melodic minor is a scale which works over certain 7th chords,and has a passing tone kind of feel.Any time you hear a JAZZ sounding riff that deviates from your straight minor its probably Melodic Minor .Mike Stern used it alot on the song After All on the Time in Place CD .the song is a straight forward ballad . But when his lines start to sound out,that's Melodic minor
As far as a song using it as the main scale you build all the chords off of ,i don't know. Get the chords from a theory book and play a II v I combo and see how it sounds
GTR TAB PATTERNS
Last edited by Spin 2513; 11-10-2003 at 11:34 PM.
EDIT: Figured out later on in the thread that I had recalled incorrectly something my Music 101 teacher had said in class. See the second page for correct (if obscure) examples.
-Dan
Last edited by DanF; 11-14-2003 at 09:37 PM.
Holy $h!t ,that's Church music ,i've heard my dad sing that.
Melodic Minor has always been a weak spot , for me.
Does the statement from 2girls mean that this scale is meant to played differently ascending , than it is descending ?
As far as composition , it is my understanding that this scale is used (primarily ? ) to facilitate altered chords / passages.
Am I way off on this ?
Thanks!
Mike
You're right and wrongSee in classical harmony the melodic minor scale is used with an altered 6th and 7th when ascending and unaltered (natural) when descending, but in jazz music they keep both those degrees altered no matter what direction the scale is moving.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
"If God had wanted us to play the piano he would've given us 88 fingers"
cool fact forgottenking I didn't realize that in jazz its the same ascending and descending.
Oh sorry for my ignorance, WELCOME 2GIRLS!!!!!
Huh why is it played differently going down than going up? Makes no sense to me.
I already answered that one.
The Melodic Minor is derived from the Harmonic Minor. The harmonic minor has an interval of a minor 3rd between its 6th and 7th note. Singers had difficulty singing this interval ascending so they raised the 6th degree so they would it would be only a major second difference of the 6th and 7th scale notes. Hence the melodic minor was born.
Yeah,classical has it's" rules of orchestration". All i know is Melodic Minor is most commonly used over Turn arounds.
Yup, it all comes down to vocal harmony
"If God had wanted us to play the piano he would've given us 88 fingers"
What about composition? Is anyone aware of any contemporary or, jazz tunes composed in melodic (or harmonic ) minor?
How about classical composition,are these scales used as a primary key?
Cool discussion ! Thanks
Mike
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