74 / 18210 · Module 3 — Minor Scales, Relative Keys, and Why Minor Harmony Behaves Differently← prev⊞ allnext →
3.21The three minor scales side by side
For A:
Natural minor
A B C D E F G A
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Harmonic minor
A B C D E F G♯ A
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
Melodic minor ascending
A B C D E F♯ G♯ A
1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Don't treat these as three separate unrelated scales.
Think:
Natural minor is the base.
Then:
harmonic minor = raise 7
and:
melodic minor = raise 6 and 7
That is much easier to remember.