Lesson 2.5 - Minor Keys

Workbook (NEW for 2021) with answers HERE

Or download a printable worksheet with answers

as a member of MusicOnline UK

for this lesson HERE

Minor Keys have key signatures that correspond to those of the major keys. This is shown in the table below.

     Key Signature        Major Key        Minor Key

• None                      C major             A minor
• F sharp                   G major            E minor
• B flat                      F major             D minor

In a minor scale however there are other accidentals and this depends on which form of the minor key you are using. There are three types of minor key that will be used in this course, Natural minors, Harmonic Minors and Melodic Minors.

For Grade 2 ABRSM Theory 
you need to know just the harmonic minor.

For Grade 2 Trinity Theory 
you need to know the natural minor and harmonic minor.

The natural minor is easy, it is simply the notes according to the key signature so D natural minor would look like this.

In a harmonic minor scale the 7th note is raised a semitone in addition to any accidentals you may already have in the key signature. 

Therefore:

• In A minor there is also a G sharp
• In E minor there is also a D sharp
• In D minor there is also a C sharp

These raised 7ths do not appear in the key signature but next to the relevant note. So the scale of D harmonic minor would look like this.

N.B. Melodic minors will be covered in a later lesson

Practice this topic with our workbook

"Music Theory Practice - A Complete Course"

New for 2021