Originally Posted by: ramoncandidoI just want to know the names of the intervals on A minor. Is it the same sequence as in the C major scale?[/quote]
You've got the right idea about the notes, specifically the musical alphabet letters.
The notes of the A minor scale are:
a-b-c-d-e-f-g-a
But the intervals of the A minor scale (in fact all minor scales) are:
1st (a)
WS
2nd (b)
HS
minor 3rd (c)
WS
4th (d)
WS
5th (e)
HS
minor 6th (f)
WS
minor 7th (g)
WS
1st (a)
If you start that scale formula of intervals on the note A (put the root note, or the 1st on A) it will result in the notes:
a-b-c-d-e-f-g-a
But if you put the 1st on a different note, then you'll get a different set of notes, but you'll still use the same scale formula, the same set of intervals.
This is all covered in depth in Guitar Fundamentals 2.Originally Posted by: ramoncandido What I did is I put the notes of A and B infront or at the beginning of C scale.[/quote]
That will get you the same collection of notes, but only because the C major scale & the A minor scale happen to be relative major & minor to each other.
[QUOTE=ramoncandido] The A note is 9 steps of the C scale or a major 6 interval. Do I call this major 6 or simply A and the second note B as major second?
That will lead to confusion. You need to think of one root note & therefore one scale at a time.
The note A is the major 6th only if you are talking about the C major scale, if you are regarding the note C as the root note, the 1st of a major scale. That is because the note A is 9 half-steps higher than the root note C.
The note A is the root note (1st) of the A minor scale. The distance from A to B is a major 2nd. That is why the note B is the 2nd scale degree of the A minor scale.
[QUOTE=ramoncandido]After studying the c minor scale the name of the intervals of each note are the same as the major scale.
No, this is incorrect. There is a fundamental difference between all major scales & minor scales and it is the scale formula intervals.
The scale formula of intervals for all major scales is:
1st
WS
2nd
WS
major 3rd
HS
4th
WS
5th
WS
major 6th
WS
major 7th
HS
1st
But the scale formula of intervals for all minor scales is:
1st
WS
2nd
HS
minor 3rd
WS
4th
WS
5th
HS
minor 6th
WS
minor 7th
WS
1st
This is what results in the 3rd, 6th & 7th scale degrees being flatted & sad sounding as you mention.
Now you might be thinking that the C major & C minor scale notes are the same letters except that the C minor scale has 3 of those letters with flats in front of them.
But it is misleading to think this will work for all scales. Because some scales start on flats or sharps. So, it's not always going to be as simple as flatting certain letters. You have to think in terms of root notes & intervals, then apply that to the system of letters on the fretboard.
Consider that the A minor scale & the C minor scale are minor scales because they have the same scale formula, the same intervals.
Consider that if you want to play an E major scale, you start on the note E and apply the major scale formula & you will get:
1st (e)
WS
2nd (f#)
WS
major 3rd (g#)
HS
4th (a)
WS
5th (b)
WS
major 6th (c#)
WS
major 7th (d#)
HS
1st (e)
But to make an E minor scale we don't just use g-flat, c-flat & d-flat! We have to apply the minor scale formula to get the right notes.
1st (e)
WS
2nd (f#)
HS
minor 3rd (g)
WS
4th (a)
WS
5th (b)
HS
minor 6th (c)
WS
minor 7th (d)
WS
1st (e)
Hope that helps! Ask more if necessary. For future reference, a lot of this is already covered in depth in GF2 & in my instructor forum.
Best of success! :)
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory