You Met Your Match

Day 8

Creating the B section of your composition in a minor key

Keys come in pairs

You’ve played a lot already in your major key, so you’re probably feeling like a change. So you’re going to move into the relative minor key. Every major key has a relative, corresponding minor key, and it is really easy to work out what it is. The relative minor key is always the sixth note of the major key.

Example: The relative minor of the C major key is A minor

The notes of the relative minor key will be the same as the notes of its major pair. The only difference is that you start in a different place.

Example: A minor starts in a different place to C major but has the same notes

C major key R T T S T T T S C D E F G A B C A minor key R T S T T S T T A B C D E F G A

This makes the formula for the notes of minor keys: RTSTTSTT

Minor scale finger patterns

The easiest way to play minor scales is of course with finger patterns.

Example: A minor RH (one octave)

R T S T T S T T A B C D E F G A 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5

Pairs Of Major & Relative Minor Keys With RH Finger Patterns For Minor Scales
Major key	Relative minor key	R	T	S	T	T	S	T	T	Summary of black notes
C	A	A1	B2	C3	C1	D2	E3	F4	G5	-
G	E	E1	F#2	G3	G1	A2	B3	C4	D5	F#
D	B	B1	C#2	D3	D1	E2	F#3	G4	A5	F# C#
A	F#	F#1	G#2	A3	A1	B2	C#3	D4	E5	F# C# G#
E	C#	C#1	D#2	E3	E1	F#2	G#3	A4	B5	F# C# G# D#
B	G#	G#1	A#2	B3	B1	C#2	D#3	E4	F#5	F# C# G# D# A#
F	D	D1	E2	F3	F1	G2	A3	Bb4	C5	Bb
Bb	G	G1	A2	Bb3	Bb1	C2	D3	Eb4	F5	Bb Eb
Eb	C	C1	D2	Eb3	Eb1	F2	G3	Ab4	Bb5	Bb Eb Ab
Ab	F	F1	G2	Ab3	Ab1	Bb2	C3	Db4	Eb5	Bb Eb Ab Db
Db	Bb	Bb1	C2	Db3	Db1	Eb2	F3	Gb4	Ab5	Bb Eb Ab Db Gb
Gb	Eb	Eb1	F2	Gb3	Gb1	Ab2	Bb3	Cb4	Db5	Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb

On your worksheet add the relative minor of the major key that you’ve used for your A section. Don’t forget to add the RH finger pattern of your minor scale too.

Minor Key
R	T	S	T	T	S	T	T
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	A
1	2	3	1	2	3	4	5
im	iio	III	ivm	vm	VI	VII	im

Now play your relative minor scale as quarter notes (60bpm). Ascend and descend twice over, never repeating the top or bottom note. Keep it rolling.
Now try at 120bpm.
Can you try the tricky 240bpm?

Improvise for one minute with the notes of your minor key all over the piano, without any specific tempo or rhythms. Be sure to play your root note from time to time in the lower register, to help you really feel the key you’re in. You can even catch the root note with the sustain pedal to make it last for longer.

Time to choose: Remember ABA? Well now you’re going to create the four bar rhythmic phrase for your B section. Start with any rhythmic value, then keep adding more until you reach the end of the four bars, making sure that what you choose fits into your four bars. It’s useful to recap the rules:

Whole notes = Four beats. They can only be placed on beat one of a four beat bar, because whole notes last for all four beats of the bar.
Half notes = Two beats. They can only be placed on beats one, two or three.
Quarter notes = One beat. They can be placed on any beat.

Write your rhythmic phrase here in section B of your worksheet.

♩ ♩ ♩ ♩

𝅗𝅥 ♩ ♩

Using the notes of your minor key, play your rhythmic phrase over and over on a loop (60bpm). Try my pointers if you want some guidance and keep improvising for one minute:

Start in a high register and slowly descend the piano as you improvise, before ascending again.
Place your hands at either end of the piano and work towards the middle, then back out again.
Keep your LH low while your RH moves around freely.
Improvise with two notes at the same time, now three, now four.
Keep a low root note underneath, try as an octave and use the sustain pedal.