[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnmyeJlY6G4[/embedyt]

Hello folks!

Just a quick video today on playing E minor scale in a couple different versions (natural minor and harmonic minor). In the video, I discuss the scale and all the technical details, then play each through twice – once at a moderate tempo, and once fast. Enjoy!

E minor scale: Natural and Harmonic

Sheet music for E minor scales

Other beginner scales

Below is a list of the other beginner scales we’ve made videos for so far – Everything on this list is 1 octave, and hands separate. For more scales, please visit the “Categories” page.

C major scale (1 octave)

F major scale (1 octave)

A natural minor scale (1 octave)

A harmonic minor scale (1 octave)

D major scale (1 octave)

D natural and harmonic minor scale (1 octave)

A major scale (1 octave)

E major scale (1 octave)

Why scales?

Scales are often thought of as tedious and dry, but they’re extremely useful to know and understand as a musician. Knowing scales – and their individual flavors of sharps or flats – allows you to instantly understand key signatures (the sharps/flats that hover at the beginning of a line of music).

Most songs are based on a “key”. For example, if we say a song is in the “Key of C major”, what we’re saying is that it’s based off C major scale, and therefore has no sharps or flats (unless otherwise indicated in the music).

So in the case of E major scale, if you see a piece that has four sharps in the key signature, you can bet that the piece is based on E major scale.

(Unless it’s not: Every major scale has a minor counterpart. For more info on how that works, check out this video on Major and Minor doppelgangers.)

xo,
Allysia