Overview
In this module, we bring together everything you’ve learned about key signatures and minor scales and apply it to real music reading. You’ll learn how to move between major and parallel minor, including how scale degrees change and how accidentals are used to reflect those changes.
We’ll also introduce a new accidental—the double flat—which lowers a note by two half steps. This becomes especially important when converting between major and minor keys.
Finally, you’ll develop strategies for identifying whether music is in major, natural minor, harmonic minor, or melodic minor, especially when a key signature is present.
Objectives
By the end of this module you should be able to:
- Adjust a major scale to its parallel minor and vice versa.
- Distinguish and explain differences between major, natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor.
- Correctly name notes in music with a key signature
Key Terms
- Parallel Minor
- A minor key that shares the same tonic as a major key (for example, C major and C minor), but has different notes and key signature.
- Double Flat
- An accidental that lowers a note by two half steps.