Songs that use the Melodic Minor scale
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ส.ค. 2020
- The melodic minor is taught as one of the three main minor scales, yet, in practice, it is a far rarer beast than its Harmonic and Natural minor counterparts. However, that said, it does make an appearance in many classical pieces and jazz standards, and you will also spot it hiding in a handful of pop songs!
Sources:
The Melodic Minor in the works of Bach: ttu-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/hand...
The History of Greensleeves: earlymusicmuse.com/greensleev...
Interview with Paul McCartney (1995): • How Paul McCartney wro...
Björk & The Melodic Minor: www.ethanhein.com/wp/2015/mus...
An extra special thanks goes to Vidad Flowers, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / davidbennettpiano
❗ CORRECTION: at 4:13 I listed "Phrygian Dominant" as a minor scale however this is incorrect; Phrygian Dominant is a major scale! A silly mistake on my part - sorry! Thanks to Metalfan 458 for pointing it out 😀
Its ok, good stuff as always 👍
Great stuff - your tune sound (in style) a lot like William D Drake formerly of Cardiacs - beautiful stuff, ^oo^
Oh and what about Locrian? Isn't it a diminished scale rather than a minor one?
Isn't the double harmonic scale also a major one? It's like Phrygian Dominant but has a natural 7th instead of a flat 7.
(Sorry if I'm nitpicking, love yours videos btw)
H Piano the “double harmonic” is major. However the “double harmonic minor” is minor 🙂
Beautiful piece at the end. Sounds like it should be in a movie.
Thank you!
@@DavidBennettPiano please record this one and make it available to download
The movie sounds like it is peaceful, but there is a mystery...
Yeah, it was haunting, really hit home the whole video
Yes, this original piece is amazing
Beatles: have little knowledge of music theory
Also beatles: *Megalocrian diminished dominant scale in the key of H#*
H-sharp? Is that a thing?
@@paulchapman8023 not really as the 12 notes are A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# and then A again
They definitely weren't afraid to try out anything and everything, plus they had the benefit of George Martin, who did have a very strong knowledge of music theory and was a composer himself. He often helped the "boys" work out complex vocal harmonies and was basically an uncredited co-writer and arranger for quite a few of their songs.
@@James-eg3nf Definitely NOT a co-writer!
H major? Sounds like something Kurt Cobain used.🤫
“Melodic minor is arguably more melodic”
Wow
Mind = blow
Who’da thought?
Such an amazing coincidence that it has that name.
Nothing but pseudo highbrow nonsense. I find this analysis rather meh. Just make music and be done with it. Real music is not constrained by such framework.
Gary Fletcher I don’t think music theory constrains real music, rather it just gives us some terms and constructs to be able to describe real music. One can paint beautiful paintings without knowing the names of cobalt blue or cyan, or, say, the distinction between primary and secondary colors. But personally if I were a painter I would like to know about these things. The nuances of the minor scales are critical to an understanding of Western tonal music, and Mr. Bennett is presenting this stuff rather splendidly.
Does anybody else love when he uses the “ding!” sound effect when changing something from the song?
He played it just as I read the word “ding”. A sad life I lead but it made my day.
Ding! Fries are done
Ding! Fries are done
Yes. I do. Very much.
I also love it when he changes the song to illustrate the effect that it has.
@@davincent98
Ding! Now they're gone
Björk - the gift that keeps on giving, any scale you like, she's got it covered
Has she used the whole tone scale?
What about m’boy the b5 mixolydian scale?
Phrygian Dominant?
What about super-ultra-hyper-mega-meta lydian?
@@ShirubaGin Yes, "Hollow" Biophilia album
I'm so glad that you wrote correctly the three inicial notes "F-F-F" ("Yes-ter-day"...) 'cos Paul sings that way, while everybody writes wrongly "G-F-F", that is the way that he sings the next times, but not the opening verse. Congratulations for it!
Thank you! I'm actually releasing a video today about the fact that everyone transcribes Yesterday wrong! I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed!
@@DavidBennettPiano "Eleanor Rigby" sheet music is wrong too! That is no doubt that Paul sings A-A-B-G-E ("Eleanor Rigby" and other verses) but the editors wrote "G-A-B-G-E" and everybody plays wrong all over the world!
@@newtonnazareth8616 Do they do that? I agree: it is wrong. He is clearly on the same note.
Yes! 👍☝️
We "that's not how it goes. You're playing it wrong" people, gifted with pretty good ears and a meticulous nature have a job that's never done.
David Bennet:This scale/mode is quite rare in pop or rock music
The Beatles: Hold my yellow submarine
😂
the strictly melodic minor piece at the end is extremely beautiful!
Thanks! That means a lot!
It reminds me of the X-men theme from the 90s cartoon
Very lovely!
Reminded me of "Mad World" gotta go dissect that one now.
@@DavidBennettPiano I agree that your melodic minor piece is lovely. I'd love to see you repost your performance of it without a voiceover, so we can just enjoy the tune by itself! -Tom
OF COURSE HE'S USING A BEATLES EXAMPLE
There's a Beatles example for almost everything lol.
Same with Björk
No Radiohead tho smh
Hugo Grubbytoes fellow Radiohead fan.. but the Beatles and Björk are amazing too
This could be a drinking game. One sip for Beatles/Bjork/Radiohead. Take 5 tequila shots if he actually mentions rap or hip hop
Something in music. The Beatles: been there, done that.
the beat less
That melodic minor piece at the end was gorgeous! How could you say that harmony sticking to the scale sounds limited; it sounded simultaneously familiar but new. Like we’re seeing a new side to a familiar sound for the first time. I want more fully melodic minor music!
Thank you! Me too!
@@DavidBennettPiano yo David, please give us the sheet music man 😩
If you want more, you gotta write some!
@@kilgoretrout321 A version of: "To receive more, you ought to give more ..." 😊
@@fjodorcornelisson6874 Found a Job by Talking Heads explains the mindset I mean
David Bennett Piano is actually playing the piano! This has been a good day.
Thank you 😃
Beautiful piece at the end, David.
Check his older videos, he has played piano before lol
This is the music theory I wanted in Uni. I never got this kind of theory crafting & usage examples. Thanks a bunch!
Thank you!
There definitely needs to be a huge restructuring in the way music theory is taught at uni!
TV Producer: Paul, we'd like you to talk about Yesterday for a few minutes.
McCartney: sure. what time should I meet you at the boat.
I love when he talks about the beatles
Me too!
I went to a seminar for lawyers on music copyright that used the Beatles for many examples. The poor bastards had signed away the profits from their last album before it was released.
I'd LOVE a series by David on Beatles songs. Breaking their tracks down album by album (or LP by LP if you prefer..) so that I can bask in their musical magic.
*Sees the Björk/McCartney/Bach trifecta on the thumbnail*
Oh, David Bennett released a video!
Also where's Thom Yorke?
I really wanted to find a Radiohead example of melodic minor but I couldn't! Any suggestions would be very welcome 😀😀
Oh man, totally! That was my reaction too
@@DavidBennettPiano hmm not sure but 2+2=5 maybe?
If you are Sir Paul McCartney then you are indeed that lucky to have dreamed up the melody to Yesterday.
David - that piece you wrote that plays at end of the video in melodic minor is wonderful!
Thank you Music Man!
Dude, you just cleared up years of confusion about Greensleeves for me.
No worries!
@@DavidBennettPiano I play it in A. I was never sure if I should have played F or F# when ascending. I just played the F# and thought it was A Lydian, but the G# always confused me. Now I'm slightly less confused. So if I play the F natural on the ascending lines, as in your 2nd example, that is melodic minor? If so what is the scale for the first example?
Me too.
Being not so knowledgeable about music, I find this kind of lesson fascinating. It now seems so obvious. Heck, it's right there in "Yesterday" and Bach's Bouree! Thanks for this!
Thanks!
I see Paul McCartney, i click
I don't blame you!
@@DavidBennettPiano I always guess which song you "took" for the videos, when I see one of the 4 on the thumbnail :D
@@robinotwilliams Me too
I am using my piano and I played the scale and I was like
I bet it's yesterday!
@@claudettegarciac.1971 I'll definitely try that!
Ha, I was gonna make the same comment, except with Bjork.
Just a quick side note. Although the song is indeed in F, McCartney tuned his guitar down two semitones and played it in a G formation which makes the chords much easier to play.
Yes - in the boat he even describes finding the chords in G (G, F#m, B...)
@@bruce-e-bonus Yeah I noticed that and I've seen him play it and it's a "G" formation.
Yet he says he figured it out the chords at the piano.... so he’s probably lying lol. Nice catch
@@mikebyj2310 Not sure. It makes sense. He probably hummed the tune at the piano, worked out the chords to the key he was singing in, then when he got to the guitar he thought shit that's awkward...or possibly not happy with the chord voicing. Hence the retune.
@@bruce-e-bonus you didn't notice that f#m is not in the key of G?
The piece at the end has a beautiful, haunting quality.
1 thing to note: in Jazz, it is often played the same way up and down(both with a raised 6th and 7th)
Edit: oh ok he mentioned it
This is why you watch the whole video before you comment haha
Let'# cry together ma men :')
jazz player+1
Very helpful explanation about why there isn't just one minor scale.
Thanks!
@@DavidBennettPiano thanks
An observation: The ascending Melodic minor scale could be said to be a “double dorian” scale because it has two instances of the iconic i - IV vamp. In melodic minor, this relationship exists between i and IV, and ii and V
harmonic dorian
Wow that piece at the end was wonderful, didn’t realize melodic minor could sound so dreamy
I’m simple, I see Paul McCartney and I click.
John is/was better ......! :)
Viorica Buta to say one is better than the other is totally subjective I’m just a huge beatles fan, would have commented the same thing if it was lennon. They’re both good and bad in different ways (they are people after all)
I love that you actually pronounced it like "björk" and not "bjork"
Americans don't mind butchering a name in another language. I think that's the point.
@@soaribb32 sorry we arent raised from birth to speak icelandic or w/e. Do you fault asians for not being able to pronounce L?
@@user-nb8yt2il2r I mean... The ö sound shouldn't be that hard for Americans, right? There's English words that have that sound, like murder, or bird. I understand why rolling the r would be hard though, I struggle with that too sometimes.
@@jonnybuijze1770 right... but we don't have the umlaut in english so it just looks like an o to us. If you want it pronounced 'Bjoerk' like in 'murder' then spell it that way, or even 'Bjurk' but don't be upset that we don't have that letter. That's just silly. :)
@@ABurntMuffin it's not about Americans having that letter or not, it's just odd to me why people continue to mispronounce it after they've already learned how to say it. Saying "If you want it pronounced like ... write it like ..." is a very weird statement to me, especially looking at the English language. But maybe I'm just being silly. :)
I’ve always struggled with the harmonic and melodic minor scales, since some of the things I like most about the natural minor are the funky flat 7 and the haunting flat 6, and I’ve never felt the lack of the leading tone since I tend to prefer looping vamps to strongly functional progressions. But that piece at the end is gorgeous, and it’s reinforced something that I’ve gradually started to learn: these scales allow you to gently “drift” between minor and major feels without definitively modulating, thus allowing for tonal and emotional ambiguity.
You can have both. Chords and cadences are stolen uhh borrowed among the minors all the time. So play a im7 come down on it from a V7-9-13(-6). You can have it all.And funk uses a lot of min713's
I always see melodic minor as Major with a flat third. It also has that long section of whole steps so it has that searching whole tone scale sound too. That’s how I always hear it anyway.
Me too
Mee to. It's just Ionian b3.
Note to self: gorgeous piece of music at 14:50
Thanks!
I'm gonna induce a lucid dream, and in the dream I'll ask Paul McCartney to write me an amazing melody, then I'll wake up and I'll have the next yesterday on my hands.
Good luck.
you should call it "tomorrow"
Fantastic educator. I am just a terminally beginning bossa by tabs guitarist-vocalist, but this is as good a prying angle into jazz as any I've seen. Bravo David, and cheers from Japan. Take care in these topsy-turvy times.
Thanks Steve!
the best part about all this is the bit with the slow zoom-in on sir Paul's face as he's captaining his river boat.
That piece at the end was absolutely gorgeous!! It unlocked a sound I've been mystified by in movies and new age music.
Thank you!
I can see why your channel has "piano" in the name now, that performance at the end is wonderful!
7:33 This happens to be the Bach piece that George and Paul used to play as a guitar duo before the Beatles days. It later inspired Paul to write Blackbird and many years later also Jenny Wren. Paul mentions this in the video for 'Chaos and creation in the back yard.'
Came to write this. Can't be a coincidence.
I like how when there is an arrow pointing at a note, the "ding" sound matches the note's pitch.
David, I absolutely loved that piece you played at the end. The rest of the video wasn't bad either! Thanks for doing these.
Vivaldi's "Storm" is also an excellent example of a descending melodic minor scale with a raised 6th and 7th.
I don't know why, but Yesterday has always been spooky to me... not terrifying, but spooky in a weird way.
From Bach to Bjork - I love your analysis videos and I also love how both of these great artists remain a staple of inspiration - can't get enough! Have to say I've been a fan of Bjork's longer than Bach, but I feel like I'm finding a treasure map to the pot of gold every time I learn more about him and his insane voice leading and harmonies. Bjork, of course, is just pure mad genius.
The way you can mix the major and minor with this scale is literally so iconic and it makes the ending song sound so full. I love it
This channel is so classy, i love it
Thanks Pedro!
Another great video. The production value is fantastic and the information is explained enough to get a feel for it without being overwhelming.
Thanks! I’m really glad you found it helpful!
Excellent video again!
A few comments:
First. Every time l listen to Yesterday l can taste the Lydian flavor of the natural B on the F Major key just before the song modulates to Dm and the melodic minor scale. This is probably because of how surprising that Em sounds on every listen. McCartney called this the "woaahh!" chord because of the impact it made.
Second. For years at elementary school our music teachers had us learn Greensleeves on a recorder. Invariably, they always used the natural minor scale on the higher notes. (The song was in Am and the melody played a high F). Until one day my mum bought a christmas tree that played Greensleeves with a Dorian F# on top, and initially l hated this unfamiliar note lol.. but it grew on me, MASSIVELY, to the point where this is one of the modes I enjoy the most. This way, I have always enjoyed modal music, especially when it affects the melody too, and not only the chords, as is usually the case. These two modes (Lydian and Dorian) have become my favorites, which makes sense, because a Lydian scale is the same as the Dorian scale of the relative minor, so they basically have a similar effect.
Third. (Off topic). I hope one day you make a video on the Beatles' use of slow-triplets. Lennon was particularly fond of them and always used them to great effect. For example, (and this is really cool), the phrase Strawberry Fields Forever has a naturally triplet feel, because of the stressed syllables: STRAW-be-rry-FI-elds-fo-RE-ver (1-2-3-1-2-3-1). However this song is in 4/4. So what does Lennon do? The first time he sings "strawberry fields, nothing is real" he uses slow triplets.. i.e. triplets in a 4/4 context.. and the second time he sings "strawberry fields forever" he changes the meter altogether. So there, he sings this line twice with a totally different triplet feel in the course of 5 seconds! Absolute genius.
Your composition is lovely. Thank you for this.
I love seeing Bjork in your videos. Great work man, love your channel
Thanks Edgar!
You piece at the end is great! You're so talented! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and creativity with us
Thank you!
Based on your piece in this video and your submission in the “one note melodies” david bruce video, you seem to have a real knack for humbling pieces with somber melodies and harmonically interesting arpeggios
Thank you Pedro! That means a lot! I will be releasing some music on Spotify soon enough 😊
hey I've seen your bohemian rhapsody video because of it I started looking for multitrack masters now I got a whole library. So great!
They are amazing to listen to aren't they!
@@DavidBennettPiano Yes really great vocal production. Great skill in like finishing phrases too. Like you can't really hear that in the mix, I should try to mix it with those better audible I guess
Do you have sheet music for your piece at the end? I would love to learn to play it. It's absolutely stunning!
Very lovingly haunting composition, D! 👍👍👍
Thanks!
I always think of melodic minor as Dorian with a leading tone, since the major IV chord can be such a big part of the sound
Agreed!
I absolutely love your piece at the end!
Some other Beatles examples:
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite (the intro)
I'll Be Back
Michelle (the bass in the chorus)
Your Mother Should Know (the instrumental bridge)
Old Brown Shoe (bass in the chorus)
Carry That Weight (bass just before "I never give you my pillow")
Fixing A Hole
No Reply
I'll Be Back is in parallel keys-can't remember but like F-Fm, E-Em. Paul loved doin that too. Chaos and Creation very cleverly slides back and forth.
Thanks, as always, David! I love these videos that have song examples of music theory... and if it mentions The Beatles, all the better
Thank you Michael!
Love the original music at the end!! Using arpeggios with the left hand - & letting the right hand wander around creating a melody. Beautiful David!!
That piece at the end wow 😳
Thanks Josh!
The piece at the end is amazing
Thanks!!
What led me to your excellent lesson here is having stumbled upon the chords for HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN and trying to figure out what key the song actually was in. Really glad you've uploaded this explanatory video here.
Thankyou David...beautiful melodic minor sounds you wrote at the end.🌹💐💕
That was a very nice piano piece, David. I say it works. Very wistful.
Despite the melodic minor being my favourite scale, when I was taught to play Greensleeves (the first way shown), I had to stop because I couldn’t stop playing it the second way! I guess that shows how much your mental image of a song impacts your playing
Such a pleasure to hear your piece at the end demonstrating you can walk your talk. There are too many clever gimmicky theory people on TH-cam who are neither serious nor creative composers in the real world. Interesting some have so many followers...... Thank you David.
Superb video. And very instructive to hear that we are dealing with guidelines rather than absolute rules.
My ears will definitely be on the lookout for more examples! Melodic minor is so cool!
Funny seeing you here, I'm pretty sure I saw you comment on a bunch of Nintendo-related videos
Let me know if you find any!
Thank you for these really interesting videos!! So much effort going into this, especially composing a whole piece, which sounds so pretty yet easy, that’s when you know it’s really good! 💪🏽
A friend of mine taught me the altered scale that is used in altered chords, and that builds on knowledge of the minor scales. I was confused about melodic and harmonic scales and this beautifully explained it all and it makes complete sense. Everything has clicked now for me once I watched this. You've got an amazing knack for explaining, thanks for sharing!
Thank you David beautiful melodic minor sounds you wrote at the end too 🌷💕🍒
Thanks Gina 😊
loved that piece man. really gorgeous. simple and light but heady.
After listening to your piece of music, I wonder why we don't hear that more often ! It's like life, we cannot decide if it's happy or sad, good or wrong, sweet or bitter, easy or complexe....
...but it's beautiful
When your notation was stating the song started in F, I'm thinking in my head that I've been playing it wrong until Paul said G to f sharp minor 7. Then I knew I'm doing it right!
Lovely composition as always, David. Thank you for the lesson.
Lovely composition!! 😍 And very well explained talk. Thank you!
Dude I have been watching so long and just noticed the wedding ring. I legit thought you were like 17 years old this whole time!!!!!!
Baby face? He looks 12 talks like he's 50.
always enjoy your videos. thanks for clarifying the melodic minor scale. I thought that was impossible to do! also found your ending piece delightful.
Thank you for a clear and easy-to-understand explanation of the different minor scales. Well done!
13:05 I don't know why, but that jump scared me even though I was expecting it.
Great vid btw, you are one of the few youtubers that I don't mind to watch doing sponsorship.
Sorry! The Icelandic are a scary people! Thanks for watching and thanks for the support in regards to the sponsor 😀
I thought the melody at the end was wonderful. Very informative video, as ever. Many thanks.
Lovely composition at the end, really enjoyed it!
This is a brillant video and I love the haunting closing piece you that you wrote. Congratulations.
Thanks! Really appreciate these videos. Without having an formal music education myself, I always wonder how these bits of music theory fit in real songs. There's no-one else on TH-cam giving this kind of info.
Thanks Ben! I’ve always thought that learning theory without relating it to actual examples is dumb and dry as hell!
Excellent, as always.
Thanks Brandon!
Thanks for sharing, loving the composition at the end. Good job!
Absolutely brilliant video. I don’t think Ive seen another video that so clearly explains the purpose of these scales. also the piece at the end is so beautiful 👏
Thank you! 😃😃
Melodic Minor is a thing in vintage calypso where it is called Me-Minor. Check it out
I would love to see videos about all the other minor and also non-minor scales aswell
Great video again, David. Loved the piece at the end. Very melodic.
Thanks Hugh!
As always, everything's very clear and enjoyable! I really love that you show versions of popular songs if they used different modes - so much fun! And your piece in 100% Melodic Minor is so pretty. Indeed, it doesn't sound as gloomy and depressive as it would be in Aeolian. Thanks a lot!
Another great video, I always wondered if you could do one on counter melody (specifically Paul McCartneys bass work on songs such as Lucy in the sky with diamonds, something and many other Beatles songs) I think it would make an interesting video
McCartney's bass work could certainly be the topic for a video!
Is it possible to buy that song at the end? Loved it.
Here's a clue: McCartney knew Bach's Bourée in Em. He has talked about that a few times and he could play a stripped-down version on the guitar. In his dream, and when he awoke, he was composing "Yesterday" in G instead of F. In fact, to play "Yesterday" on guitar, he tunes down a whole step(!) to us G major fingerings and get the music in F. So the melodic minor McCartney was using when he first wrote "Yesterday" was E melodic minor, the same key as the Bach piece he knew. Coincidence? I doubt it. Furthermore, the implied chord sequence is basically the same -- in the Bourée, it's G, F♯m, B7, Em, D7, G, so transcribed to F it's F, Em, A7, Dm, C7, F. Dreams can scramble things up a bit, and strangely McCartney called his new song "Scrambled Eggs" at first. I think maybe I've solved the very long-standing mystery. What do you think? I wonder what McCartney would say. On the bright side, he doesn't have to worry about a copyright suit for "stealing" anything from Bach! Maybe he would like this idea.
Your etude at the end was mysterious and beautiful at the same time. I could see it being used in a film cue for an apprehensive soul who is looking out towards a goal that seems sadly out of reach, yet still yearning.
Nice composition at the end of the video
I'm focusing my practice on my melodic minor scales at the moment so this is perfect.
I love the piece you wrote at the end. It's unusual in that Melodic Minor. Thanks for a great show!
An interesting specimen is "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. The melody is in F natural minor (harmonised with liberal use of the tierce de Picardie, because it's happy), but between the vocals, the instrumentals use the ascending melodic minor, featuring Bb major and C major chords.