Why change the Minor Scale?
Surely one minor scale is enough! It would certainly make things easier, but in a lot of cases it would not sound as easy on the ear. OK, so we need to use the notes of the major scale in a way that makes the whole thing sound sad or haunting. Playing the major scale pitches downwards starting on the 6th degree for an octave (the natural or relative minor) does produce a sad sound but has two serious drawbacks. Firstly, the same scale doesn’t sound quite right when going upwards. The reason for this is our second drawback – the scale does not have a leading-note. This is the note that makes all the difference to the chords at the end of a section or piece (the cadence), when the harmonies move pleasantly to the home or tonic chord by using the familiar sounding 7th note going up a semitone to the 8th note. Since all harmonies (chords) are built using the notes of the scale, without the leading note the cadences just don’t seem to do their job, sounding more like just two unrelated chor
