Minor scales have a much sadder sound than the major scale. The main difference is the half-step between the second and third notes and the whole-step between the seventh and eighth notes.
Minor scale:
w h w w h w w
Now let's do C minor. Start with C and build the scale similarly to the way you did for major. Compared to the major scale minor scales have the third, sixth, and seventh notes flat.
w h w w h w w
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8
Almost all melodies in a minor key end on note 1 of the minor scale pattern above (not note number one of the major scale pattern!).
Now go back and read this one more time to let it settle.
Major scale
Here is the pattern of whole-steps and half-steps (a whole-step on the guitar is a distance of two frets, while a half-step is a distance of one fret).
When constructing a scale, refer to the alphabet on the previous page. To get a whole step, skip a note. To get a half-step go to the note right next to the previous note.
Whole-step: w Half-step: h
Major scale:
w w h w w w h
Now let's start with C major. Start with C, go up a whole-step to D, then another whole-step to E, then a half-step to F, etc. Then number each note.
w w h w w w h
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
If you want F major, note four will be Bb. If you start with any flat note (Bb, Eb, etc), the key will not have any sharps. Similarly, if you start with a sharp note (F#, C#), the key will not have any flats, just sharps. This fact is also true for minor keys.
Almost all melodies in a major key will end on note number 1.
Whit's Guitar Method
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