Theory Made Easy 11

Minor Key Structures - continued

[ 2 ] A Minor - D Major - E Minor

This Key Structure has a harder edged sound than the first example - it is the probably the most used Minor Key Structure in Funk , Jazz , Soul and Pop.

If you analyze the notes that make up these three chords you will find a scale of G Major.

It is in fact one of the Modes of G Major.

The scale used in this Mode is a G Major scale - starting and finishing on A = an A Dorian scale

The other chords that fit into this Key Structure are the chords from the G Major structure

[ G - C - D - Em - Am - Bm - F#mb5 + Extensions ]

We are using the Key Structure of G Major to play in the Key of A Minor.

Exercise

[ 1 ] Work out the chords and the scale for this Minor Structure in some other Keys

[ 2 ] Listen to - Light my Fire - The Doors , Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf , She's Not There - The Zombies , Sex Machine - James Brown , Spooky - Dusty Springfield , No More Heroes - The Stranglers , So What - Miles Davis - to hear some of the different ways this Structure is used.