minor scale

American  

noun

1. Also called harmonic minor scale.  a scale having half steps between the second and third, fifth and sixth, and seventh and eighth degrees, with whole steps for the other intervals.

2. Also called melodic minor scale.  a scale having the third degree lowered a half step when ascending, and the seventh, sixth, and third degrees lowered a half step when descending.

---

Etymology

Origin of minor scale

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

How does minor-scale compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• major scale vs. minor scale

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minor scale

But it’s a more difficult song to nail because it’s wordy, Glass said, “and the melody descends in a minor scale which may take some skill.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2023

Here, our staff looks into what that comparatively minor scale does to the film’s scope and story, and we address other group questions about how Homecoming operates, and how we reacted to it.

From The Verge ● Jul. 10, 2017

Perrotta’s Rapture occurs on a minor scale: about two per cent of the world’s population disappears in an instant on October 14th.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 28, 2014

This is the equivalent of shooting 100 free throws in a row for basketball practice, or running through just the A minor scale for an hour’s music lesson.

From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2013

The harmonic minor scale raises the seventh note of the scale by one half step, whether you are going up or down the scale.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones