Cello Intermediate 15: One Octave Minor Scales
In this cello lesson video, we are looking at one-octave minor scales. You hear cellists talk about scales all the time, but why are they so important? When we practice scales, we are effectively training our left hand to memorise the physical patterns that make up almost all the music we play. The more familiar your hand is with these scale patterns, the faster you will learn new repertoire and the easier your sight-reading will become.
Major vs. minor: the flattened 3rd
Major scales are generally described as sounding "happy," while minor scales sound a bit sadder or more soulful. The secret to this mood change lies in the third note of the scale. In a minor scale, this third note is flattened (lowered by a semitone), creating a minor third. This one note gives the scale its distinct quality.
When playing minor scales, we generally practice two different variations: the melodic minor and the harmonic minor.
The melodic minor scale
The melodic minor scale can be a bit confusing at first because it is different on the way up than it is on the way down.
- On the way up: it is very similar to a major scale, but with that flattened third note.
- On the way down: the 7th and 6th notes of the scale are lowered.
To play this descent smoothly, you will need to slip to your 2nd finger and perform a backward extension (remember to bring your elbow forward!) to catch the flattened notes before returning to the minor third.
The harmonic minor scale
The harmonic minor scale is the same on the way up as it is on the way down, which is why many of my students prefer to learn it first. The first five notes are exactly the same as the melodic minor scale. However, when you reach the top of the scale, you have to perform a very unusual and wide extension. While keeping your hand in its normal position, you stretch between the 1st and 2nd fingers to play a 1-3-4 pattern.
This creates a very dramatic sound that is used constantly in film scores.
Practicing your minor scales
The beauty of learning these fingerings is that they are entirely movable. Once you learn the pattern for a G minor scale (starting on the open G string), you can apply that exact same fingering to a C minor scale (starting on the open C string) and a D minor scale (starting on the open D string).