Harmonic Minor Scale, & Natural and Melodic Minor Scale and Piano Chords Chart for the 12 Minor Keys

Harmonic minor scale, plus natural and melodic minor scale, in all the keys!

Print out:

  • one-octave and 
  • two-octave scales, 
  • I, IV and V chords, 
  • tonic chord inversions and 
  • arpeggios, all on one sheet for each of the 12 minor keys! 
Key of Am chords and scales for piano.

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Minor sounds seem mysterious

As a child, I always loved the minor keys the most. I guess I still do.

Of all the scales, the harmonic minor scale was my favorite, because it seemed to contain magic within its sounds... magic that could carry me away to other lands in my imagination.

Harmonic minor scales and chords sheet for piano students

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Scales and chords for pianists in the key of Bm.  Foundational.

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Turn scales into a game of skill

My students started to really enjoy their scales, chord inversions and arpeggios when we made a contest out of the process... a contest between them and the metronome! 

It gives them a goal, a measurable mark of progress. They can feel the skill of their hands growing.

Key of Cm scales and chords for piano students

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

The mystery of the v (V) chord in minor keys

Here's a question about the major V chord I received from an alert reader - perhaps you've pondered the same question:

Question: I have 1 small question...  In your 1-4-5 progression on Minor scales, there is i, iv and V (minor,minor, major).  Shouldn't the V (major) also be a v (minor)?

The Key of Dm, scales, chord inversions, arpeggios, for piano students

Reply: That is a very good question.  It is the difference between the sound of a NATURAL MINOR scale and a HARMONIC MINOR scale that you are seeing.

Ordinarily, in Western music, when we go to the V chord, even in minor, we preserve the raised 7th step of the scale in order to "lead" the progression back home to the I or i chord.  

The leading tone "drives" us home to the tonic

It is the half step between the 7th (also called the "leading tone") and the 8th (which is the same as the 1st, or "tonic") steps of the scale that is important.  

So usually a chord that includes the 7th step of the scale, and a melodic passage also, will  raise that note a half step, particularly if the chord progression is taking us back "home" to the I chord.

The key of Eb minor - scales and chords for piano students

The metronome can be fun

When they get fast enough with arpeggios that we leave the one-tic-per-note behind (when 208 is not fast enough) and we need to do three notes for each tic of the metronome, that can be intimidating or even irritating.

Matching the metronome can be a struggle for some kids. But here's a fun approach:

Say you're doing an Am arpeggio... break it up into segments. Start hands separate, even if they can easily do hands together arpeggios. Set the metronome for 60 or so (about 3 times the speed of 200, or a little less).

Like jumping rope!

Listen to the metronome go "Tic -- Tic -- Tic" while you say "1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3," each "1" coordinated with a tic, waiting to "jump" in like a child jumping rope.

Then jump in, playing just one octave, making the A's match the metronome. "A-c-e-A!" (Tic-2-3, Tic-2-3) "A-2-3-A!" Then try two octaves. Then backwards.

Doing the arpeggios in "chunks" like this will give them another practice technique for their "toolbag".

Below is an interesting Youtube video which seeks to explain the difference between regular natural minor, and the harmonic minor scale:

I hope you find the harmonic minor scale and other piano scales and chords useful in your music studio.

While understanding the method of building them is what's most important, it is also helpful for students to know what they look like. For you as a teacher, sheets like these save time and expedite assignment-making. 

By the way, the links on this page open up into new pages so that you don't have to keep going back to the main page. 

This is breaking one of Google's little rules - opening in a new page is supposed to be reserved for when you are taking a site visitor away from your website - but I find it a nuisance myself to have to keep going back to a page and scrolling back to where I was!



The download links for the minor scales:



Download free minor scales and piano chords chart Key of Am 



Download free music scales and chords for Bb minor 



Download printable scales and chords for B minor 



Download scale and piano chords chart for C minor 



Download music scales and chords for key of C# minor 



Scales and chords for key of D minor 



Piano arpeggios, scales and chords for Eb minor



Download scales and chords for key of E minor



Chord inversions, argeggios, and scales for key of F minor



Download free piano scales and chords for key of F# minor



Download arpeggios, chords, and scales for G minor 



Download printable piano scales and chords for G# minor




The links for the enharmonic minor keys:



Download enharmonic chart Key of Ab minor



Download enharmonic chart Key of A# minor



Download enharmonic chart Key of D# minor 




Music for Music Teachers has other great free resources for piano teachers!  Take a look:

Rote Learning - leaving the written page behind (or treating it like a map!)


Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!

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About the Author

Dana Thynes

Hi, I'm Dana!  (Say that like "Anna".)  I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.

Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.

You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.