How to Play Relative Minor Scales on a Tuba

Video Transcript

"Hi, Kevin Smith back again, TubaLove, and next part of my practice session after major, minor scales work on what 's called a relative minor scale. A relative minor scale is a minor scale that has the exact same fingerings as a major scale, but sounds different. And if that sounds complicated, just on this horn I have, this is a C horn. This is how I play a C major scale. It has no sharps or flats. It's just C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Ok. A minor scale also has no sharps or flats. That's what makes it relative to the major scale. It's an A minor scale is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. But it sounds like this. It sounds very different than the major scale. The nice thing to know about relative scales especially. First off, if that if you want to find out the relative minor of any major scale, go down three half steps. Or what some people may call a minor third. In the case of what I just did, C major, no sharps or flats , go down a half or semi-tone to the B, another semi-tone to the B flat, then to the A. You're on the A minor scale. It has all the exact same notes that are used in the C major scale except that it sounds like a minor scale. So you can use that same pattern to find any relative minor scale. Just go down three semi-tones. A nice thing if you're listening and you start to like to play to a lot of pop tunes and stuff, they go from major to relative minor all the time. So the more you start to understand that the more can start to feel it when you're playing certain songs. So that's relative minor scales."