3/10_Minor Scale/2nd Inversion

Basic
Alright, so it's been a week or so since we worked on our keyboard knowledge, but I want to get back to it for a minute so that you can expand the range of sounds you have to use when you are making your own music.

I would like to introduce you to my friend, the Minor Scale.

First, lets quickly refresh our memory of the Major Scale. Here is the formula, in case you forgot:

W-W-H-W-W-W-H

Now, here is the formula for the Minor Scale:

W-H-W-W-H-W-W

What kind of mood or emotion would you say the Minor Scale has?

Now let's see how this formula looks on an actual keyboard. Here are the notes of the C Minor Scale...
So today, I have 3 things that I want you to do:

Assignment #1 - Worksheet

Fill out the worksheet that I'm handing out on the C Major/C Minor scales. You are going to be using this as reference for the other 2 assignments, so it makes sense to do it first.

Assignment #2 - C Minor

1. Open a new Reason file.
2. Create a Subtractor Analog Synthesizer.
3. Load a sound from one of the four main categories (Bass, Monosynth, Pad, or Polysynth).
4. Set the L marker on Bar 1 and the R marker on Bar 5.
5. Turn on the Click (aka metronome) and set the tempo to something you can work with. Remember - the goal is to play one note on each click!
   
6. Practice playing the C Minor scale up and down in time with the metronome: (C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C-C-Bb-Ab-G-F-Eb-D-C)
   
7. When you've got it down, hit the Record button and record your performance.
8. Fix any off notes by quantizing.
9. Save the file to your folder as "(your name)_C Minor scale"
10. Have one of the instructors check it and then turn it in to the Dropoff folder (Pickupdropoff>BAVAC>Dropoff>Period 5).

Assignment #3 - C Minor beat

1. Start a new Reason file.
2. Create a Redrum and make a 32-step beat.
   
3. Put it into the Sequencer Window using Copy Pattern to Track.
   
4. Now create a keyboard instrument (Subtractor/Malstrom/NN19/NNXT/Combinator) and load a patch into it. Please make it something where you can hear actual notes (not FX or Drums or Percussion).
5. Using the C-Minor scale, find some notes that sound good with your beat. Record a melody over your drum beat. You can play the notes in any order, or any style that you want, but they have to ALL be from the C Minor scale.
   
6. Add some more instruments and play some parts that go along with the first melody you just put down.
7. Copy all your parts out so that they end on Bar 17.
8. Save this as your name_CMinor beat.
9. Turn it in to the Dropoff folder.

Advanced

Today you're going to be working on 2nd inversion chords. I will come around and show you exactly what this is in a second, but think about it - if the 1st inversion was taking a chord and shifting it up one note, then the 2nd inversion is just shifting up two notes. 

Please fill out the worksheet first. Then do the following assignment:

Create a 16 bar beat that features the A Major or A Minor chord (your choice). You are going to play the regular chord first, then the 1st inversion, then the 2nd inversion.  Over those chords, record a melody that is from the same scale (A Maj/A Min). Save this as your name_2ndinversion and turn it in to the Dropoff folder.