Natural Minor Workout: Exploring Phrasing and Chords

In this lesson, we'll focus on the essentials of phrasing and chord accompaniment in the Natural Minor scale. Here's what we will cover:

Overview

I left you eight bars in every key to experiment with your own ideas while playing the left hand chords to accompany you. I hope you were able to keep track of the eight bars.

Keeping Track of Bars

The easiest way to manage this is to play two-bar phrases. As demonstrated in my improvised phrases:

• Four two-bar phrases add up to eight bars.
• If you play longer phrases, you may find it challenging to keep track of the form.
• Losing track means you won't know when to change chords.

Tip: To build confidence, stick to two-bar phrases for now.

Practicing with Minor Triads

You could use this track to become more familiar with all your minor triads and their inversions. For instance:

• Instead of starting as written, you could:
  • Move it down to a lower position
  • Vary that from key to key

Explore the inversions that sound best for each key.

Two-Bar Phrasing Ideas

Observe that I started every new key on the one. You can use this rhythmic template:

• Play the same rhythm, but change the notes.
• There are eight notes (including the target note).

Note: The target note is on the beat. You could:

• Anticipate it
• Vary the timing of the other notes as well, while still starting on one.

Target Notes: Success and Failure

Here's an example of a less successful target note.

• I ended my phrase on F. That note doesn't fit with the A minor chord.
• Ending on A minor with an F note is not effective.

Improvement:

• You could adjust the phrase; even G would sound better than F.

Experimenting with Phrase Starts

We've started phrases on the one. Try:

• Starting phrases in other places
• Leading into each new key with a pickup note

For example, leading into G minor:

• At first, it may sound wrong.
• However, once you reach G minor in the left hand, it comes together.

This illustrates an example of forward motion.

Feel free to experiment with these ideas and notice how they impact your playing and phrasing! Keep practicing!