Every key, part 1: the black-key ladder

Twelve minor keys look like twelve things to memorise. They are one pattern: each key is the white keys with some swapped for black ones, and the swaps follow a fixed order. This section explains the order, then covers the keys with one or two black keys (E, D, B and G minor) and drills them until you can find them without looking anything up.

Start this section in the interactive course

4.1 A key is a set of black keys

A minor uses only white keys. Every other minor key keeps the same gaps between notes (2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2 semitones) but starts somewhere else, so some white keys have to be swapped for a neighbouring black key to keep the gaps right.

That makes the useful question for any key: which black keys does it use? Everything else is white keys.

The keys form a ladder from A minor. Going up seven semitones gives the next sharp key and adds one sharp: E minor, then B, F♯, C♯, G♯. Going up five semitones gives the next flat key and adds one flat: D minor, then G, C, F, B♭, E♭.

The order the black keys join in is easy to see on the keyboard. Sharp keys fill the black keys from the left of each group: F♯, then C♯, then G♯, D♯, A♯. Flat keys fill them from the right: B♭, then E♭, then A♭, D♭, G♭.

Every minor key shares its notes with the major key three semitones above it: A minor with C major, B minor with D major. If a scale menu only lists major keys, pick that one.
Live 12 can highlight a clip’s scale in the MIDI editor, and Push’s in-key layout only puts scale notes on the pads. Both are useful to check yourself, but the aim here is to know it without them.

Exercises

The ladder

4.2 One black key: E minor and D minor

E minor: E F♯ G A B C D. White keys from E, with F swapped for F♯, the left black key of the group of three. Over an E bass, F sounds sour and F♯ fits.

D minor: D E F G A B♭ C. White keys from D, with B swapped for B♭, the right black key of the group of three.

Compare D minor with D Dorian from section 3, which keeps B natural. That one note is the difference between the two.

Each new black key follows a rule. On the sharp side it sits a whole tone above the new home note (E, then F♯). On the flat side it is the sixth note of the new key (D minor’s sixth note is B♭).

E minor, right hand: E 1, F♯ 2, G 3, A 1, B 2, C 3, D 4, E 5.
E minor, left hand: E 5, F♯ 4, G 3, A 2, B 1, C 3, D 2, E 1.
D minor, right hand: D 1, E 2, F 3, G 1, A 2, B♭ 3, C 4, D 5.
D minor, left hand: D 5, E 4, F 3, G 2, A 1, B♭ 3, C 2, D 1.

Exercises

E minor: all seven notes: Play all seven notes of E minor in any order and octave. Touching a note outside the key counts as a slip.
E minor, up and down: Root to root and back with the fingering shown.
E minor, left hand: The same scale an octave lower with the left hand: 5 on E, thumb on B, then 3 crosses over to C.
D minor: all seven notes: Same again for D minor.
D minor, up and down: Root to root and back. Finger 3 lands on B♭ going up.
E minor over a downtempo loop: Eight bars over a slow broken beat with the whole scale lit. Play F♯ often and listen to how it sits against the chords.
D minor, home notes only: Eight bars with only the D keys lit, so you find the other notes yourself.

4.3 Two black keys: B minor and G minor

B minor: B C♯ D E F♯ G A. E minor’s F♯ stays and C♯ joins, a whole tone above B. Both are the left black key of their group: one in the pair, one in the three.

G minor: G A B♭ C D E♭ F. D minor’s B♭ stays and E♭ joins, the sixth note of G minor. Both are the right black key of their group.

Under the hand, B minor puts finger 2 on C♯ straight after the thumb on B, then the thumb on E and finger 2 on F♯. It’s the same shape twice, one group along.

G minor is the mirror: finger 3 on B♭ and finger 3 again on E♭.

B minor, right hand: B 1, C♯ 2, D 3, E 1, F♯ 2, G 3, A 4, B 5.
B minor, left hand: B 4, C♯ 3, D 2, E 1, F♯ 4, G 3, A 2, B 1.
G minor, right hand: G 1, A 2, B♭ 3, C 1, D 2, E♭ 3, F 4, G 5.
G minor, left hand: G 5, A 4, B♭ 3, C 2, D 1, E♭ 3, F 2, G 1.

Exercises

B minor: all seven notes: Every note of B minor, any order. No wrong notes allowed this time.
B minor, up and down: Root to root and back with the fingering shown.
B minor in time: One note per click after the count-in.
G minor: all seven notes: Every note of G minor, any order, no wrong notes.
G minor, up and down: Root to root and back.
B minor, left hand: Left hand, starting on finger 4: 4 3 2 1, then 4 crosses over the thumb onto F♯.
B minor by feel: The same scale with no lights and no names. B is the white key just left of the pair of black keys.
B minor over a deep house loop: Eight bars, scale lit. Try short phrases that end on B or F♯.
G minor with the lights off: Eight bars, nothing lit. The scale shows again when you finish.

4.4 Finding home fast

Before improvising in a key, find three notes: home, the minor third (3 semitones up) and the fifth (7 semitones up). Together they make the key’s minor chord, and they’re the safest notes to land on.

Ending a phrase on home sounds finished. Ending on the fifth leaves it open, so the next phrase sounds like an answer.

Pentatonic works in any key: take the scale and drop its second and sixth notes. B minor pentatonic is B D E F♯ A. The two dropped notes are the ones most likely to clash with a chord, which is why the pentatonic is the safe version.

In a project, find home by playing along with the bass. When your note and the bass blend into one sound, that’s home.

Exercises

Minor chord flash: A key appears. Play its minor chord: home, third and fifth, any order and octave. Three wrong notes lights the answer.
Pentatonic flash: A key appears. Play its minor pentatonic from home up to home.

4.5 Key flash

These drills give you a random key from this section with nothing lit. Speed comes from knowing each key’s black keys, so the first drill asks for only those.

Aim for under four seconds a key. Most of that time is spent remembering the key rather than finding the notes, and remembering gets quicker with practice.

Exercises

Black keys by key: Play the black keys that belong to the key shown, any order.
Scale flash: Play the full scale of the key shown, home to home.
Random key, home notes lit: A key from this section is picked when you press Start. Only its home notes are lit.

← Scales as safe zones All sections Every key, part 2: busy keys and any key →

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