E-Minor Scale and Triad Pattern in Outkast's Hey Ya!
Monday, April 26, 2021
This pattern from the chorus of Outkast's Hey Ya! is a good example of starting a melody on a chord tone other than the root. It begins with step-wise motion ascending from the 5th scale degree to the root. Then it descends back down and concludes with a descending minor triad. This line emphasizes the 5th and 7th degrees of the aeolian minor scale by placing them on the downbeats of the first measure.
Another more elementary minor scale pattern is the descending minor pattern in Dua Lipa's Levitating.
Minor Scale Exercise
This beginning- to intermediate-level exercise applies this Hey Ya! pattern to each of the 12 minor keys. The harmonic pattern is descending half steps, but this pattern can be applied to any collection of minor-7 chords. Once this exercise has been mastered, try cycling through the circle of fifths or other harmonic pattern.
If you want to practice some other minor scale exercises, Patterns for Jazz by Jerry Coker, James Casale, Gary Campbell, and Jerry Greene has approximately 20 or so dedicated minor exercises to get you started. It also contains many other examples and excercises for reading chord changes and applying particular choices. Working through this book will help any musician, jazz or classical, improve their technique and understanding of harmony and melody. It is available for both treble-clef and bass-clef instruments.