confused with minor keys and pattern 1

[jovan]

on page 27 of work book it states that to learn minor keys you just have to move 3 frets down! well when i try that concept with A major ( which is located on 5th fret) to go to A minor i shift down to the 8th fret ! but is that not the C major location?????  i’m so confused now thought i was getting it but now i’m at a wall!! and the same thing goes for the B major and B minor because B is located at 7th fret and if i shift 3 frets down now i’m in 10th fret which is the D major scale !? someone help ASAP PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

[Delbert Moke]

Hi Jovan I will try to explain that it gets in to music theory.  The key of a minor and the key of c major have the same notes.  The steps of a major scale is whole step whole step half step whole step whole step whole step half step and for the minor key it is whole step half step whole step whole step half step whole step whole step.  In the key of A minor that comes out to A B C D E F G A and in C major the notes are C D E F G A B C the steps for a major or minor key work for all keys the steps for b minor will give the same notes used in D major.  I hope that will explain it and not confuse you even more.  It is because of the arrangement of whole step and half step in the major and minor keys that also will work out the sharps and flats in each key.

[Alan Desmond]

Ive been student with BTG for 1 1/2 years now, seen others comment confused with that statement so many times. Suggest try a different approach. In the modes unit you will see the 7 patterns and Major / Minor diminished. You will see that minor scales flatten the 3rd note (move towards nut) or just play pattern 6. Example if you play Am pentatonic from e string on 5th fret or from octave at d string 7, you get some nice stuff, takes you into BB Kings box or called house of blues. (Google that). Give it a try.