Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this lesson, Brian explores how to learn 7th chords within minor scale and how different types of minor scales affect the chords they produce.
If you’re interested in understanding 7th chords on piano and expanding your harmonic vocabulary, this tutorial will show you how the natural minor scale, harmonic minor scale, and melodic minor scale each generate their own set of rich and expressive chords piano players can use in real music.
Starting with the natural minor scale, Brian demonstrates how to build and recognise the 7th chords that naturally occur within the scale. He then moves to the harmonic minor scale and melodic minor scale, explaining how changing just one note can dramatically alter the harmony and create new 7th chord progressions. This approach helps develop stronger chord practice and a deeper understanding of scales piano players use when learning harmony and improvisation.
To bring these ideas to life, Brian connects the theory with real musical examples. You’ll see how the natural minor scale underpins songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine”, how the harmonic language of “Fly Me to the Moon” relates to minor harmony, and how the timeless melody of “Greensleeves” demonstrates classic minor-scale harmony. These examples show how practical chord progressions grow directly out of the scales themselves.
By the end of the tutorial, you’ll clearly understand how the three minor scales shape the 7th chords within a minor key, giving you powerful tools for arranging, improvising, and composing on the piano.
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VIDEO BREAKDOWN:
00:00 Introduction
00:47 Natural Minor Scale
02:05 Harmonic Minor Scale
04:00 Fly me to the Moon
04:48 Melodic Minor Scale
05:35 Chord progressions
06:13 Greensleeves
—————————————————————————
👇 If you would like to learn more about 7th chords, watch this tutorial next:
youtube.com/watch?v=SNu7ZTbuqCo&list=PLDqNslPG6e1IbTdTGk5XsSC3v8_F9kdD1&index=31
🎁 Claim your FREE gift - Resources Pack - by getting in touch with us at London Contemporary School of Piano so that we can help you solve your challenges and accelerate you progress at the piano:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com
🎹 Learn Piano with Brian Hughes:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com/coaches/brian-hughes
🎓 Get Your GROOVE Everyday Course to access all the resources you need to master piano grooves and expand your piano groove vocabulary:
lcsp.samcart.com/products/groove-mastery-everyday
🎓 Join our Flagship Course, THE COMPLETE MUSICIAN: Piano Essentials Online Course with Tom Donald:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com/the-complete-musician
🔔 If you enjoyed this piano chords tutorial on seventh chords in a minor scale and would like to get more top tips on learning piano, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel right here:
youtube.com/channel/UCZWqaBf6VLuD0cSKF4cukPg?sub_confirmation=1
Follow BRIAN HUGHES:
YouTube: youtube.com/@brianhughes91
Instagram: instagram.com/brian.hughes91?igsh=MTdsNThucWRrZ3oyNg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Credits:
Filmed by Josh Adams.
Edited by BUBI Productions & Charlie Coe.
youtu.be/NcfJtlmU3Fc
#londoncontemporaryschoolofpiano #7thchords #pianotutorial
In this lesson, Brian explores how to learn 7th chords within minor scale and how different types of minor scales affect the chords they produce.
If you’re interested in understanding 7th chords on piano and expanding your harmonic vocabulary, this tutorial will show you how the natural minor scale, harmonic minor scale, and melodic minor scale each generate their own set of rich and expressive chords piano players can use in real music.
Starting with the natural minor scale, Brian demonstrates how to build and recognise the 7th chords that naturally occur within the scale. He then moves to the harmonic minor scale and melodic minor scale, explaining how changing just one note can dramatically alter the harmony and create new 7th chord progressions. This approach helps develop stronger chord practice and a deeper understanding of scales piano players use when learning harmony and improvisation.
To bring these ideas to life, Brian connects the theory with real musical examples. You’ll see how the natural minor scale underpins songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine”, how the harmonic language of “Fly Me to the Moon” relates to minor harmony, and how the timeless melody of “Greensleeves” demonstrates classic minor-scale harmony. These examples show how practical chord progressions grow directly out of the scales themselves.
By the end of the tutorial, you’ll clearly understand how the three minor scales shape the 7th chords within a minor key, giving you powerful tools for arranging, improvising, and composing on the piano.
—————————————————————————
VIDEO BREAKDOWN:
00:00 Introduction
00:47 Natural Minor Scale
02:05 Harmonic Minor Scale
04:00 Fly me to the Moon
04:48 Melodic Minor Scale
05:35 Chord progressions
06:13 Greensleeves
—————————————————————————
👇 If you would like to learn more about 7th chords, watch this tutorial next:
youtube.com/watch?v=SNu7ZTbuqCo&list=PLDqNslPG6e1IbTdTGk5XsSC3v8_F9kdD1&index=31
🎁 Claim your FREE gift - Resources Pack - by getting in touch with us at London Contemporary School of Piano so that we can help you solve your challenges and accelerate you progress at the piano:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com
🎹 Learn Piano with Brian Hughes:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com/coaches/brian-hughes
🎓 Get Your GROOVE Everyday Course to access all the resources you need to master piano grooves and expand your piano groove vocabulary:
lcsp.samcart.com/products/groove-mastery-everyday
🎓 Join our Flagship Course, THE COMPLETE MUSICIAN: Piano Essentials Online Course with Tom Donald:
contemporaryschoolofpiano.com/the-complete-musician
🔔 If you enjoyed this piano chords tutorial on seventh chords in a minor scale and would like to get more top tips on learning piano, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel right here:
youtube.com/channel/UCZWqaBf6VLuD0cSKF4cukPg?sub_confirmation=1
Follow BRIAN HUGHES:
YouTube: youtube.com/@brianhughes91
Instagram: instagram.com/brian.hughes91?igsh=MTdsNThucWRrZ3oyNg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Credits:
Filmed by Josh Adams.
Edited by BUBI Productions & Charlie Coe.
youtu.be/NcfJtlmU3Fc
#londoncontemporaryschoolofpiano #7thchords #pianotutorial
