How do you turn a major scale into a natural minor? (I play clarinet)?

Question:Well I have all my majors memorized, and I know how to play my melodic minors, but I always forget how to turn a major scale INTO a natural minor. I started in 6th grade and now I'm in 8th but I'm looking into playing jazz and I need a better knowledge of scales and chords. =]

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Well I have all my majors memorized, and I know how to play my melodic minors, but I always forget how to turn a major scale INTO a natural minor. I started in 6th grade and now I'm in 8th but I'm looking into playing jazz and I need a better knowledge of scales and chords. =]

C major
C D E F G A B C

C minor (natural)
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
note b on 3 6 and 7 both ways

C minor (melodic)
C D Eb F G A B C Bb Ab G F Eb D C
note b 3 up but b 3 6 and 7 down

C minor (harmonic)
C D Eb F G Ab B C
note b 3 and 6 but not 7 both ways.

The relative minor of any major is the scale that starts on the 6th. The relative minor of C major is a minor - a is the 6th scale step of C major. The natural minor scale will have the key signature of the relative. a minor (natural) has the key signature of C major.

I think I'm understanding your question correctly. If you have a major scale, say A major, how do you turn it into a natural minor. There are at least two ways that will work:
1. Simply lower the third, sixth, and seventh tones by a half step. The A Major Scale is A B C# D E F# G# A. Tones 3, 6, and 7 are C#, F#, and G#. Lower them each by a 1/2 step and you get A B C D E F G A.
2. The other method involves knowing how to find relative major and minor keys. Let's say you want to build an a natural minor scale. First you go up three half steps from A to find the relative major key. That would be C major. Then build a scale from a to a using the notes that are in the C Major scale. The C Major scale is all natural, so the notes for the a natural minor scale, again, are A B C D E F G A

easiest way is to find the relative minor scale (same key signature)
for example; take C major scale, the relative minor scale would start on the 6th note of that scale (c to c for maj., a to a for the relative minor)

as for jazz chops; get the book "patterns for jazz" by jerry coker- it's full of arpeggios riffs and licks to build a solid foundation for improv.

When the third is flat a chord becomes a minor.

I think you make the 3rd and 7th notes a half step higher.

flatten the 3rd note (of the major scale) for natural minor
flatten the 3rd and sharpen the 6th and 7th for harmonic minor

Some of these answers are a real worry, especially one purporting to come from a clarinet teacher. But your question is also ambiguous. Do you want the RELATIVE natural minor, which has the same key signature? Or to turn a Major into its TONIC natural minor, which starts on the same note?

CoachT is correct on both. If you play a Major scale, then play the same set of notes but starting on number 6, that is the natural minor scale of the relative minor key. If you play a Major scale, then play the same scale starting on the same note, with a flat 3rd, 6th and 7th, that is the natural minor scale of the tonic minor key.