Minor Scale on Guitar (Natural Minor)
The natural minor scale is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, steps W H W W H W W (2 1 2 2 1 2 2 frets on one string). It has the same notes as the major scale three frets higher: A minor and C major share all seven.
Showing A natural minor: A B C D E F G
Scale on the fretboard
A natural minor: A B C D E F G · Pattern 1 · frets 5–10 · starts on the root (A) on the 6th string
Tap a dot to hear it. Drone holds the root. Brightest dot = root. High e on top. Swipe for higher frets.
Formula of the natural minor scale, in A
| Degree | Interval | Frets above root | Note in A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | 0 | A |
| 2 | major 2nd | 2 | B |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | 3 | C |
| 4 | perfect 4th | 5 | D |
| 5 | perfect 5th | 7 | E |
| ♭6 | minor 6th | 8 | F |
| ♭7 | minor 7th | 10 | G |
Use the natural minor scale
- Natural minor scale on the fretboard mapfrets 0 to 15, any key and tuning
How guitarists use the natural minor scale
Natural minor is the scale of minor keys. The chords of a minor key come from it, and most rock, pop and folk songs in a minor key take their melody from it too.
It shares its notes with the major scale a minor third (three frets) higher: A natural minor has the same seven notes as C major. That is the relative minor relationship, and it means every major scale pattern you know is also a minor pattern with a different note marked as the root.
Compared with the major scale on the same root, three notes are one fret lower: the 3rd, the 6th and the 7th. The ♭3 is the note that makes it sound minor.
The seven patterns, in A natural minor
Natural minor uses the seven three-notes-per-string shapes of the major scale, renumbered so that pattern 1 starts on the minor root.
| Pattern | Frets | Starts on (6th string) |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern 1 | 5–10 | A (1) at fret 5 |
| Pattern 2 | 7–12 | B (2) at fret 7 |
| Pattern 3 | 8–13 | C (♭3) at fret 8 |
| Pattern 4 | 10–15 | D (4) at fret 10 |
| Pattern 5 | 12–17 | E (5) at fret 12 |
| Pattern 6 | 1–7 (shown an octave lower, same shape as frets 13–19) | F (♭6) at fret 1 |
| Pattern 7 | 3–8 (shown an octave lower, same shape as frets 15–20) | G (♭7) at fret 3 |
A minor pattern 1 (frets 5–10) is pattern 6 of C major: the same dots with A marked as the root. If you know the major patterns, you know these.
Tap a number above the fretboard to show that pattern in any key. The CAGED system groups the same notes into five shapes around the open C, A, G, E and D chords: see CAGED system scales.
Chords from the A natural minor scale
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get its seven triads.
| Degree | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | Am | A C E |
| ii° | Bdim | B D F |
| III | C | C E G |
| iv | Dm | D F A |
| v | Em | E G B |
| VI | F | F A C |
| VII | G | G B D |
The natural minor scale in every key
Related scales
- Major scalethe scale every major key and its chords are built from
- Harmonic minor scalethe major V chord of a minor key, neoclassical and flamenco sounds
- Melodic minor scaleminor melodies that climb to the root, and jazz
- Pentatonic scalerock, blues and country solos; the easiest scale to improvise with
Keep practising
- All guitar scalesevery scale in one fretboard tool
- Keyschords and progressions in every key
- Guitar tunertune up before you play along
FAQ: natural minor scale
What is the difference between natural minor and minor pentatonic?
The minor pentatonic leaves out the 2nd and the ♭6 of natural minor and keeps 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. With no half steps left it is easier to improvise with; the full natural minor adds colour and is what minor-key melodies use.
Is natural minor the same as Aeolian?
Yes. Aeolian is the sixth mode of the major scale and has the same notes and formula as natural minor.
Which minor scale should I learn first?
The minor pentatonic for soloing, then natural minor. Harmonic minor and melodic minor are natural minor with a raised 7th, or a raised 6th and 7th.