The Natural Minor Scale
The natural minor scale is one of the most important scales in Western music. It provides the foundation for minor keys and forms the starting point for understanding minor-key melodies, chords and harmony.
Like the major scale, the natural minor scale contains seven different notes before returning to the tonic at the octave. What makes it sound different is the pattern of intervals between those notes.
In this lesson, you will learn:
- How the natural minor scale is constructed
- How it differs from the major scale
- How to build it from different tonics
- How relative major and minor scales are connected
- How the scale appears across the guitar fretboard
- Which chords can be built from the natural minor scale
What Is the Natural Minor Scale?
The natural minor scale is a seven-note scale built from a specific pattern of whole tones and semitones.
Its pattern is:
Whole – Half – Whole – Whole – Half – Whole – Whole
In shortened form:
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Its interval formula is:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
The lowered 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees distinguish the natural minor scale from the major scale.
Building A Natural Minor
A natural minor is the simplest example because it contains no sharps or flats. Starting from A and following the natural minor pattern gives us:
A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
A to Bwhole tone
B to Csemitone
C to Dwhole tone
D to Ewhole tone
E to Fsemitone
F to Gwhole tone
G to Awhole tone
This follows the natural minor formula:
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
| Scale degree | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 |
|---|
| Note | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | A |
|---|
| Interval | P1 | M2 | m3 | P4 | P5 | m6 | m7 | P8 |
|---|
A is the tonic and acts as the main point of rest.
Natural Minor Compared with Major
The natural minor scale can be understood by comparing it with the major scale built from the same tonic.
A Major
A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7
A Natural Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
To change A major into A natural minor:
- Lower the 3rd from C♯ to C
- Lower the 6th from F♯ to F
- Lower the 7th from G♯ to G
The tonic, 2nd, 4th and 5th remain unchanged. The minor 3rd is especially important because it removes the major quality and establishes the characteristic minor sound.
Building E Natural Minor
The natural minor formula can begin from any tonic. Starting from E:
E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – E
E to F♯whole tone
F♯ to Gsemitone
G to Awhole tone
A to Bwhole tone
B to Csemitone
C to Dwhole tone
D to Ewhole tone
| Scale degree | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 | 8 |
|---|
| Note | E | F♯ | G | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|
The formula remains the same even though the note names have changed.
Correctly Spelling a Minor Scale
A seven-note scale should normally use each letter of the musical alphabet once before returning to the tonic. E natural minor is written:
E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D
It would not be written using G♭ instead of F♯ because that would repeat the letter G and omit F.
- E is the tonic
- F♯ is the 2nd
- G is the minor 3rd
- A is the 4th
- B is the 5th
- C is the minor 6th
- D is the minor 7th
Correct spelling becomes increasingly important when building chords and analysing harmony.
Relative Major and Minor Scales
Every natural minor scale has a relative major scale that contains the same seven notes.
C Major
C – D – E – F – G – A – B
A Natural Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
Both scales contain the same notes and use the same key signature. The difference is the tonic: C is the tonic of C major, while A is the tonic of A minor. Although the notes are identical, they are heard differently because the music is organised around a different tonal centre.
Finding the Relative Minor
The relative minor begins on the sixth degree of the major scale. The G major scale is:
G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯
The sixth degree is E, so E minor is the relative minor of G major. The two scales contain the same notes:
G Major
G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯
E Natural Minor
E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D
Finding the Relative Major
The relative major begins on the third degree of the natural minor scale. In A natural minor, the third degree is C, so C major is its relative major.
This relationship can also be found using the Circle of Fifths, where each relative minor is shown alongside its corresponding major key.
Relative Minor and Parallel Minor
Relative and parallel minor scales describe two different relationships. Relative major and minor scales contain the same notes but have different tonics. Parallel major and minor scales share the same tonic but contain different notes.
| Relationship | Tonic | Notes |
|---|
| C major and A minor | Different | Same |
| A major and A minor | Same | Different |
Keeping these two relationships separate will make later lessons on keys and harmony easier to understand.
Natural Minor on the Guitar
The natural minor scale can be mapped across the entire guitar neck. As with the major scale, its notes repeat in different positions and octaves. Scale patterns are organised views of the same underlying interval formula:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
When learning a natural minor pattern, identify:
- The tonic notes
- The minor 3rd
- The perfect 5th
- The lowered 6th and 7th
- Where the pattern connects to neighbouring positions
Do not treat each position as a separate scale. Every position contains notes from the same natural minor scale. The tonic is the most important reference point because it determines the identity of the scale.
The Natural Minor Scale and the Minor Pentatonic Scale
The minor pentatonic scale is derived from the natural minor scale.
Natural Minor
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
Minor Pentatonic
1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭7
A – C – D – E – G
The 2nd and ♭6 are removed. The resulting five-note structure is widely used for riffs, melodies and improvisation.
Harmonising the Natural Minor Scale
The natural minor scale can be harmonised by building a triad from each scale degree. Treat each note as a new root and select every other note until you have a root, 3rd and 5th.
Using A natural minor:
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
| Degree | Notes | Chord |
|---|
| 1 | A – C – E | A minor |
| 2 | B – D – F | B diminished |
| 3 | C – E – G | C major |
| 4 | D – F – A | D minor |
| 5 | E – G – B | E minor |
| 6 | F – A – C | F major |
| 7 | G – B – D | G major |
The natural minor triad pattern is:
Minor – Diminished – Major – Minor – Minor – Major – Major
Using Roman numerals:
i – ii° – III – iv – v – VI – VII
Uppercase numerals indicate major chords, lowercase numerals indicate minor chords and the degree symbol identifies the diminished chord.
Natural Minor Seventh Chords
Adding another diatonic third to each triad creates seventh chords.
| Degree | Chord |
|---|
| i | Am7 |
| iiø7 | Bm7♭5 |
| IIImaj7 | Cmaj7 |
| iv | Dm7 |
| v | Em7 |
| VImaj7 | Fmaj7 |
| VII7 | G7 |
The natural minor seventh-chord pattern is:
Minor 7 – Half-Diminished 7 – Major 7 – Minor 7 – Minor 7 – Major 7 – Dominant 7
The Minor v Chord
One important feature of natural minor harmony is that the chord built on the fifth degree is minor. In A natural minor, E – G – B produces E minor.
In tonal harmony, musicians often raise the seventh degree of the scale. Raising G to G♯ changes E – G – B into E – G♯ – B, producing E major. Adding D produces E7.
The raised seventh creates a stronger pull back towards A. This alteration produces the harmonic minor scale, which will be covered in a later lesson. The unaltered natural minor scale produces a minor v chord.
Natural Minor Does Not Explain All Minor-Key Music
The natural minor scale provides the basic note collection for a minor key, but minor-key music does not always remain entirely within it.
The 6th and 7th degrees are often altered to create:
- Stronger harmonic resolution
- Smoother melodic movement
- Major or dominant V chords
- Different forms of the minor scale
This gives rise to the harmonic minor and melodic minor scales. These are alterations of the natural minor system used for particular melodic and harmonic purposes. Natural minor is the foundation of minor-key theory rather than the only note collection used in minor music.
How to Practise the Natural Minor Scale
Begin with one key, such as A minor or E minor. Practise until you can:
- Name every note in the scale
- State the interval formula
- Locate the tonic in several places
- Hear the difference between the tonic and the other scale degrees
- Compare it with the parallel major scale
- Identify its relative major
- Build its diatonic triads
Useful exercises include:
- Build the scale using the whole-tone and semitone pattern.
- Name each scale degree as you play it.
- Compare the natural minor scale with the major scale from the same tonic.
- Remove the 2nd and ♭6 to create the minor pentatonic scale.
- Build a triad from each degree.
- Play short phrases that resolve to the tonic.
Short, regular practice will help you recognise the sound and structure more effectively than simply repeating a shape without identifying the notes.
Why the Natural Minor Scale Matters
The natural minor scale helps explain:
- The basic sound of a minor key
- How major and minor scales differ
- Relative major and minor relationships
- How minor pentatonic scales are derived
- Which chords occur naturally in a minor key
- Why the natural minor produces a minor v chord
- Why the 6th and 7th are sometimes altered in minor music
Once you understand its formula, you can construct the natural minor scale from any tonic and begin applying it across the fretboard.
The most important formula to remember is:
1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭6 – ♭7
Quick Test
Click each question to reveal the answer.
What is the whole-tone and semitone pattern of the natural minor scale?
Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.
Which scale degrees are lowered when major is changed into natural minor?
The 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees.
What notes make up A natural minor?
A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
What is the difference between relative minor and parallel minor?
Relative keys use the same notes but have different tonics. Parallel keys share a tonic but use different notes.
What is the relative major of E minor?
G major.
Which degrees are removed from natural minor to create the minor pentatonic scale?
The 2nd and ♭6 degrees.
What is the triad-quality pattern produced by the natural minor scale?
Minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major and major.
Why is the chord built on the fifth degree minor in natural minor?
Its diatonic 3rd is minor because the natural minor scale contains a lowered 7th degree.
Why might the seventh degree be raised in minor-key harmony?
Raising it creates a major or dominant V chord and a stronger pull back to the tonic.
Why is natural minor considered the foundation rather than the complete explanation of minor-key music?
Minor-key music often alters the 6th or 7th degrees for melodic movement and stronger harmonic resolution.
