A minor scale

The A minor scale is A, B, C, D, E, F and G, with no sharps or flats. From A, the steps go whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.

  1. A1
  2. whole
  3. B2
  4. half
  5. C3
  6. whole
  7. D4
  8. whole
  9. E5
  10. half
  11. F6
  12. whole
  13. G7
  14. whole
  15. A8
A1B2C3D1E2F3G4A5

A minor on the staff, piano and guitar

On the staff

ABCDEFGAABCDEFGA

On piano

Right hand 1 2 3, then the thumb passes under to D: 1 2 3 4 5.

A5B4C3D2E1F3G2A1

Left hand 5 4 3 2 1, then finger 3 crosses over to F: 3 2 1.

Fingers are numbered from the thumb, 1, to the little finger, 5. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.

On guitar

45678EBGDAEABCDEFGABCDEFGABC

Every note of A minor between the 4th and 8th fret. The root, A, has a heavy ring.

How to play the A minor scale on piano

  1. Find A, the white key between the second and third of a group of three black keys.
  2. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to B.
  3. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to C.
  4. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to D.
  5. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to E.
  6. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to F.
  7. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to G.
  8. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to A, an octave above where you started.

Practice the A minor scale

Play the A minor scale one note a beat, up and back down: A B C D E F G A G F E D C B A. Hands separately first. Start at 60 beats a minute and move up toward 100 once every note lands on the beat.

A
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. A
  9. G
  10. F
  11. E
  12. D
  13. C
  14. B
  15. A

The key of A minor

Follow the minor pattern from A and every note is a white key, so the key signature is empty.

Relative major
C major
Parallel major
A major
Neighbors on the circle of fifths
D minor and E minor
CIIIAmiGVIIEmvDBmAF♯mEC♯mBC♭G♯mA♭mF♯G♭D♯mE♭mD♭C♯B♭mA♯mA♭FmE♭CmB♭GmFVIDmivA minor
A minor on the circle of fifths, with the chords of its key marked.

The name of each note in the key

  1. 1Atonic
  2. 2Bsupertonic
  3. 3Cmediant
  4. 4Dsubdominant
  5. 5Edominant
  6. 6Fsubmediant
  7. 7Gsubtonic

Chords in A minor

Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key. The numeral is the chord's place in the key: capitals for major, small letters for minor.

  1. iAm
  2. ii°Bdim
  3. IIIC
  4. ivDm
  5. vEm
  6. VIF
  7. VIIG

A harmonic and melodic minor

Harmonic minor

A harmonic minor raises the 7th note a half step, G to G♯, so the scale leads back to A.

ABCDEF♯G♯A

Melodic minor

A melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th notes going up, F to F♯ and G to G♯, and comes back down as the natural minor.

ABCDE♯F♯♯G♯A♮G♮FEDCBA

Modes on the same notes

Start the C major scale on another of its notes and you get a mode, with the same key signature: C ionian, D dorian, E phrygian, F lydian, G mixolydian, A aeolian, B locrian.

Practice notes for the A minor scale

A minor, natural form, is all white keys: A B C D E F G A, the notes of C major starting from A. The fingering is the same as C major’s, 1 2 3, thumb under to D, then 1 2 3 4 5.

Where it goes wrong. The forms. Minor scales are usually taught in three: natural, harmonic and melodic. In the harmonic form, G becomes G♯, and the step from F to G♯ is three half steps wide, wider than any step in the natural form. After the natural form, it is easy to play G by habit. Learn each form as its own scale rather than as a set of changes.

How to practice it. Natural form first, hands separately, until it is even. Then harmonic minor, same fingers, with G♯ under finger 4. Then melodic minor, which raises F and G going up, to F♯ and G♯, and comes down as the natural form. Practice the turn at the top slowly: that is where the notes change.

What to listen for. The wide step from F to G♯ in harmonic minor. Then play the natural form straight after and hear how the top of the scale relaxes without G♯.

What to learn next. E minor, which adds F♯, D minor, which adds B♭, and C major again, with the same notes from a different start.

Questions

What are the notes of the A minor scale?

A, B, C, D, E, F and G, then A again an octave up.

What chords are in the key of A minor?

Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G: i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI and VII.

What is the relative major of A minor?

C major. It uses the same notes and the same key signature, starting on C.

What is the A harmonic minor scale?

A, B, C, D, E, F and G♯. A harmonic minor raises the 7th note a half step, G to G♯, so the scale leads back to A.