The natural minor scale

The NATURAL MINOR SCALE is the sad ladder. Same idea as major, different step recipe: Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole.

A minor uses only white keys (A to A). Compare it with C major: the SAME seven keys, started in a different place. A minor is called the RELATIVE MINOR of C major.

Handy rule: the relative minor starts on the 6th degree of the major scale. C major → A minor. G major → E minor.

Compared to the major scale on the same root, three notes are a semitone lower: the 3rd, 6th and 7th — hence ♭3, ♭6, ♭7.

W H W W H W W

A natural minor: all white keys, A to G.

Practise this in the trainer — it opens with this lesson the first time the concept comes up.