A minor scale on guitar
The A minor scale has seven notes: A, B, C, D, E, F and G (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7). The plain minor scale: the minor pentatonic with the 2nd and ♭6 filled in. Sad or serious, and the home of minor-key rock and metal, over changes like Am, F and G.
| Note | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | whole | half | whole | whole | half | whole | whole |
5 positions to learn it in
On guitar a seven-note scale is learnt in five shapes, each built round one of the open chord shapes C, A, G, E and D. Together they cover the neck. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the A minor scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; A (Am) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (A) | Amhome | Am7home |
| 2 (B) | Bdimthe edge | Bm7♭5the edge |
| ♭3 (C) | Cdaylight | Cmaj7daylight |
| 4 (D) | Dmsoft fall | Dm7soft fall |
| 5 (E) | Emsoft fall | Em7soft fall |
| ♭6 (F) | Fcinematic | Fmaj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (G) | Gheroic | G7heroic |
Scales with the same notes
Its relative major is the C major scale: the same notes, started from C.
The chords of this key, to hear and play: chords in the key of A minor.
Questions
What notes are in the A minor scale?
A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, and the steps between its notes are W H W W H W W (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the A minor scale?
The chords made only of its notes: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G, and as seventh chords Am7, Bm7♭5, Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7 and G7. A is home: Am is the chord it sounds most settled over.
What is the relative major of the A minor scale?
The C major scale, which has the same notes started from C.
The minor scale in every key
Other scales in A
A majorA minor pentatonicA major pentatonicA bluesA DorianA MixolydianA LydianA PhrygianA harmonic minorA melodic minorA Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: guitar scales. This scale on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.