The Natural Minor Scale

The Natural Minor Scale is the second most common scale in contemporary music. Like the major scale, it consist of a pattern of whole and half steps. The pattern is WS HS WS WS HS WS WS.

            WS HS WS WS HS WS WS

For a review of whole and half-steps go to Major Tetrachords.

To review the major scale go to Major Scales.

Relationship to the Major Scale

The natural minor scale has a special relationship with the major scale. It is the same as playing a major scale starting on the sixth degree and going up to the sixth degree. In other words, if you play a C major scale but start on A instead of C, you will be playing an A natural minor scale.

C Major

           

A Minor

           

Because of this relationship, the key signature for a minor scale will be the same as the major scale a minor 3rd above the first note of the minor scale.

Another way to look at a minor scale is to see it as a major scale with the 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees lowered by a half step. In essence, this is the same as adding 3 flats to the major key signature.

A Major

              

A Minor

           

For a review on scale degrees go to Scale Degrees.

To review major key signatures go to Major Key Signatures.

How to Build a Natural Minor Scale

The notes are consecutive ascending letter names in the music alphabet beginning with the name of the scale and continuing up to the name of the scale again — eight notes in all.
You now have four options:

Adjust the notes to fit the WS HS WS WS HS WS WS pattern, or
Adjust the notes to fit the key signature of the major scale a minor 3rd above the beginning note of the scale, or
Build a major scale and lower the 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees on half step, or
Use the major key signature and add 3 flats.

Example: F Minor Scale

The consecutive letter names of the scale would be F G A B C D E F

         

Adjust notes to fit the WS HS WS WS HS WS WS pattern.

             

Or, adjust the notes to fit the key signature of the major scale a minor 3rd above the beginning note of the scale. A minor 3rd above F is A♭. A♭ Major has four flats: A♭, B♭, D♭, E♭. Notice these are the same notes as we flatted in the example above.

The third option is to build a major scale on F. An F major scale has one flat.

          

If we lower the 3rd to A♭, 6th to D♭ and 7th to E♭ we will end up with the same answer as with the other two methods. Or if we add 3 flats to the key signature of F major we will again get the same results.

Choose the method that works best for you. Memorizing the key signature for each major key and its related minor key eventually will be the the fastest method.