The Natural Minor Scale

Lesson 3/132 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Guitar

The Natural Minor Scale

The A natural minor scale contains exactly the same notes as the C major scale. The difference is that it starts and finishes on an A note instead of a C note. The A note then becomes the key note. To highlight the difference, the degrees of the scale as they would relate to the A major scale are written under the note names. Notice the flattened 3rd, 6th and 7th.

Here is the full fingering for the A natural minor scale in the open position, moving up to the high A at the 5th fret on the first string. Learn it from memory and then play it with your eyes closed, naming the notes out loud, and then naming the scale degrees out loud.

Here is a melody in the key of A minor which is derived from the A natural minor scale. Above bar 16, the instruction D.C. al Fine is written. This means you play again from the beginning until you reach the word Fine (bar 8).

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Gary Turner and Peter Gelling

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1- INTRODUCTION 2- First String Notes 3- Second String Notes 4- LESSON THREE 5- 12 Bar Blues 6- Third String Notes 7- Eighth Note Rhythms 8- A Major Chord 9- 12 Bar Blues and Seventh Chords 10- Minor Chords 11- Fourth String Notes 12- Fifth String Notes 13- F Major Chord 14- Rests 15- Sixth String Notes 16- Eighth Notes 17- B Minor Chord 18- Sharps 19- Flats 20- Silent Strums and Continuous Rhythm 21- Dotted Quarter Notes 22- Suspended Chords 23- More on Bass Note Rhythm Patterns 24- The Major Scale 25- The G Major Scale 26- The F Major Scale 27- The Eighth Rest 28- Alternative Chord Shapes 29- Rock Chords 30- Eighth Note Triplet Rhythms 31- More About Arpeggios 32- Minor Keys and Scales 33- Relative Keys 34- The Six Eight Time Signature 35- The Eighth Note Triplet 36- Sixteenth Notes 37- Sixteenth Note Rhythms 38- Major Seventh Chords 39- Minor Seventh Chords 40- D Sixth Chord 41- Cut Common Time 42- Tuning 43- Notes in the Open Position 44- Chord Charts 45- Transposing 46- Playing in a Band 47- Chord Formula Chart 48- Glossary of Musical Terms 49- Other Titles by Koala Music Publications 50- Right Hand Support 51- The C Major Chord 52- The Octave 53- The Lead-In 54- Note Summary 55- Three Four Time Rhythm Patterns 56- The Tie 57- Note Summary 58- Turnaround Progressions 59- The Common Time Signature 60- Open Position Notes 61- Alternate Picking 62- First and Second Endings 63- Silent Strum Symbols 64- Alternate Bass Note Picking 65- The Key Of C Major 66- Key Signatures 67- Syncopation 68- Major Sixth Chords 69- A Rock Chord Shapes 70- Arpeggio playing 71- Minor Arpeggios 72- The Natural Minor Scale 73- Slash Chords 74- Shuffle Rhythm 75- Tempo Markings 76- Supplementary Songs 77- Tuning Hints 78- Sharps and Flats 79- Song List 80- The Capo 81- Altered Chords 82- Approach to Practice 83- Pick Technique 84- The Seventh Chord 85- Slide Finger 86- Bass Note Rhythm Pattern 87- Note Summary 88- Alternative Chord Fingerings 89- Duets 90- Rhythm Variations 91- D Rock Chord Shapes 92- Combining Strumming and Arpeggio Patterns 93- Augmented and Diminished Chords 94- The Harmonic Minor Scale 95- Swing Rhythms 96- Electronic Tuners 97- Notes on the Guitar Fretboard 98- Sheet Music 99- Scale Tone Chords 100- Electronic Tuner 101- Chord Progressions 102- E Rock Chord Shapes 103- The Melodic Minor Scale 104- The Chromatic Scale 105- Scale Tone Chord Extensions 106- Acoustic Guitars 107- Pivot Finger 108- Learning all the Keys 109- Electric Guitars 110- Rhythm Patterns 111- Key Signatures 112- Amplifiers 113- Open Chord Shapes 114- Scales 115- Strings 116- Natural Notes 117- Seating 118- The Chromatic Scale 119- Standing 120- The A Chromatic Scale 121- Right Hand and Arm Using the Pick 122- The Major Scale 123- Right Arm Position 124- Minor Keys 125- How to Read Music 126- Tablature 127- The Rudiments of Music 128- Note Values 129- Count, Pick and Fingering Symbols 130- Chord Diagrams 131- Left Hand Fingering 132- Rhythm Symbols

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The Natural Minor Scale