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- A natural minor scale
A natural minor scale
A B C D E F G: the A natural minor scale has no sharps or flats. Change the root or the scale type below to see any other scale.
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Notes of the A natural minor scale
The A natural minor scale has 7 notes: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Like every natural minor scale, it follows the pattern W–H–W–W–H–W–W (W = whole step, H = half step) from A up to the next A.
It has no sharps or flats: on the piano it is played on the white keys only.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Tonic |
| 2 | B | Supertonic |
| ♭3 | C | Mediant |
| 4 | D | Subdominant |
| 5 | E | Dominant |
| ♭6 | F | Submediant |
| ♭7 | G | Subtonic |
Chords in A minor
Building a triad on each note of the scale gives the chords of A minor: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| i | Am (A C E) | Am7 (A C E G) |
| ii° | Bdim (B D F) | Bm7♭5 (B D F A) |
| III | C (C E G) | Cmaj7 (C E G B) |
| iv | Dm (D F A) | Dm7 (D F A C) |
| v | Em (E G B) | Em7 (E G B D) |
| VI | F (F A C) | Fmaj7 (F A C E) |
| VII | G (G B D) | G7 (G B D F) |
Key signature and related keys
A minor uses the key signature with no sharps or flats. Its relative major is C major: the same notes and key signature, starting on C. Its parallel major is A major, which starts on the same note, A.
Harmonic and melodic minor
The A harmonic minor scale raises the seventh note by a half step: A B C D E F G♯. The raised seventh, G♯, is the one that makes the dominant chord major.
The A melodic minor scale raises both the sixth and the seventh on the way up: A B C D E F♯ G♯ (F♯ and G♯). In classical music it usually comes back down as the natural minor.
All major and minor scales
Major scales
- C major scale
- G major scale
- D major scale
- A major scale
- E major scale
- B major scale
- F♯ major scale
- D♭ major scale
- A♭ major scale
- E♭ major scale
- B♭ major scale
- F major scale