GuitarManac

A minor scale

Notes in the scaleTap one to hear it and find it on the neck

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. ♭3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. ♭6
  7. ♭7
Key
CC♯DE♭EFF♯GG♯AB♭B
Scale

Every A minor note on the neck.

3579121517EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGA
A minor scale guide

The A minor scale

The natural minor scale, also called Aeolian, lowers the 3rd, 6th and 7th of the major scale. It uses the same notes as its relative major, starting from the 6th degree. It is the default sound of sad, dark or serious songs.

Its relative major is C major, which uses the same notes starting from C.

Notes
A B C D E F G
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
W H W W H W W
W is two frets, H is one fret

A minor scale positions

Two common ways to split the neck into positions. CAGED gives five shapes, each built around a chord shape you may already know. Three notes per string gives seven patterns that are faster to play.

CAGED shapes

Five shapes named after the chord shape each one is built around.

  1. 3579121517GABCDEFGABCDEFGA

    Gm shape

    Frets 2 to 6. Starts on G, the ♭7, on the lowest string. Built around the Gm chord shape.
  2. 3579121517ABCDEFGABCDEFGABC

    Em shape

    Frets 4 to 8. Starts on A, the root, on the lowest string. Built around the Em chord shape.
  3. 3579121517BCDEFGABCDEFGABCD

    Dm shape

    Frets 7 to 10. Starts on B, the 2, on the lowest string. Built around the Dm chord shape.
  4. 3579121517DEFGABCDEFGABCDEF

    Cm shape

    Frets 9 to 13. Starts on D, the 4, on the lowest string. Built around the Cm chord shape.
  5. 3579121517EFGABCDEFGABCDEFG

    Am shape

    Frets 12 to 15. Starts on E, the 5, on the lowest string. Built around the Am chord shape.

Three notes per string

Seven patterns. Pattern 1 starts on the root on the lowest string.

  1. 3579121517ABCDEFGABCDEFGABCD

    Position 1

    Frets 5 to 10. Starts on A, the root, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  2. 3579121517BCDEFGABCDEFGABCDE

    Position 2

    Frets 7 to 12. Starts on B, the 2, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  3. 3579121517CDEFGABCDEFGABCDEF

    Position 3

    Frets 8 to 13. Starts on C, the ♭3, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  4. 3579121517DEFGABCDEFGABCDEFG

    Position 4

    Frets 10 to 15. Starts on D, the 4, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  5. 3579121517EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGA

    Position 5

    Open strings to fret 5. Starts on E, the 5, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  6. 3579121517FGABCDEFGABCDEFGAB

    Position 6

    Frets 1 to 7. Starts on F, the ♭6, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.
  7. 3579121517GABCDEFGABCDEFGABC

    Position 7

    Frets 3 to 8. Starts on G, the ♭7, on the lowest string. Three notes on every string.

Chords in A minor

Built from the notes of the scale, so the A minor scale works over all of them.