Natural Minor Scale - Guitar Session 1

Before we begin looking at the natural minor scale, I'm going to talk a little about music theory on this scale.

The Natural Minor Scale is a 7 note scale, and there are 12 Natural Minor Scales in music. Each of these scales is a relative scale to one of the Major Scales.

The reason there relative is because both the Natural minor scale & Major scale share the same key signatures. Meaning both scales have the exact same sharp notes and flat notes.

As a rule of thumb, the 6th note of the Major scale is the relative Tonic note (rootnote) of it's relative Natural Minor scale.

For instance, take the G Major scale-the notes are as follows:

G Major scale

The 6th note of the G Major scale is the "E note", which is the Tonic note (rootnote) for the G Major's relative Natural Minor scale. For the G Major scale as you see,the relative minor scale is the "E Natural Minor scale" seen as follows:

Natural E Minor scale

The music scale we will be working with in this session is the A Natural Minor scale, the notes are as follows:

Natural A Minor scale

The Natural A Minor scale has no sharp or flat notes, and is the relative minor scale to the C Major scale as you can see below:

C Major scale

Each guitar scale chart below, will display the natural A minor scale on the guitar, running the scale 2 octaves starting with it's rootnote "A", and ending 2 octave tones higher on the scales rootnote "A".

Below is what I call a scales chart key. On the scale charts themselves, you wiil see these suggested fingering symbols for the notes played in the scale.

O = Open string played
= Index Finger
=Middle Finger
=Ring Finger
=Little Finger
Strings that are played open will be marked with "O" on top of the scale diagram.

Guitar scale chart #1 displays the Natural A minor scale in the 1st position on the guitar. The notes for the scale are givin in the scale chart, along with the fingers used for playing each note. Play this scale by ascending the scale at first. When you familiarize yourself where all the notes are being played, then play the scale by descending the scale as well.

Guitar Scale Chart #1

Guitar scale chart #2 shows the natural A minor scale in the 1st position on the guitar and running the scale using a different pattern and moving to the 5th position of the guitar

Guitar Scale Chart #2

Guitar scale chart #3 displays the natural A minor scale in the 5th position on the guitar, running the scale across the strings in the 5th position.

Guitar Scale Chart #3

Guitar scale chart #4 shows the natural A minor scale in the 5th position on the guitar, playing the scale using a different pattern and moving up to the 7th position.

Guitar Scale Chart #4