The minor scale is, together with the major, one of the two fundamental scales of tonal music. Its darker, more expressive sound comes from having a minor 3rd above the tonic. This page explains what it is, its pattern of whole steps (UK: tones) and half steps (UK: semitones), its relationship with the relative major scale and the fifteen minor scales with their key signatures. Further down you will find the four types of minor scale studied in conservatories.
What is a minor scale?
A minor scale is an ordered series of seven notes (plus the octave) separated by a pattern of whole steps and half steps that differs from the major one. The essential difference is in the third degree: in the minor scale it is a minor 3rd (a half step closer to the tonic than in the major), which gives it its introspective character. The basic form is the natural minor (or Aeolian), from which the other types are obtained by altering some degree.
Can you tell by ear whether a melody is in a major or a minor key, without looking at the score? Test your ear with the listening exercise Major or minor?
Structure: the pattern of the natural minor scale
The natural minor scale follows this pattern of intervals between consecutive degrees:
Whole · Half · Whole · Whole · Half · Whole · Whole
The two half steps fall between degrees 2–3 and 5–6. In A minor, the only minor scale with no accidentals, it is easy to see: A–B (whole), B–C (half), C–D (whole), D–E (whole), E–F (half), F–G (whole) and G–A (whole).
The relative minor: same key signature as the major
Every natural minor scale has exactly the same notes as a major scale, and therefore the same key signature: it is its relative minor. The tonic of the relative minor is a minor 3rd below the major tonic, that is, on its sixth degree. So A minor is the relative of C major (both with no accidentals), E minor the relative of G major, and so on. Recognizing this relationship is key to identifying the key and to working with closely related keys.
The 15 minor scales and their key signatures
As in the major mode, fifteen natural minor scales are used, each with the key signature of its relative major. Three tonics can be written in two enharmonic ways (G♯/A♭, D♯/E♭ and A♯/B♭). The sharps or flats appear in the order of sharps and flats.
Could you recognize them by ear? In the listening exercise recognize the minor key you hear a reference A4 and a melody, and you have to say which minor key it is in. When you master that, try telling them apart from their relative majors in recognize the key: major and minor.
| Minor scale | Key signature | Relative major | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A minor | — (no accidentals) | C major | A B C D E F G |
| E minor | 1♯ (F♯) | G major | E F♯ G A B C D |
| B minor | 2♯ | D major | B C♯ D E F♯ G A |
| F♯ minor | 3♯ | A major | F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E |
| C♯ minor | 4♯ | E major | C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B |
| G♯ minor | 5♯ | B major | G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ |
| D♯ minor | 6♯ | F♯ major | D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ |
| A♯ minor | 7♯ | C♯ major | A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ |
| D minor | 1♭ (B♭) | F major | D E F G A B♭ C |
| G minor | 2♭ | B♭ major | G A B♭ C D E♭ F |
| C minor | 3♭ | E♭ major | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ |
| F minor | 4♭ | A♭ major | F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ |
| B♭ minor | 5♭ | D♭ major | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ |
| E♭ minor | 6♭ | G♭ major | E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ |
| A♭ minor | 7♭ | C♭ major | A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ |
The 4 types of minor scale in conservatories
Starting from the natural minor scale, conservatories study four types of minor scale: the natural (or Aeolian), the harmonic, the melodic and the Dorian. Each raises one or two degrees, either to strengthen the cadence or to smooth the melody. To see them side by side with their interval patterns, go to the comparison table of the 4 types of minor scale. To study each one separately, choose here:
Types of minor scales
Frequently Asked Questions
The minor scale is only one of many: discover them all in types of musical scales.