Minor scales: natural, harmonic and melodic
A minor scale is a seven-note scale with a lowered third, which gives it a darker sound than major. It comes in three forms: natural, harmonic (raised 7th) and melodic (raised 6th and 7th going up). Every minor key shares a key signature with a major key.
Minor scales are the darker side of Western music. Where a major scale sounds bright and settled, a minor scale sounds more serious, sad, tense or mysterious. The reason is one note: the third degree of a minor scale is lowered a half step compared with major. That small change colors the whole scale and every chord built on it.
The natural minor scale
The natural minor scale is the plain form, with no extra raised notes. Its pattern of steps, from the first note to the eighth, is whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, or W-H-W-W-H-W-W. The half steps fall between degrees 2 and 3, and between 5 and 6.
Compared with a major scale on the same tonic, natural minor has three lowered notes: the third, the sixth and the seventh. Written as numbers, that is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. If you know your major scales, you can make the natural minor scale of any key by lowering those three notes. A major to A minor is a quick example: A major is A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯, and lowering C♯, F♯ and G♯ gives A B C D E F G.
Why are there three minor scales?
A strong feeling of arrival in tonal music depends on the leading tone, the note a half step below the tonic. A major scale has one built in (B to C in C major). Natural minor does not: its seventh degree is a whole step below the tonic, so the pull toward home is weaker. Composers solved this by raising the seventh note, which is how the harmonic minor scale began.
Raising the seventh leaves an awkward gap of one and a half steps between degrees 6 and 7, which is hard to sing. Raising the sixth as well smooths the gap, and that gives the melodic minor scale. So the three forms are three ways of handling the top of the same scale.
The harmonic minor scale
The harmonic minor scale is natural minor with the seventh degree raised by a half step. In A minor, G becomes G♯. This gives a step and a half (an augmented second) between degrees 6 and 7, which is the sound many people link with Middle Eastern, Eastern European and classical dramatic music. Its name comes from its use in building the chords of a minor key, especially the dominant chord.
The melodic minor scale
The melodic minor scale raises both the sixth and seventh degrees when going up, which removes the big gap of the harmonic form. In classical practice, the scale returns to natural minor on the way down, so the notes descending are the same as in natural minor. Jazz players use the raised form in both directions, and treat melodic minor as one scale that works both ways.
Which minor scale should you use?
There is no single answer, since composers mix the forms freely within a piece. As a rule of thumb, natural minor describes the key and its key signature. Harmonic minor shows up where the music needs a strong pull to the tonic, especially at cadences. Melodic minor shows up in melodies that move stepwise through the upper part of the scale.
Memory trick: Natural is the key signature, harmonic raises 7, melodic raises 6 and 7 going up. Three forms, one pattern of raised notes.
Relative and parallel minor
Every minor key has a relative major that uses the same notes and the same key signature. A minor and C major are relatives, for example. A parallel major shares the same tonic instead: A minor and A major are parallels. Moving between parallel keys changes the mood without changing the home note, a technique composers use a great deal.
The minor scales page for each key
A last practical note: when you meet a piece in a minor key, look at the accidentals. A sharp that appears on the seventh note, again and again, usually signals the harmonic form. Sharps on both the sixth and the seventh, climbing upward, usually signal the melodic form.
Below this text you will find a chart of the natural, harmonic and melodic forms in every key. Each key also has its own page, such as A minor or E minor, with its key signature and chords.
Natural minor scale in every key
| Key | Notes | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| A natural minor | A B C D E F G A | no sharps or flats |
| E natural minor | E F♯ G A B C D E | one sharp: F♯ |
| B natural minor | B C♯ D E F♯ G A B | two sharps: F♯ and C♯ |
| F♯ natural minor | F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E F♯ | three sharps: F♯, C♯ and G♯ |
| C♯ natural minor | C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ | four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯ |
| G♯ natural minor | G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ | five sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯ |
| D♯ natural minor | D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ | six sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯ |
| A♯ natural minor | A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯ | seven sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ and B♯ |
| D natural minor | D E F G A B♭ C D | one flat: B♭ |
| G natural minor | G A B♭ C D E♭ F G | two flats: B♭ and E♭ |
| C natural minor | C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C | three flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭ |
| F natural minor | F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭ F | four flats: B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭ |
| B♭ natural minor | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ | five flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭ |
| E♭ natural minor | E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ | six flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭ |
| A♭ natural minor | A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ A♭ | seven flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭ and F♭ |
Check yourself
1. What is the formula for natural minor?
Answer: W-H-W-W-H-W-W. The half steps fall between degrees 2 and 3, and between 5 and 6.
2. Which note does harmonic minor raise?
Answer: The seventh. The raised seventh gives a leading tone, a half step below the tonic.
3. In classical practice, how does the melodic minor scale go down?
Answer: Like natural minor. The raised sixth and seventh are used going up only.
4. Which scale degrees are lowered in natural minor compared with major?
Answer: 3, 6 and 7. Natural minor reads 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.