Piano Scales-Natural Minor
A natural minor piano scale
is also known as a relative or related minor scale. To find the relative minor scale
of any major scale, locate the 6th tone (note) in a major scale and you will have
found it's related minor. For example, C major scale is composed of C, D, E, F,
G, A, B, C (octave). The 6th note of the C major scale is A. Therefore A minor is
the relative or related minor of a C major piano scale.
This means that both A minor and C major are comprised of the same tones (notes).
If you start at A (any A tone (note) on the piano keyboard) and play all the white
notes to octave A, you can count the series of whole and half steps which make up
a natural minor scale. The sequence is whole step, half step, whole step, whole
step, half step, whole step, whole step. Take a look at our piano graphic below.
A to B is a whole step, B to C is a half step (notice no black key in between),
C to D is a whole step, D to E is a whole step, E to F is a half step (again no
black tone (note) between), F to G is a whole step, and we finish the A natural
minor piano scale with G to octave A whole step. What we have done is taken the
A major scale and lowered (flatted) the 3rd, 6th, and 7th tones (notes) a half step.
Now lets do one more this time beginning with one of the black piano keys, G#/Ab.
Using our rules for forming natural minor scales and beginning on G#/Ab we have
the tones (notes); G#/Ab, A#/Bb, B, C#/Db, D#/Eb, E, F#/Gb, and G#/Ab (octave).
G#/Ab to A#/Bb is a whole step, A#/Bb to B is a half step (notice you went from
a black key to the white key immediately adjacent which is a B), B to C#/Db is a
whole step (remember B to C is a half step because the two tones (notes) are immediately
adjacent to each other), C#/Db to D#/Eb is a whole step, D#/Eb to E is a half step
(again you move from a black key to the white key immediately adjacent to D#/Eb
which is an E), E to F#/Gb is a whole step, and we finish the G#/Ab natural minor
piano scale with F#/Gb to octave G#/Ab whole step.
By using these rules you can now construct a natural minor scale from any point
(key) on the piano keyboard. If you would like to see the natural minor scales in
all 12 keys click on minor scales
and you will be transported via our link to Chordhouse.com to their "virtual piano
keyboard". Just pick a key (C, D, F#/Gb, etc) and click natural minor scale and
the notes will appear on the keyboard. When you are finished close the window and
you will be brought back here.
Practice these piano scales with both hands until you can move smoothly (not necessarily
quickly) from beginning to end and back again in all 12 keys. When you practice
your scales, I want you to use the fingering technique I have outlined here,
scale fingering technique. This technique works with major and minor piano
scales and will help with your finger dexterity and control. So get to it and practice
those natural minor scales!
| Natural | Melodic | Harmonic |
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| A |
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| A# |
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| Bb |
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| B |
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| C |
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| C# |
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| Db |
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| D |
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| D# |
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| Eb |
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| E |
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| F |
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| F# |
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| Gb |
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| G |
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| G# |
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| Ab |
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