Intro to Relative Minors and the Natural Minor Scale

One way to approach learning the natural minor scale is by C major A minor
way of the concept of relative minor keys. The diagrams to
the right should make this relationship clear. On the left you
E A D G B E E A D G B E
see the C major scale. To the right is its relative minor, A
minor. The two scales share the exact same notes (and so, the F C F F C F
same key signature) but they start in dierent places. This
B E A B E A
starting point is referred to as the tonic of the key or scale.
Play each of them, starting and ending on the tonic indicated G C F D G G C F D G
by the darkened note. Starting on C the scale will sound
major; starting on A it sounds minor.

Notice that A is one and a half steps below C. This relationship

holds for all relative major/minor keys: the tonic of the relative G major E minor
minor is one and a half steps below that of its relative major.
Another way of saying the same thing is this: the 6th degree 6 2 5 1 3 6 6 2 5 1 3 6
of a major key/scale is the tonic of its relative minor. This
concept is illustrated by the next set of diagrams. These show 4 4
the G major scale and its relative minor, Em. But instead of 7 3 6 2 7 7 3 6 2 7
using note names, this time weve included the major scale
degrees. As you did above, play each scale starting and ending 1 4 4
5 1 1 4 4
5 1
on the darkened tonic. Start and end on 1 and it will sound 7 7
major; start and end on 6 and you are playing the E natural
minor scale. (There are two other common varieties of minor
scales well discuss elsewhere: the harmonic and melodic
minor scales.)

Another way to approach the natural minor scale is on

its own terms, as a series of intervals. To the right you see 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1
the scale degrees of a natural minor scale and the pattern
of intervals between them. (W= whole step; H = half step.) W H W W H W W
Compared to a major scale, you see that the natural minor
scale has a atted 3rd, 6th and 7th.

The last natural minor scale well look at is Dm. This bears D minor
an extra look because although it is a common minor chord/
key, the relative major is F, which is not a common guitar 2 5 1 4 2
key outside of the jazz idiom. Since you may not be familiar
with the F major scale, Dm provides a good opportunity to 3 b6
b
7
b
3
b

practice building the scale one interval at a time, as shown 2 5

above. You see the result in the diagram to the right. Notice
that the scale consists entirely of naturals with the exception 4 7
b
3 b6 1 4
b

of the 6th scale degree, Bb (3rd string, 3rd fret). Play these
same notes from F to F and youll nd that, sure enough,
youre playing an F major scale.

2007 Andrew Lawrence, Community Guitar, All Rights Reserved