Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
A Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Minor Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-------------------------6-8-------| G|-------------------5-7-9-----------| D|-------------5-7-9-----------------| A|-------5-7-8-----------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-8-10-| B|-----------------------------8-10--------| G|----------------------7-9-10-------------| D|---------------7-9-10--------------------| A|--------7-8-10---------------------------| E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------10-12-13-| B|--------------------------------10-12-13----------| G|------------------------9-10-12-------------------| D|----------------9-10-12---------------------------| A|----------10-12-----------------------------------| E|-10-12-13-----------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|-------------------------------------13-15----------| G|----------------------------12-14-16----------------| D|-------------------12-14-15-------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------15-17-| B|----------------------------------15-17-18-------| G|-------------------------14-16-17----------------| D|----------------14-15-17-------------------------| A|-------14-15-17----------------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------------------|
How to play A Minor on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
A Minor uses exactly the same notes as C major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the C Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| 2 | B |
| ♭3 | C |
| 4 | D |
| 5 | E |
| ♭6 | F |
| ♭7 | G |
Chords in A Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in A Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Am7 | Tonic |
| ii° | Bdim | Bm7b5 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | C | Cmaj7 | Mediant |
| iv | Dm | Dm7 | Subdominant |
| v | Em | Em7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | F | Fmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | G | G7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Minor anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Minor Scale?
- The A Minor Scale has 7 notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
- What chords are in the A Minor Scale?
- The chords of A Minor are Am (i), Bdim (ii°), C (♭III), Dm (iv), Em (v), F (♭VI), G (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Minor on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.