Natural Minor Scale Explained: Formula and Notes in All 12 Keys
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If your beat sounds dark, moody or a little sad, there is a good chance it lives in a minor key. And the scale behind almost all of that is the natural minor scale. Trap, drill, sad R&B, emo rap, a lot of house and afro: they all lean on these seven notes.
In this guide you will learn the natural minor formula, the notes in all 12 minor keys, the chords that come with it and how to use it for a melody in your beat or a hook you sing yourself. No music degree needed.
What is the natural minor scale?
A scale is a row of notes you pull your melodies and chords from. The natural minor scale has seven different notes, and the eighth is the root again, one octave higher. It is called "natural" because nothing is changed: there are two other versions, harmonic and melodic minor, that raise one or two notes. More on those below.
What makes a scale minor is the distance between the notes. You measure that in two step sizes:
- Half step (H): one key up on the piano, black keys included. B to C is a half step.
- Whole step (W): two keys up. A to B is a whole step, because A# sits in between.
The formula: W, H, W, W, H, W, W
Every natural minor scale follows the same pattern from the root:
Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.
In A minor it looks like this:
- A to B: whole step
- B to C: half step
- C to D: whole step
- D to E: whole step
- E to F: half step
- F to G: whole step
- G to A: whole step
That gives you A, B, C, D, E, F, G: white keys only. That is why A minor is the easiest minor key to start with, just like C major is for major.
Another way to think about it: compared with the major scale on the same root, natural minor has a flat 3rd, flat 6th and flat 7th. So the formula in scale degrees is 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7. C major is C, D, E, F, G, A, B. C minor is C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb. That lowered third is the note that does most of the "sad" work.
The natural minor scale in all 12 keys
Here are the notes of every natural minor scale, with the number of sharps (#) or flats (b). Each row moves up a fifth, so the table follows the circle of fifths.
| Key | Notes | Key signature | Relative major |
|---|---|---|---|
| A minor | A, B, C, D, E, F, G | none | C major |
| E minor | E, F#, G, A, B, C, D | 1 sharp | G major |
| B minor | B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A | 2 sharps | D major |
| F# minor | F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E | 3 sharps | A major |
| C# minor | C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B | 4 sharps | E major |
| G# minor | G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F# | 5 sharps | B major |
| Eb minor | Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db | 6 flats | Gb major |
| Bb minor | Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab | 5 flats | Db major |
| F minor | F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb | 4 flats | Ab major |
| C minor | C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb | 3 flats | Eb major |
| G minor | G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F | 2 flats | Bb major |
| D minor | D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C | 1 flat | F major |
Eb minor or D# minor? Same keys on the piano. Written with sharps it is D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B, C#. Your DAW or a key finder might say D# minor while a chord chart says Eb minor. Same goes for C# minor and Db minor, or G# minor and Ab minor. Same notes, different name.
Why a Cb in Eb minor? A scale uses every letter once. The sixth note is the same key as B, but because Bb is already in the scale, it is written as Cb. In your piano roll it makes no difference.
Natural minor and its relative major
Look at the last column. Every minor key shares its notes with a major key three half steps higher. A minor and C major use exactly the same white keys. The only difference is which note feels like home.
That is handy: if you already know a major scale, you know its relative minor too. Start on the sixth note of the major scale and you are in natural minor. The full list is in the relative minor chart. And if you want to hear the difference between the two moods first, read major vs minor explained.
By the way: natural minor is the same scale as the Aeolian mode. If you see "Aeolian" in a scale menu, that is the one. The other modes are covered in music modes explained.
The chords in a minor key
Stack every other note of the scale and you get seven chords. In A minor:
| Degree | Note | Chord | Roman numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Am | i |
| 2 | B | Bdim | ii° |
| 3 | C | C | III |
| 4 | D | Dm | iv |
| 5 | E | Em | v |
| 6 | F | F | VI |
| 7 | G | G | VII |
The pattern is the same in every minor key: minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major. A few progressions you hear all the time:
- i, VI, III, VII (Am, F, C, G): the classic emotional loop.
- i, VII, VI, VII (Am, G, F, G): rolling and moody, great for trap and drill.
- i, iv, v (Am, Dm, Em): simple and dark.
- i, VI, VII (Am, F, G): a short loop that builds tension.
Not sure how to read those numbers? Roman numeral chords explained walks you through it. Want every key written out? Check the chords by key page. For ready made loops, see sad chord progressions and dark trap chord progressions.
Natural, harmonic and melodic minor: what is the difference?
Natural minor has no strong pull back to the root, because its seventh note sits a whole step below it. That is part of why it sounds so laid back and moody. The other two minor scales fix that in different ways:
- Natural minor: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7. Dark, smooth, the default for most modern beats.
- Harmonic minor: raises the 7th (in A minor: G becomes G#). The v chord turns into a major V, which gives a strong, dramatic pull home. Read more in the harmonic minor scale.
- Melodic minor: raises the 6th and 7th (F# and G# in A minor). Smoother for melodies, a bit jazzier. More in the melodic minor scale.
Comparing scales for a specific genre? Best scales for trap melodies puts six of them side by side.
How to use the natural minor scale in your beat
- Find the key. Working with a sample, loop or beat you already have? Drop it into the free Beat Lab to see the BPM and key. If it says F minor, grab the F minor row from the table.
- Lay down chords. Pick two to four chords from the key. In the free chord progression generator you set the mode to minor, pick a mood like Dark or Sad, listen in your browser and download the MIDI for your DAW.
- Turn on the scale in your piano roll. Most DAWs can highlight the notes of a scale. Pick your root and "minor" (sometimes called "natural minor" or "Aeolian") and you see right away which keys are safe.
- Land on chord tones. On the first beat of a bar, a note from the chord underneath sounds strongest. In between, move freely through the scale.
- Use the b6 for emotion. In A minor that is the F. Moving from the 5th up to the b6 and back down (E, F, E) is one of the quickest ways to make a melody sound sad.
- Keep it short. A one or two bar phrase that repeats sticks better than a long run. More tips in how to make a melody for your beat.
For rappers and singers: hooks and Auto-Tune
Most beats you will rap or sing on these days are in a minor key, so this table is basically your cheat sheet for melodic hooks. Hum your hook, find the notes on a keyboard or piano app and check whether they are in the row for your key.
In Auto-Tune or any other pitch correction plugin, set the key to the root of the beat and the scale to minor. Choosing the relative major works too, since the notes are the same. Step by step instructions are in how to set up Auto-Tune. Is the hook too high or too low for your voice? Transpose the beat to a key that fits.
Common mistakes
- Using the major formula. In minor the first half step comes between the 2nd and 3rd notes, not between the 3rd and 4th. Mix them up and you end up in a different scale.
- Landing on the wrong root. A minor and C major share all their notes. If your melody keeps sounding happy, it is probably resolving to C instead of A.
- Adding a G# by accident. That raised 7th belongs to harmonic minor. It is not wrong, but it changes the vibe from moody to dramatic. Do it on purpose, not by accident.
- Trusting the key name over your ears. Key finders sometimes report the relative major instead of the minor. If the tool says C major but the beat sounds dark, try A minor.
Rather start writing right away?
Skip the beat building and browse the beats by NameOnTheBeat. Check the key in Beat Lab, pull the notes from the table above and start on your hook.
FAQ
What is the natural minor scale formula?
Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. Short: W, H, W, W, H, W, W. In scale degrees: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7.
Which minor scale has no sharps or flats?
A minor. Its notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, G, all white keys.
What are the notes of E minor?
E, F#, G, A, B, C, D. One sharp, the same notes as G major.
What are the notes of C minor?
C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb. Three flats, the same notes as Eb major.
Is the natural minor scale the same as the Aeolian mode?
Yes. Aeolian is the name for the sixth mode of the major scale, and it has exactly the same notes and steps as natural minor.
Why is it called natural minor?
Because none of its notes are altered. Harmonic minor raises the 7th and melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th. Natural minor is the version straight from the key signature.
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