A Natural Minor scale
The A Natural Minor scale is a 7-note natural minor scale built on the root A. Its notes are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Reflective and emotional. The default minor sound in pop, rock and folk. This page covers the formula, fingerings, diatonic chords and common progressions that make A Natural Minor a powerful tool for improvising and composing.
Natural minor is the default sad scale of pop, rock and folk. Use it for ballads, dramatic verses, melancholic riffs and any context that needs an emotional or introspective feel. Built on the root A, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key — making it especially useful in genres and registers where A is a comfortable tonal centre.
Formula & step pattern
The A Natural Minor scale follows the W-H-W-W-H-W-W pattern, equivalent to the Aeolian mode. Step pattern: W - H - W - W - H - W - W. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2M · 3m · 4P · 5P · 6m · 7m. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
A Natural Minor on the piano
A Natural Minor on the guitar
A Natural Minor on the staff
Hear the A Natural Minor scale
Notes of the A Natural Minor scale
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1P | 0 | A |
| 2 | 2M | 2 | B |
| 3 | 3m | 3 | C |
| 4 | 4P | 5 | D |
| 5 | 5P | 7 | E |
| 6 | 6m | 8 | F |
| 7 | 7m | 10 | G |
Diatonic chords of A Natural Minor
These are the chords that naturally form on each degree of the scale. Click a chord to open its dedicated page.
How to use the A Natural Minor scale
The diatonic chords of A Natural Minor are: i = Am, ii° = B°, III = C, iv = Dm, v = Em, VI = F, VII = G. These seven chords belong naturally to the key and are the safest harmonic vocabulary when writing songs in A Natural Minor. Click any chord below to open its full diagram and progressions.
Natural minor is the default sad scale of pop, rock and folk. Use it for ballads, dramatic verses, melancholic riffs and any context that needs an emotional or introspective feel.
Practice tips
Compare the natural minor with its parallel major to feel the flat third, sixth and seventh. Improvise short phrases that target the flat third for an instantly minor mood.
Famous songs in this key
Songs and pieces that use A Natural Minor include “House of the Rising Sun” — The Animals; “Stairway to Heaven” — Led Zeppelin (verse). Studying these examples is one of the fastest ways to internalise the scale’s sound.
Scales related to A Natural Minor
Once you are comfortable with A Natural Minor, explore related scales to expand your vocabulary. The scales below share notes, modes or tonal centres with A Natural Minor and are a natural next step in your study.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A Natural Minor scale?
What is the formula for the A Natural Minor scale?
Is A Natural Minor a major or minor scale?
What chords belong to the A Natural Minor scale?
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Take A Natural Minor into your music
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