A Minor Scale Guitar – Guitar Command

A Minor Scale Guitar TAB

There are three main types of minor scale: the natural minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor. All three are widely used in improvisation, with each having their own sound and uses.

A Natural Minor Guitar

An A natural minor scale contains the following notes:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A

Two ways of playing the A natural minor scale on guitar are shown below:

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Natural minor scales are widely used in improvisation, and are also known as Aeolian modal scales. Read more about modal scales here: Guitar Modes.

A Harmonic Minor Guitar Tab

A harmonic minor scales differ from the natural minor by having a raised seventh note – G sharp. A harmonic scales contain the following notes:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A

A Melodic Minor Guitar

A traditional A melodic minor scale is the same as the natural minor scale, but with the sixth and seventh notes (F and G) being sharpened when the scale is ascending (it is the same as a natural minor when descending). Nowadays, it is becoming common (particularly amongst jazz musicians) to call a major scale with a flattened third a melodic minor scale. This type of scale is also (and more commonly) called a ‘jazz minor scale’ or ‘jazz melodic minor scale. You can read more about this scale here: Jazz Minor Scale.

A Minor Guitar Scale

You can use movable guitar scale shapes to play A minor scales on guitar. This way, you only have to learn the fingering for one major scale in order to play them all, by playing the same shape in different positions on the fingerboard. See examples of movable minor scale guitar shapes here: Harmonic Minor Scale Guitar, Jazz Minor Scale.

Related Pages:

Major Scale Guitar

Guitar Scales Chart

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