The natural minor scale formula is whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, or W–H–W–W–H–W–W. Applied to A, it gives A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, and the same pattern builds a natural minor scale from any starting note.
What is the natural minor scale formula?
The natural minor scale formula is the pattern of whole steps and half steps that builds a natural minor scale from any starting note: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole, usually written W–H–W–W–H–W–W. A whole step is two semitones and a half step is one semitone, so the formula describes the exact distances between the seven notes of the scale. Start on A and you get A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, the natural minor scale with no sharps and no flats, which shares its notes with C major. The natural minor scale is the minor counterpart of the major scale, and it is the scale that the minor key is built from. Its character comes from the three notes that are lowered by a semitone compared with the major scale on the same root: the 3rd, the 6th and the 7th. Those three lowered notes give the scale its dark, sad, introspective sound, and they are also what make the minor chords of the key minor. If you know the natural minor formula, you can work out the notes of any minor key and build any minor chord.
How the natural minor scale formula works
Apply the pattern step by step from the root. Start on E: a whole step up from E is F#, a half step is G, a whole step is A, another whole step is B, a half step is C, a whole step is D, and a whole step returns to E. The result is E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E, the E natural minor scale, with one sharp, F#. The half steps fall between the 2nd and 3rd degrees and between the 5th and 6th degrees, which is why the scale has its characteristic shape: the 3rd is minor, the 6th is minor, and the 7th is minor too. Compare the natural minor scale with the major scale on the same root and the differences are clear. E major is E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E, while E natural minor is E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E: the 3rd drops from G# to G, the 6th drops from C# to C, and the 7th drops from D# to D, each by one semitone. Those three changes are the whole difference between major and minor, and they are also the reason the natural minor scale is sometimes called the Aeolian mode, because it is the sixth mode of the major scale. The E minor scale and the A minor scale show the pattern in two keys, and the scale finder builds a natural minor scale from any root.
Worked example — D natural minor. Start on D and follow W–H–W–W–H–W–W. A whole step from D is E, a half step is F, a whole step is G, another whole step is A, a half step is Bb, a whole step is C, and a whole step returns to D. The D natural minor scale is D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, with one flat, Bb, spelled A# in the sharp-only system used by ChordFlow. Check the half steps: E to F is one semitone, and A to Bb is one semitone, exactly where the formula puts them. The D minor guitar chord is built from the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of this scale, and the key of D minor shows the chords it produces.
How to practise the natural minor scale formula
Practise the formula by building minor scales from scratch, and by comparing each one with the major scale on the same root, so the three lowered notes become obvious.
- Pick a random root note, write out its natural minor scale using the W–H–W–W–H–W–W pattern, and check your answer against the scale finder.
- Play the A minor scale on your instrument ascending and descending, and say the interval pattern aloud as you play: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.
- Build the natural minor scales of E, B, F# and C# in turn, noticing that each new scale adds one sharp, following the circle of fifths.
- Play a major scale and then the natural minor scale on the same root, back to back, and listen for the 3rd, 6th and 7th dropping by a semitone.
- Use the scale degree calculator to check which degree of the scale each note belongs to as you practise.
Common mistakes
- Using the harmonic minor scale by mistake — The harmonic minor scale raises the 7th degree, which changes the V chord from minor to major. If you want the natural minor scale, keep the 7th lowered, a whole tone below the octave.
- Putting the half steps in the wrong place — The half steps in a natural minor scale fall between the 2nd and 3rd degrees and between the 5th and 6th degrees. Putting them anywhere else gives a different scale, not a natural minor scale.
- Forgetting that natural minor shares its notes with a major scale — Every natural minor scale shares its notes with the major scale a minor 3rd above it: A minor shares its notes with C major, E minor with G major. If your minor scale has different notes from its relative major, one of them is wrong.
Quick reference
This table lists the natural minor scale in six keys, so you can see the W–H–W–W–H–W–W pattern producing a different set of notes from each starting point. The sharp keys add one sharp at a time, following the circle of fifths, and the flat key, D minor, has one flat, which appears as A# in the sharp-only spelling used across ChordFlow.
| Key | Natural minor scale notes | Sharps or flats |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | A – B – C – D – E – F – G | None |
| E minor | E – F# – G – A – B – C – D | 1 sharp: F# |
| B minor | B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A | 2 sharps: F#, C# |
| F# minor | F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E | 3 sharps: F#, C#, G# |
| C# minor | C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B | 4 sharps: F#, C#, G#, D# |
| D minor | D – E – F – G – A – A# – C | 1 flat: Bb (A#) |
Work through the table by building each scale yourself from the formula, starting from the root and counting whole and half steps, and check your answers against the rows. When you can build all six without looking, compare each row with the major scale on the same root, and name the three notes that are lowered.
Frequently asked questions
What is the natural minor scale formula?
The natural minor scale formula is the pattern of whole steps and half steps that builds a natural minor scale: W–H–W–W–H–W–W, or whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. Applied to A it gives A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A.
How is natural minor different from major?
Three notes are lowered by a semitone: the 3rd, the 6th and the 7th. A major has C# as its 3rd, F# as its 6th and G# as its 7th, while A natural minor has C, F and G, and those three changes give the scale its dark sound.
Why is it called natural minor?
Because it is the minor scale in its natural form, with no notes raised or lowered beyond the key signature. The harmonic minor raises the 7th and the melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th, so the natural minor is the unaltered version.
Can I build a natural minor scale from any note?
Yes. The W–H–W–W–H–W–W pattern works from any of the twelve notes, including sharp and flat roots. Some results are easier to spell than others, but the interval pattern never changes.
What is the relative major of A minor?
C major. A natural minor shares its notes with C major, because A is the 6th degree of the C major scale, and the two scales contain exactly the same seven notes in a different order.