Piano Minor Scales

Contrary to the major scale there are not one but three minor scales and we shall look at each. The three groups of minor scales are:

• The natural minor
• The melodic
• The harmonic

The natural minor scale is often referred to as the minor scale. This scale can sometimes confuse people because it is in a way identical to the major scale. The A minor scales include exactly the same notes as the C major scale which makes them relative keys (read more about this further down the page).

Natural Minor Scales

Here are pictures and notes of scales.

A Minor

Notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A
Fingerings (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

A# / Bb Minor

Notes: A#, C, C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A#
Fingerings (LH): 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2
Fingerings (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4

B Minor

Notes: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B
Fingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1
Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

C Minor

Notes: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C
Fingerings (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

C# / Db Minor

Notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#
Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3
Fingerings (RH): 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

D Minor

Notes: D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D
Fingerings (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

D# / Eb Minor

Notes: D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#
Fingerings (LH): 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2
Fingerings (RH): 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3

E Minor

Notes: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E
Fingerings (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

F Minor

Notes: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F
Fingerings (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4

F# / Gb Minor

Notes: F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#
Fingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4
Fingerings (RH): 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

G Minor

Notes: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G
Fingerings (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

G# /Ab Minor

Notes: G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#
Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2
Fingerings (RH): 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

Minor Scales overview
A: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A
A#/Bb: A#, C, C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A# (theoretically correct is B# instead of C)
B: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B
C: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C
C#/Db: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#
D: D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D
D#/Eb: D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#
E: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E
F: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F
F#/Gb: F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#
G: G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G
G#/Ab: G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#

Fingerings: 1 = Thumb | 2 = index finger | 3 = middle finger | 4 = ring finger | 5 = little finger.
LH = Left hand | RH = Right hand

Intervals and steps
Interval: 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7
Semi-notes: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2
Formula: Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole

Relative keys - major and minor

Relative keys have, as said above, the same notes and it can be found for all major and natural minor scales. G major is relative with E minor, F major is relative to D minor; see all relative keys below:

• Cb - Abm
• Gb - Ebm
• Db - Bbm
• Ab - Fm
• Eb - Cm
• Bb - Gm
• F - Dm
• C - Am
• G - Em
• D - Bm
• A - F#m
• E - C#m
• B - G#m
• F# - D#m
• C# - A#m

You don't need to memorize all relative keys, if you want to know the relative minor just go to the sixth degree in the major scale.

Although the notes are the same there is a difference between two relative keys: the tonic (first tone in the scale) is not the same and this leads to different sounds. If you play in the A minor you will get a more gloomy and kind of melancholy sound comparable to C major.