12b345b6b7
Fig. 1 · A natural minor on the keyboard

piano scale

A natural minor

A1B2C♭3D4E5F♭6G♭7

The major scale started from its sixth degree: same seven notes, a different centre of gravity.

on guitaron ukulelethe key signature

Written out

Fig. 2 · A natural minor, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

AWBHCWDWEHFWGWA

What is true of it

A natural minor is A, B, C, D, E, F and G, and back to A.

Its steps are W – H – W – W – H – W – W, where W is a whole step and H a half.

It uses no sharps and no flats at all: seven letters, seven white keys.

On the same tonic, A harmonic minor differs from it by exactly one note.

Chords made only of these notes

CmajorCmaj7major seventhDmminorDm7minor seventhEmminorEm7minor seventhFmajorFmaj7major seventh

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on A

A harmonic minorminorA melodic minorminorA majormajorA harmonic majormajorA Dorianmode

C minC♯ minD♭ minD minD♯ minE♭ minE minF minall 374