Natural minor scale in A
Natural minor scale in A: A, B, C, D, E, F and G, the degrees 1–2–b3–4–5–b6–b7. Major with lowered 3rd, 6th and 7th: the classic minor sound of rock, pop and film scores, same collection as Aeolian.
The quintessential minor scale: compared with the major scale, it lowers the 3rd, 6th and 7th notes by a half step, and that is what creates its darker, melancholy mood. It has no leading tone — in other words, it lacks the note a half step below the tonic that "pulls" you back home — so the sound feels more open, less conclusive. It is the backbone of rock, pop, metal and film scores; and it is exactly the same collection of notes as the Aeolian mode, which has its own page here.
Example: A – B – C – D – E – F – GFormula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 4 – 5 – b6 – b7In the formula, the numbers are degrees — positions counted in the reference major scale; "b" lowers a half step and "#" raises one.
Family: The three forms of the minor scale.
"Minor scale" can mean different structures. Classical melodic minor is directional (ascends with major 6th and 7th, descends as natural); jazz minor is treated as a fixed collection and generates its own seven modes.
Chords in the harmonic field
These are the seven chords born from this scale — one built on each of its notes. Put another way: the set of chords that sounds naturally "inside" the scale. See the harmonic field of every key →
The same scale on all four instruments
In the diagrams, each dot carries its scale degree — 1 is the tonic, highlighted.