Natural minor scale guitar: positions and how to use it
You've got the minor pentatonic down. The natural minor scale is the same thing with 2 extra notes and a whole new world of colour.
What is the natural minor scale?
The natural minor scale is the Aeolian mode. It's the reference minor scale in Western music — the scale you get by playing the white keys on a piano from A to A. On guitar, it's one of the most widely used scales in rock, metal, blues and jazz.
If you know the minor pentatonic, you already know the backbone of this scale. The natural minor is simply its logical extension: the same 5 notes, plus 2 extra — the 2nd and the 6th degree. These two notes add colour, melodic depth and new phrasing possibilities.
Pentatonic vs. natural minor : la vraie différence
The minor pentatonic has 5 notes. The natural minor has 7. Here's exactly which notes are added and what they bring.
| Added note | Degree | Musical role | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 2nd | Melodic passing note | Enables smooth descending melodic lines (G → F → E). Gives certain solos a "classical" or "baroque" feel. |
| F | Minor 6th | Scale's defining colour | The most distinctive note. It gives the natural minor its dark, lyrical quality. Widely used in melodic metal solos and progressive rock. |
Formula and notes in A minor
The natural minor scale follows this interval formula:
Position 1 — the entry point
Position 1 of A natural minor is played at frets 5 to 8, exactly in the same area as Position 1 of the minor pentatonic. Find your usual landmarks, then add the two missing notes.
All 5 positions across the neck
Like the pentatonic, the natural minor is played in 5 positions that cover the entire neck. Each position starts on a different note of the scale but contains the same 7 sounds. Master Position 1 before tackling the others.
Position 1 Priority
A: E · F · G
D: A · B · C
G: D · E
B: E · F · G
e: A · B
Position 2 Next
A: G · A
D: D · E · F
G: B · C
B: G · A
e: E · F
Position 3 Extension
A: A · B
D: F · G
G: C · D · E
B: A · B
e: G
Position 4 Extension
A: B · C
D: G · A
G: E · F
B: C · D
e: B
Position 5 Extension
A: C · D
D: B
G: G · A
B: E · F
e: C · D
When and how to use it
The natural minor scale works in every context where the minor pentatonic works, with greater melodic richness. But its two added notes (B and F) demand more intention in your phrasing — they don't ring out as "automatically" as the pentatonic notes.
🎸 Rock and hard rock
The natural home of the natural minor. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) — all use the natural minor as the foundation of their solos. The flat 6th (F) delivers that characteristic dark colour.
🎵 Melodic metal
The natural minor is the reference scale. Its descending lines (G–F–E) are the signature of melodic solos in the style of Michael Schenker or Uli Jon Roth.
🎶 Advanced blues
Blues players who go beyond the pentatonic often use the natural minor for longer, more melodic phrases. B.B. King would blend it with the pentatonic depending on the feeling he wanted.
🎹 Minor harmonic contexts
Over progressions like Am–G–F–E (very common in flamenco, rock and metal), A natural minor is the perfect scale — every chord in the progression is a diatonic chord of this scale.
The Am–G–F–E progression: ideal practice ground
This 4-chord progression is perhaps the most played in rock and metal. The first three chords belong to A natural minor. E major introduces G# (the leading tone), very common in rock and classical music, which strengthens the resolution back to Am.
Progression Am–G–F–E
The first 3 chords are diatonic to A natural minor. E major (in blue) introduces G# — the leading tone toward the tonic Am. This is the ideal context to explore the scale.
🎸 Visualise all 5 positions directly on your fretboard
The GuitarScaler shows you the notes of each scale in colour directly on your strings — including the natural minor. The Jam Sessions provide progressive backing tracks to practise over Am, Am–G–F–E and other progressions.
Exercises to integrate the 2 notes supplémentaires
The classic mistake: learning the natural minor as a brand-new scale and forgetting it contains the pentatonic. These exercises help you integrate B and F from what you already know.
1 Pentatonique + une note
Joue la Position 1 de la pentatonique mineure. À chaque montée, ajoute uniquement le B (case 7 sur les cordes E grave et D, case 6 sur la corde B). Ne t'occupe pas encore du Fa. Écoute comment ce Si change la texture de tes phrases.
2 The signature descending line
The descent G–F–E is the signature phrase of the natural minor. It's what you hear in hundreds of rock and metal solos. Work on it separately until it flows naturally.
3 Improvisation sur Am avec les 7 notes
Lance un backing track en La mineur (60 BPM). Joue d'abord 2 minutes avec uniquement les 5 notes de la pentatonique. Puis intègre progressivement le B et le F comme notes de passage entre les notes de la pentatonique. Écoute la différence.