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$900 and Four Days Later | The Natural Minor Scales | Bass Northwest's Evan Sheeley

The Natural Minor Scales

by John Falstrom

Here's the 15 natural minor scales (keys) and what you know about them:

Each natural minor scale has seven different notes in it. The 8th (octave) note is the same note letter as the 1st (root) note.

Each natural minor scale has half steps between the 2nd and 3rd and the 5th and 6th notes of the scale. The rest of the steps are whole steps.

The natural minor scales are the natural minor keys (i.e., there are seven different notes in each natural minor key).

There are Fifteen Natural Minor Scales (Keys)

Seven natural minor scales (keys) have sharps in them.
Seven natural minor scales (keys) have flats in them.
One natural minor scale (key) has all natural notes in it (a natural minor).

Note:There are only twelve natural minor scales (keys) when don't count the three enharmonic natural minor scales (keys).

Note Relationship to Root-Natural Minor Scales

Each note in the natural minor scale has a note relationship to the root:

Notes in Natural Minor Scale	Note Relationship to Root
1	Root
2	Major 2nd
b3	Minor 3rd
4	Perfect 4th
5	Perfect 5th
b6	Minor 6th
b7	Minor 7th
8	8th (Octave)

* Memorize the note relationship to the root names and how each note looks on the fretboard in relation to the root for all the natural minor scales.

Note: All the note relationships and how these notes look on the fretboard in relation to the root will always stay the same for all natural minor scales.

Notes Below the Root-Natural Minor Scales

Just as in the major scales, the root is not the lowest pitched note in a natural minor scale, it's the scale center. All the notes in a natural minor scale can be played lower in pitch than the root.

The 8th (octave) note in a natural minor scale is the same note letter as the root (i.e., the 8th note is also the root and the root is the also the 8th note in a natural minor scale).

Finger patterns show you what notes are in a nstural minor scale and their note relationship(s) to the root. Once you know the note relationship(s) to the root, you can play these notes anywhere on the fretboard of the bass guitar.

Note:Memorize how the notes below the root look on the fretboard for all the natural minor scales. (Try starting with the lowest pitched root for each natural minor scale.)

Tip:Always think of the 8th (octave) note in a natural minor scale as the root and the root as the 8th (octave) note.

Notes above the Octave-Natural Minor Scales

When the notes in a natural minor scale are played higher in pitch then the 8th (octave) note, they are given these note relationship names to the root:

Notes in Natural Minor Scale	Note Relationship to Root (Octave and above)
Root	8th (Octave)
Major 2nd	Major 9th
Minor 3rd	Minor 10th
Perfect 4th	Perfect 11th
Perfect 5th	Perfect 12th
Minor 6th	Minor 13th
Minor 7th	Minor 14th
8th (octave)	15th (two octaves from the Root

Note: Memorize the two note relationship to the root names for each note in the natural minor scale(s).

The more you know about the natural minor scales (keys), the better the bassist/musician you will become - without doubt.

John Falstrom

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