A

Diatonic Scale

A Natural Minor

The natural minor scale — dark, melancholic, the basis of minor key music.

Notes in A Natural Minor

A1
B2
C3
D4
E5
F6
G7
A8

Chords in A Natural Minor

7 diatonic chords
DegreeChordNotesQuality
iAmA – C – Eminor
iiB°B – D – Fdiminished
IIICC – E – Gmajor
ivDmD – F – Aminor
vEmE – G – Bminor
VIFF – A – Cmajor
VIIGG – B – Dmajor

Other Scales in A

MajorA, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#Harmonic MinorA, B, C, D, E, F, G#Melodic MinorA, B, C, D, E, F#, G#DorianA, B, C, D, E, F#, GPhrygianA, A#, C, D, E, F, GLydianA, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#MixolydianA, B, C#, D, E, F#, GLocrianA, A#, C, D, D#, F, GMajor PentatonicA, B, C#, E, F#Minor PentatonicA, C, D, E, GBluesA, C, D, D#, E, GWhole ToneA, B, C#, D#, F, GDiminished (H-W)A, A#, C, C#, D#, E, F#, GDiminished (W-H)A, B, C, D, D#, F, F#, G#Phrygian DominantA, A#, C#, D, E, F, GHungarian MinorA, B, C, D#, E, F, G#Lydian DominantA, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G

Natural Minor in All 12 Keys

CC D D# F G G# A#C#D♭Db Eb E Gb Ab A BDD E F G A A# CD#E♭Eb F Gb Ab Bb B DbEE F# G A B C DFF G Ab Bb C Db EbF#G♭F# G# A B C# D EGG A A# C D D# FG#A♭Ab Bb B Db Eb E GbAA B C D E F GA#B♭Bb C Db Eb F Gb AbBB C# D E F# G A

Practice by Ear

Scale RecognitionIdentify the Natural Minor scale by ear →Play A Natural MinorHear the scale and practice recognising it →Chord Recognition TrainerIdentify the chords above by ear →Progression TrainerIdentify common progressions in this key →

Chords in A Natural Minor

The A natural minor scale contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G. The natural minor scale — dark, melancholic, the basis of minor key music.

The diatonic chords in A natural minor are Am (i), B° (ii), C (III), Dm (iv), Em (v), F (VI), G (VII). These are the chords you can use when writing or improvising in this key — every note in each chord belongs to the A natural minor scale.

To develop your ear for the A natural minor sound, use the scale and chord trainers linked above. Being able to recognise these sounds by ear — not just read them from a chart — is what separates musicians who truly hear music from those who only read it.