A Minor Scale
A–B–C–D–E–F–G
The A Minor scale has 7 notes: A–B–C–D–E–F–G. Its character: dark, emotional, and melancholic — the sound of sadness and introspection.
The flat 3rd (minor 3rd) is the defining interval. Combined with the flat 6th and flat 7th, it creates a descending, unresolved quality. You'll hear it most in rock, metal, classical and pop.
Because A Minor shares its notes with C major (its relative major), every shape on the fretboard below does double duty — learn it once, use it in both keys. Start with one position, loop a backing track in A, and connect neighboring positions as they become comfortable.
A Minor Scale on the Fretboard
Standard tuning, frets 0–12. Every dot is a note in the scale — blue dots are the root (A).
Notes and Intervals
| Interval | R | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
Chords in A Minor
These seven chords are built from the scale itself — any progression using them stays in key.
Songs That Use the Minor Sound
Metallica — “Nothing Else Matters”
In E minor. The open-string intro arpeggio outlines Em, and the vocal melody weaves through the natural minor scale. The verse guitar part uses all seven scale tones.
Led Zeppelin — “Stairway to Heaven”
The famous guitar solo (starting around 5:55) is rooted in A minor. Jimmy Page builds from pentatonic into the full natural minor, reaching the flat 6th (F) and flat 7th (G) for dramatic effect.
Adele — “Rolling in the Deep”
In C minor. The vocal melody uses the natural minor scale to create intense emotional weight, particularly the verse melody which steps through the scale.
A Minor Scale FAQ
What notes are in the A Minor scale?
A Minor contains 7 notes: A–B–C–D–E–F–G. The interval formula is R–2–♭3–4–5–♭6–♭7.
What is the A Minor scale used for?
Dark, emotional, and melancholic — the sound of sadness and introspection. It's a core vocabulary scale in rock, metal, classical and pop — used for riffs, solos, and melodies over minor-key progressions in A.
What is the relative major of A minor?
C major. A Minor uses exactly the same notes as C major, just starting from a different root — so every shape on the fretboard works for both keys.
How do I practice the A Minor scale?
Pick one position, play it ascending and descending with a metronome until it's clean, then improvise over a backing track in A so your ear connects the shapes to the sound. OpenFret's free Studio has a fretboard viewer and metronome for exactly this, and Guitar Quest turns scale practice into a game with real-time pitch detection.
Related Scales
Practice A Minor with real feedback
Guitar Quest listens to your real guitar and turns scale practice into a game — run scales to battle monsters, with every note checked by pitch detection. Free in your browser, no signup needed.