B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 7 positions Position 1 at frets 6-11
The natural minor, or Aeolian mode, is the darker twin of the major scale: rock ballads, metal riffs and film themes live in it. It has the same notes as its relative major, centred on another root. On the guitar it falls into 7 positions. Position 1 starts on the root, frets 6-11. The root B♭ is at fret 6 on the low E string and fret 1 on the A string.
e|----------------------------------8-9-11-| B|---------------------------7-9-11--------| G|--------------------6-8-10---------------| D|-------------6-8-10----------------------| A|-------6-8-9-----------------------------| E|-6-8-9-----------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------9-11-13-| B|-------------------------------9-11-13---------| G|-----------------------8-10-11-----------------| D|---------------8-10-11-------------------------| A|--------8-9-11---------------------------------| E|-8-9-11----------------------------------------|
e|--------------------------------------------11-13-14-| B|-----------------------------------11-13-14----------| G|--------------------------10-11-13-------------------| D|-----------------10-11-13----------------------------| A|---------9-11-13-------------------------------------| E|-9-11-13---------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|-------------------------------------13-14-16----------| G|----------------------------11-13-15-------------------| D|-------------------11-13-15----------------------------| A|----------11-13-15-------------------------------------| E|-11-13-14----------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------2-4-6-| B|-------------------------2-4-6-------| G|-------------------1-3-5-------------| D|-------------1-3-4-------------------| A|-------1-3-4-------------------------| E|-1-2-4-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------4-6-8-| B|-------------------------4-6-7-------| G|-------------------3-5-6-------------| D|-------------3-4-6-------------------| A|-------3-4-6-------------------------| E|-2-4-6-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------6-8-9-| B|-------------------------6-7-9-------| G|-------------------5-6-8-------------| D|-------------4-6-8-------------------| A|-------4-6-8-------------------------| E|-4-6-8-------------------------------|
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), frets numbered on the left. Magenta dots are the root, B♭. The tab under each diagram plays the position from its lowest note to its highest; play it back down the same way.
The positions above are slices of this map. They overlap: the highest notes of one are the lowest notes of the next, so once you know two neighbours you can slide from one to the other along a string.
7 notes: B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭. In whole (W) and half (H) steps: W H W W H W W. The half steps are where the scale gets its colour.
| Note | Degree | Interval from the root | Half steps | Fret on the low E string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | 1 | Root | 0 | 6 |
| C | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | 8 |
| D♭ | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | 9 |
| E♭ | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | 11 |
| F | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | 1 |
| G♭ | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 | 2 |
| A♭ | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | 4 |
Start with Position 1, root under the index finger on the low E string, and play it over a minor chord drone. Resolve phrases on the root, the minor third and the fifth.
Same notes, another root: D♭ major. The shapes on the neck are the same; only the note you start and end on changes.
The harmonic minor raises the 7th degree by a half step, which gives the scale a stronger pull back to the root. Compare the two: B♭ harmonic minor.
Set the tempo low, play each position up and down with the button above, then try it yourself at the same speed. Raise the tempo by 4 BPM only when it is clean.
Going up: B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, then B♭ an octave higher. Its formula is 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
Start with position 1, frets 6-11: the root B♭ is under your finger 1 on the low E string. Play three notes on each string, from the low E to the high E, then back down. The diagrams and tabs on this page show all 7 positions.
On the low E string at fret 6, on the A string at fret 1. Those two root notes anchor most scale positions and barre chords.
The harmonic minor raises the 7th degree by a half step, which gives the scale a stronger pull back to the root.
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