A minor scale
The A minor scale is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. It has no sharps or flats, its relative major is C major, and the standard piano fingering is 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 in the left hand.
A minor scale notes
The A minor scale has seven notes before the tonic repeats: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. All of them are white keys on the piano.
The step pattern is W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between B and C and E and F.
| Degree | Name | Note | Solfège (movable do) | Piano key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A | la | White |
| 2 | Supertonic | B | ti | White |
| 3 | Mediant | C | do | White |
| 4 | Subdominant | D | re | White |
| 5 | Dominant | E | mi | White |
| 6 | Submediant | F | fa | White |
| 7 | Subtonic | G | sol | White |
Natural, harmonic and melodic A minor
A minor has three common forms. The natural minor follows the key signature. The harmonic minor raises the seventh note to G♯, which makes the chord on the fifth degree major (E) and gives a strong pull back to A. The melodic minor raises both the sixth and seventh notes on the way up (F♯ and G♯) and traditionally plays the natural form on the way down.
| Form | Notes | Changed from natural |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A | Nothing: follows the key signature |
| Harmonic minor | A, B, C, D, E, F, G♯, A | 7th raised to G♯ |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | A, B, C, D, E, F♯, G♯, A | 6th and 7th raised to F♯ and G♯ |
A minor key signature
A minor has no sharps or flats in its key signature, the same empty signature as C major. Any G♯ you see in the music is usually the raised seventh of the harmonic form, written in as an accidental.
A minor scale fingering
| Hand | Notes (ascending) | Fingers |
|---|---|---|
| Right hand | A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A | 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Left hand | A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A | 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 |
Right hand going up: C (finger 3) to D (finger 1), the thumb passes under. Left hand going up: E (finger 1) to F (finger 3), the finger passes over the thumb. Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) in both hands.
With no black keys, the thumb can go anywhere, so the crossing points have to be memorised. For two octaves and the descending pattern, open the free piano scale fingering tool linked below.
Chords in A minor
Building a triad on each note of the scale gives the seven chords of A minor. The primary chords are Am (i), Dm (iv) and E (V). The natural minor's own fifth chord is Em (v), but music in A minor usually raises the seventh and uses E (V) instead.
| Degree | Triad | Notes | Seventh chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | A C E | Am7 | A C E G |
| ii° | B° | B D F | Bm7♭5 | B D F A |
| III | C | C E G | Cmaj7 | C E G B |
| iv | Dm | D F A | Dm7 | D F A C |
| v | Em | E G B | Em7 | E G B D |
| VI | F | F A C | Fmaj7 | F A C E |
| VII | G | G B D | G7 | G B D F |
A common minor progression, i iv V i, is Am, Dm, E, Am in A minor, using the major V from the harmonic form. The dominant seventh is E7 (E G♯ B D).
Reading A minor on the staff
A minor is the relative minor of C major, so its natural form uses only white keys. The harmonic form raises G to G sharp, and that one black key is what gives A minor its classic minor sound.
On the treble staff, A4 to A5 needs 1 ledger line above the staff. On the bass staff, A3 to A4 needs 3 ledger lines above the staff. Because of those ledger lines, left hand parts in this key are often written an octave lower, from A2.
The reading trap in A minor is different from most keys: with nothing to remember from the key signature, every sharp, flat or natural you see is written next to its note, and it still applies to that note for the rest of the bar.
How to practise the A minor scale
- Say the notes before you play them: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A.
- Play hands separately, one octave, at a slow steady pulse (60 beats per minute, one note per beat), using 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 in the right hand and 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 in the left.
- Stop on each thumb crossing and check the next finger is already over its key before you move.
- Add the descending scale with the same fingers in reverse, then go to two octaves.
- Put the hands together only when each hand can play it three times in a row without a stop, then raise the tempo by about 8 beats per minute at a time.
- Finish with the primary chords: Am (A C E), Dm (D F A) and E (E G♯ B).
Clef, our iPhone and iPad app, drills minor scales (natural and harmonic, one octave), triads and arpeggios with its on-screen controls or a connected MIDI keyboard, then brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays learned.
Keys related to A minor
- C major scale: relative major, same key signature
- A major scale: parallel major, same tonic
- E minor scale: a fifth above, 1 sharp
- D minor scale: a fifth below, 1 flat
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the A minor scale?
The A minor scale is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, then A again an octave higher.
How many sharps are in A minor?
None. A minor has no sharps or flats in its key signature.
What is the relative major of A minor?
C major. It uses the same key signature and the same notes, starting on C.
What chords are in A minor?
Am (i), B° (ii°), C (III), Dm (iv), Em (v), F (VI), G (VII). With the raised seventh of the harmonic minor, the V chord becomes E.
What is the fingering for the A minor scale on piano?
Right hand 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 going up from A; left hand 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 going up. Reverse the numbers to come down.