Ever since I started playing jazz guitar, I’ve loved playing solos. To me it was the fun part of jazz band… like batting practice if you’re a baseball player.
As I got better though, something was definitely missing. The only real tool I had was the blues scale in those first few years… and the jazz guitar players I was listening to were definitely doing more than that when they played a solo.
Luckily I had a great jazz guitar teacher, so I asked him about playing better solos. He showed me a couple of scale positions that I could use for playing solos in major or minor keys, and we got to work.
It was a game changer. Shortly after we started working on my new scales, I was able to learn the melody to Autumn Leaves completely by ear… using the natural minor scale that my teacher had shown me. I could also play solos on it that sounded way better than what I had been doing before.
It’s amazing how a simple tool like the natural minor scale can make a big difference in your jazz guitar playing. It’s your best bet for learning melodies in minor keys, and a great option for playing solos in minor keys.
Check out the full guide below to learn more.
Basics of the Natural Minor Scale
The natural minor scale has a few different names you might hear:
- Natural minor
- Relative minor
- Aeolian mode or Aeolian Scale
What you call it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you recognize that all of these names are pointing to the exact same thing. And for our purposes, I’ll be calling it the natural minor scale.
The natural minor scale for guitar is defined by the following note formula:
The root, (1), a major second (2) a minor or flat third (3), a perfect fourth (4), a perfect fifth (5), a minor or flat sixth (b6), and a minor or flat seventh (b7).
The technical music theory terms for these intervals use the major, minor, or perfect descriptions above. I prefer to think purely in terms of the number, and using the flat (b) when notes are lowered.
There are 2 ways this scale is usually taught, both using the major scale as a reference point:
The Relative Minor Method
If you start any major scale from the 6th note, and play until you hit that note again, you have just played the natural minor scale (sometimes called the relative minor scale).
In the key of G, the 6th note is E.
So if you started your G major scale pattern from the 6th note, you would be playing an E natural minor scale.
This is a good way to identify the scale pattern – but remember it requires practice to be able to use it.
Altering the Major Scale
Another common approach to this scale is to alter notes of the major scale until it becomes the natural minor scale.
In this case, you would lower the 3rd, 6th, and 7th notes of the G major scale by one fret in order to create a natural minor scale.
This becomes pretty stretchy, so sometimes we move notes to different strings to create a more friendly finger pattern.
Remember, this is how the scale is taught in music theory. I’ve found that it’s easier and more useful to go directly to learning the scale patterns and getting them onto your fretboard. So let’s dive right in.
Movable Natural Minor Scale Patterns for Guitar
Movable scale patterns are what make it easy to play the natural minor scale anywhere on the guitar, in any key.
Each of these patterns can be moved to any fret you need to play a new scale, because there are no open strings.
This means that if you know just one scale pattern, you can play the natural minor scale in every key, just by starting it at different frets.
Each scale pattern starts on a different string, so the notes line up a little differently under your fingers.
Because of this, each scale pattern lends itself to different musical ideas: some licks or melodies will be easier for you in one pattern, rather than another.
By knowing all five patterns, you open yourself up to more musical ideas than if you only learn one.
The 5 Scale Shapes for Natural Minor
6th String Shape
5th String Shape
4th String Shape
3rd String Shape
2nd String Shape
Using the Natural Minor Scale in Jazz Guitar
Just like the major scale is your best choice for playing melodies and solos in major keys, the natural minor scale is your best choice for playing melodies in minor keys.
I’ve found that many of the minor key songs I’ve played have melodies that are largely made up of the natural minor scale, with a few notes outside the key here and there.
When you’re learning melody in a minor key, always try to relate it back to a natural minor pattern on your guitar.
Being able to trust your scale pattern makes it so much easier to learn and retain melodies, especially if you’re learning them by ear.
It’s also a great starting point for playing solos in minor keys – if most of the melody comes from the natural minor scale, then it’s a good bet that most of your improvised melodies can come from the natural minor scale.
Practice Tips
Practice is where the magic happens. You can know all the music theory in the world… but without practice, it’s not going to be helpful for you.
Practice one scale pattern at a time, and go slower than you want to. Wait until you’re really comfortable with a pattern before adding the next one.
Play each natural minor scale pattern at every fret on your guitar. This accomplishes the goal of playing in all 12 keys. But more importantly, it gets you used to how the pattern feels from every starting fret
Learn melodies and licks you like. This is where the scale patterns really start to become your own.
Play along with backing tracks from a program like iRealPro, or with friends who are working on the same kinds of things that you are. The more you play with them, the better these patterns will stick in your mind and under your fingers.
Conclusion
The natural minor scale for guitar is your best tool for learning melodies in minor keys. It’s also a great way to start improvising in minor songs
Put in the time to learn these patterns, and you’ll play better solos. Don’t get too hung up on the music theory part of it.
Music theory makes more sense once you can actually do the thing. So get practicing and you’ll understand it sooner!
Learn more essential scales with our complete guide to jazz guitar scales.
How do you use natural minor scales in your playing? Let me know below.