How To Play Minor Scales
Hi. This is Hub Guitar.
We're going to talk about two of the most basic minor-scale patterns.
The first one is the pentatonic minor scale. This is probably the most commonly-used guitar scale, at least in this part of the Universe that we are in. This scale is related to the major pentatonic.
We'll also talk about the natural minor scale, which is a 7-note scale and also related to the major scale.
Here's the pentatonic minor scale
Now let's do the minor scale. Note that this scale has a position shift to play the B note on the third string. I like to just take my first finger and put it back up the position and keep going like nothing ever happened. That's a good way to do it. You can also move that note to the fourth string, but the way we're gonna do it today is we're gonna play on the third string, do a little bit of shift out of the position.
Memorize these patterns and try to find a way to apply them to your playing, whether that's by improvising, or figuring out notes by ear.
Minor Scale Patterns
These two guitar minor scales should help you get started in learning to improvise, read music or play songs in a minor key.
Learn both scales up and down the neck.
A Pentatonic (Minor) Scale
A Aeolian (Minor) Scale
Key Tasks
- Memorize both pentatonic and diatonic minor scale forms.
- Use the scales to improvise in the minor key: minor pentatonic and diatonic.