The natural minor scale — also called the Aeolian mode — is the foundation of minor-key music on guitar. It is built from the formula root, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7 and is the sixth mode of the major scale (A natural minor uses the same notes as C major). This guide maps the natural minor, harmonic minor, and minor pentatonic scales across four tunings — Standard E, Drop D, 7-String B Standard, and 7-String Drop A — so you can see exactly how the fretboard shifts under your fingers.
The natural minor scale (Aeolian)
The natural minor scale has seven notes per octave. In the key of A, the notes are:
A B C D E F G
On a guitar in standard tuning, the three bass strings are all within the key of A minor — E, A, and D are the 5th, root, and 4th degrees respectively — which gives the scale deep open-string resonance. This is why A minor is the most natural minor key for standard-tuned guitar.
A natural minor in Standard E
In standard tuning (EADGBE), A natural minor sits across the open strings and lower frets. The root notes on strings 6 and 5 are at the 5th fret and open string respectively, making the first-position box pattern unusually accessible.
→ Explore A natural minor in Standard E with the interactive visualizer
D natural minor in Drop D
Drop D (DADGBE) lowers only the 6th string from E to D. D natural minor (D E F G A Bb C) becomes the most resonant key because the open bass string is already the root note. The scale pattern shifts on string 6 but remains identical on strings 5 through 1.
→ Map D natural minor in Drop D
B natural minor in 7-String B Standard
Standard tuning for a seven-string guitar adds a low B string beneath the familiar EADGBE, extending the range downward by a perfect fourth. B natural minor (B C# D E F# G A) uses that low B as the root, giving you the full scale across seven strings. The additional low range changes where the first-position box sits — the root is now on the open 7th string rather than up the neck.
→ Explore B natural minor in 7-String B Standard
A natural minor in 7-String Drop A
Drop A (AEADGBE) is a seven-string drop tuning where the lowest string is A — a whole step below the B standard low string — and strings 7 and 6 are an octave apart. A natural minor (A B C D E F G) benefits from having two A strings (the 7th and 5th) ringing as open-string drones, which anchors the key with unusual force.
→ Map A natural minor in 7-String Drop A
The harmonic minor scale
The harmonic minor scale raises the 7th degree of the natural minor by a semitone, creating the formula root, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, 7. In A harmonic minor, that means the G becomes G#, producing the notes:
A B C D E F G#
The augmented second between the b6 (F) and 7 (G#) — three semitones — gives harmonic minor its unmistakable Middle Eastern and neoclassical character. On guitar, this leap creates distinctive fretboard shapes that look different in different tunings, so it is worth mapping separately.
A harmonic minor in Standard E
In standard tuning, the G# sits on fret 4 of the 1st string and fret 6 of the 4th string. The augmented-second gap between F and G# creates a stretch that is easiest to navigate when you know the notes on each string rather than relying on memorised box patterns.
→ Explore A harmonic minor in Standard E
D harmonic minor in Drop D
D harmonic minor (D E F G A Bb C#) places the raised 7th (C#) on fret 4 of string 5 and fret 11 of string 6. The low D open string gives you a constant root drone, and the tension between the open-string anchor and the sharp 7th makes the scale particularly expressive for lead lines.
→ Map D harmonic minor in Drop D
B harmonic minor in 7-String B Standard
B harmonic minor (B C# D E F# G A#) gains additional range from the low 7th string. The raised 7th (A#) is accessible on fret 3 of the 7th string and fret 8 of the 6th string. The wider fretboard on a seven-string makes the augmented-second interval feel more spacious, which is useful for the wide melodic leaps common in harmonic-minor phrasing.
→ Explore B harmonic minor in 7-String B Standard
A harmonic minor in 7-String Drop A
A harmonic minor in Drop A (AEADGBE) puts the raised 7th (G#) on fret 3 of the 7th string and fret 6 of the 6th string. Because two strings are tuned to A an octave apart, you can double the root at any position, which thickens the harmonic minor sound in a way standard tuning cannot match.
→ Map A harmonic minor in 7-String Drop A
The minor pentatonic scale
The minor pentatonic scale is the most played scale on guitar. It removes the 2nd and b6 degrees from the natural minor, leaving five notes — root, b3, 4, 5, b7. In A minor pentatonic:
A C D E G
Every note in the minor pentatonic sounds consonant over a minor chord. It has none of the semitone clashes that can make the full natural minor scale tricky for beginners, which is why it is the default scale for blues, rock, and metal soloing. The box patterns are the same in any tuning where the strings maintain their standard relationship — Drop D and B Standard both keep strings 5 through 1 identical to standard, so the pentatonic boxes only shift on the retuned string.
→ Explore A minor pentatonic in Standard E
When to use each minor scale
The three minor scales serve different musical purposes, and knowing when to reach for each one is more important than memorising every fret position.
- Natural minor — Your default minor scale. Use it for rhythm parts, chord construction, and soloing over diatonic minor progressions.
- Harmonic minor — Reach for it when you want a dramatic, exotic tension. It works over minor chords that lead to a dominant V7 (the raised 7th is the major 3rd of the V chord). Common in neoclassical metal, flamenco, and progressive rock.
- Minor pentatonic — The safest scale for improvisation. It works over minor chords, dominant 7th chords, and even major progressions with a blues inflection. When in doubt, pentatonic first.
Visualize any minor scale with AltTuningLab
AltTuningLab recalculates the entire fretboard the moment you select a tuning. To see any minor scale in any tuning covered in this guide:
- Go to AltTuningLab.com
- Choose your tuning from the Tuning Preset dropdown — Standard E, Drop D, 7-String B Standard, or 7-String Drop A
- Set Scale Root to your desired key
- Select Scale Type: Minor (Aeolian), Harmonic Minor, or Pentatonic Minor
- The fretboard highlights every note position across all strings up to the 24th fret
Unlike static charts, the visualizer updates in real time as you change scale type or key — you can switch from natural minor to harmonic minor and see exactly which notes shift on every string.
Next steps
Once you know where the minor scale sits in one tuning, apply the same pattern to another tuning and compare. The fastest way to build fretboard fluency across tunings is to see the same scale in two different tunings side by side.
- → Drop D Tuning Guide — chords, scales, and progressions in DADGBE
- → Drop C Tuning Guide — map C minor scales in a lower register
- → 7-String Drop A Guide — extended-range chords and scales