Back to alphabetical overview – click here
A minor is a minor key and scale built on the note A. In its natural form, A minor uses only the white keys on the piano and has no sharps or flats.
What is the A minor scale?
The natural A minominor scale contains the notes:
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
A minor is the relative minor of C major, which means that the two keys use the same notes but have different tonal centers. A minor feels darker and more melancholic than C major because the music centers around the note A instead of C.
Natural, harmonic and melodic minor
In music theory, there are three common forms of the minor scale: natural minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor.
Natural A minor uses the notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Harmonic A minor raises the seventh note to G#, creating a stronger pull back to A. Melodic A minor often raises both the sixth and seventh notes when ascending, using F# and G#.
How is A minor used in piano playing?
A minor is often one of the first minor scales piano players learn because it is visually simple on the keyboard. It is used in many ballads, pop songs and classical pieces because of its clear but melancholic sound.
For pianists, it is useful to know that songs in A minor often use an E7 chord. The note G# in E7 creates tension and leads naturally back to the A minominor chord.