The Minor Scale

Every (natural) Minor scale is comprised from the basic pattern:

whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole

You could also think of that as:

2-1-2-2-1-2-2

Either way, it describes the number of steps to take (upwards) from the current note. This is easiest to understand in the A Minor Scale.

What follows are all minor scales on piano (including linked PDFs).

The most commonly used key signatures on the piano are:

• A Minor
• E Minor
• C Minor
• D Minor
• G Minor
• B Minor
• F Minor

However, it is easier to learn the scales by fingering pattern groups. There are 5 minor scales that are played in the same way, making them easier to learn together. You'll notice these are the same 5 scales that share major scale fingering:

• A Minor Scale on Piano
• E Minor Scale on Piano
• C Minor Scale on Piano
• G Minor Scale on Piano
• D Minor Scale on Piano
• Note, the F Minor Scale uses the same left hand fingering but slightly different right hand fingering.

This scale follows the same right hand fingering:

• B Minor Scale

Next, these two use the same fingering:

• G Sharp Minor Scale on Piano
• A Flat Minor Scale on Piano

And these two repeat the same right hand fingering as the last two, with different left hand fingering:

• F Sharp Minor Scale on Piano
• C Sharp Minor Scale on Piano

These two also share fingering:

• D Sharp Minor Scale on Piano
• E Flat Minor Scale on Piano

These two also share fingering:

• A Sharp Minor Scale on Piano
• B Flat Minor Scale on Piano