FretSpider!

Minor scales are one of the most popular scales you could learn in music and for guitar. As major scales go hand-in-hand with major chords, minor scales go with minor chords. The following patterns I am about to show you should be learned inside out and back to front! They have a darker feel about them just as minor chords do.

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Here is a minor scale in one octave. It can be applied to any key by beginning the scale on any desired note. – So, if you want to play it in the key of C (minor), you could start the scale on the 3rd fret of the A string because that note is C.

The above diagram is to demonstrate the pattern of the scale only, it can be applied anywhere on the fretboard. It may need altering somewhat when playing on different strings due to the fact that the 1st and 2nd strings are tuned differently to the rest.

To play an extended version the very same scale in 2 octaves you would simply repeat this pattern beginning on the second purple note (which is the same note as the first purple note, or ‘root’ note).

You will see that the pattern is moved one fret higher on the e and B strings, this is due to the tuning they are in as standard.

I have provided this example to clearly show you how the pattern is simply repeated from the last note. Now, when soloing or even practicing over this scale you would find it tiring to span your fingers across seven frets. This is where substitution comes in handy. The following scale is exactly the same as show above but it is bunched up closely, allowing speed and agility when soloing this scale.

As with every scale, you will want to allocate a finger for each fret, this allows you to play through the scale at a nice steady rate while keeping your hand in one position.

So allocate your 1st finger for the notes on the 1st fret of the scale, 2nd finger for the 2nd fret, 3rd finger for the 3rd fret, and 4th finger for the 4th fret.

The very last note is not always played and this is not necessary when practicing through the scale as it would require a finger adjustment.

I recommend that you learn this and the major scale pattern off by heart and play through them religiously. Even if you aren’t ready to bury yourself in scales and patterns it is a really good idea to just learn the Major and minor patterns in two octaves, you will definitely be coming back to these patterns throughout your playing.

Another great way of remembering how to play the minor scale anywhere on your guitar is using the following interval method.

Understanding Minor Scales From Any Position

The minor scale is created from a series of whole step and half step intervals.

A half step is a single fret difference either side of the original note. So if you play the 3rd fret of any string for example, a half step down would be the 2nd fret and the half step up would be the 4th fret of the same string.

A whole step is simply twice the difference of a half step, so the difference is 2 frets.

A common misconception is that the difference between B and C, and E and F is a whole tone is false. – These appear only one fret apart and as such are half-step intervals.

Minor scales use the following pattern:

W = Whole Step

H = Half Step

W H W W H W W

Apply this to any root note, anywhere on the fretboard and you will have a minor scale in one octave (apply it from the last note again for another octave).

When this is done on a single string you will understand exactly what i’m talking about. Here is an A minor (Am) scale on one string. Notice our root note is on the open A string, and we use the above minor whole/half step rule to get our minor scale notes. We can easily move the notes to other strings to have them all within a few frets too.

So hopefully this has given you enough information to not only go and make music in the common major pattern, but also play a major scale in any key, any point on the guitar, and any pattern you like. It is important you do learn the common 2-octave pattern in the diagram above off by heart. This pattern will become very important throughout your playing.