SAMPLEDHow Do You Play the A Minor Scale on Guitar? Extended Pattern Tab and Practice Guide
Learn the A natural minor scale on guitar with a fifth-fret extended pattern, the seven notes, fingering tips, and exercises that turn the shape into riffs and solos.
The A natural minor scale is often the first scale guitarists learn, and for good reason. It has no sharps or flats: just A, B, C, D, E, F and G. That makes it the easiest minor scale to understand, and it's the backbone of countless rock, blues, pop and metal songs.
This lesson uses an extended pattern that starts on the 5th fret of the low E string, climbs all six strings, and adds two extra notes on top. You'll learn the notes, how to finger the shape, and how to turn it into music.
What notes are in the A minor scale?
This lesson teaches A natural minor, also called A Aeolian. It's the relative minor of C major, so it uses exactly the same notes as C major—all the white keys on a piano—centered on A.
| Scale degree | Note | Interval above A |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Root |
| 2 | B | Major second |
| ♭3 | C | Minor third |
| 4 | D | Perfect fourth |
| 5 | E | Perfect fifth |
| ♭6 | F | Minor sixth |
| ♭7 | G | Minor seventh |
The formula is 1–2–♭3–4–5–♭6–♭7, and the step pattern is whole–half–whole–whole–half–whole–whole. On one string, a whole step is two frets and a half step is one fret. That's why B to C and E to F are only one fret apart.
Where do you put your hand?
Place your index finger at the 5th fret and give each finger its own fret: index on 5, middle on 6, ring on 7, pinky on 8. Keep your thumb behind the neck, about behind your middle finger. This one-finger-per-fret position covers nearly the entire pattern.
The one stretch is the 4th fret on the G string. Reach back with your index finger for that note, then return to the 5th fret.
Find the roots first. The 5th fret on the low E string, the 7th fret on the D string, and the 5th fret on the high E string are all A. Play just those three so your ear knows where "home" is.
How do you read the A minor extended pattern tab?
Play each string from left to right, low to high:
- Low E: 5 – 7 – 8
- A: 5 – 7 – 8
- D: 5 – 7
- G: 4 – 5 – 7
- B: 5 – 6 – 8
- High E: 5, then the extension 7 – 8
Download the full-size A minor guitar tab (JPEG)
Diagram: Robert Anthony / Sampled. Blue numbers mark the root note, A.
Which notes do the fret numbers produce?
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Low E | 5 – 7 – 8 | A – B – C |
| A | 5 – 7 – 8 | D – E – F |
| D | 5 – 7 | G – A |
| G | 4 – 5 – 7 | B – C – D |
| B | 5 – 6 – 8 | E – F – G |
| High E | 5 – 7 – 8 | A – B – C |
That's two full octaves, from the low A to the high A, plus B and C on top.
What does the extension do?
The 7th and 8th frets on the high E string push the scale past the top A to B and C. In a solo, that high C—the minor third—is a powerful note to land on. It sounds unmistakably minor and gives you room to bend or slide at the peak of a phrase.
Use your ring finger on 7 and pinky on 8, or slide your index finger up from 5 for a smoother, singing feel.
How should you practice the A minor scale?
Use a metronome and start slow. Clean notes at 60 BPM build speed faster than sloppy notes at 120.
- Up and down. Play the full pattern ascending and descending in quarter notes at 60–70 BPM. Add 5 BPM only after three clean runs in a row.
- Root to root. Play from the low A (E string, 5th fret) to the middle A (D string, 7th fret), then from the middle A to the high A. Short sections lock in faster.
- Groups of three. Play notes 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5 through the pattern. It breaks the straight up-and-down habit and sounds more like real melodies.
- Alternate picking. Strict down-up strokes the whole way. Watch the string changes, where most mistakes happen.
- Drone practice. Play over a sustained A note or an Am chord and listen to how each note feels against the root.
How do you make the A minor scale sound musical?
- End on the roots. Finish phrases on any blue A in the tab for a strong sense of resolution.
- Lean on C and E. With A, they spell the A minor chord, so landing on them always sounds right.
- Jam over a classic loop. Try Am – F – G or Am – Dm – Em and improvise using only this pattern.
- Save the extension for the big moment. Climb to the high B and C at the peak of a solo.
A minor is also home to the famous minor pentatonic "box" at the 5th fret. Drop the B and F from this pattern and you'll be playing A minor pentatonic, the shape behind countless blues and rock solos.
How is A minor related to other keys?
- Relative major: C major shares the same seven notes, so this pattern works over C major songs if you treat C as home.
- Parallel major: A major shares the root but raises the 3rd, 6th and 7th (C♯, F♯, G♯).
- Harmonic minor: Raise G to G♯ for a darker, classical or neoclassical-metal flavor.
This is the same shape used in our other minor-scale lessons, just in a different spot. Slide it up two frets for the B minor scale, or three frets for the C minor scale.
FAQ
Why is A minor good for beginners? It has no sharps or flats, so the note names are simple, and the 5th-fret position is comfortable on almost any guitar.
Is A minor the same as A natural minor? Usually, yes. "A minor scale" typically means A natural minor: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Harmonic and melodic minor are variations.
What chords fit A minor? The main chords in A natural minor are Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G.
Can I move this pattern to other keys? Yes. Wherever the low-E root lands, that's your key. Start on the 7th fret for B minor or the 8th fret for C minor.