Minor tonic
Minor tonic
Fits minor chords whose harmony does not require a natural 6 or major 7.
Guitar Scales · ChordRevelation
Natural Minor Scale on Guitar — Aeolian Formula & Chords
Natural Minor is the Aeolian mode. It keeps a minor 3rd, minor 6th and minor 7th, giving a stable minor collection without the raised leading tone of harmonic minor.
Interval formula / structure1–2–♭3–4–5–♭6–♭7
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Harmony first
Where this scale fits.
ChordRevelation treats scale choice as a relationship between chord formula, function and target — not as a root-name lookup.
Diatonic minor progressions
Diatonic minor progressions
Supports the natural-minor chord family, including a minor v unless harmony alters it.
Modal minor
Modal minor
Useful when the tonal center is minor but the progression behaves more like a mode than classical functional minor.
Fretboard practice
Turn the formula into usable guitar vocabulary.
Keep chord tones visible, compare overlays and practice toward the next chord instead of running patterns without a harmonic destination.
Practice
Compare with Dorian
The single difference is ♭6 versus natural 6.
Practice
Compare with Harmonic Minor
Raise the ♭7 to 7 and hear how the dominant function changes.
Practice
Target the tonic chord
Use 1, ♭3 and 5 as stable landing points while hearing ♭6 and ♭7 as modal color.
FAQ
Quick answers.
The interval formula is the starting point; Play Over provides the real harmonic context.
What is the formula for natural minor scale?
1–2–♭3–4–5–♭6–♭7
How should I practice natural minor scale on guitar?
Connect the interval formula to chord tones and real harmonic context, then compare positions on the fretboard instead of memorizing a single box.
Can I use natural minor scale over every chord with the same root?
No. Scale choice depends on chord quality, harmonic function, key context and the next target chord, not only the root name.
ChordRevelation Play Over
See the scale inside the actual chord.
Open the approach on the fretboard, compare chord tones with tensions, keep multiple overlays visible and use the next chord as the resolution target.