Minor Scales Explained: Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic

While the major scale is known for its bright, uplifting sound, the minor scale carries a darker, more emotionally complex character. But “the minor scale” is not a single entity — there are three distinct forms, each with its own construction, sound, and purpose. Understanding all three gives you a much richer palette for composition, improvisation, and analysis.

The Three Types of Minor Scales

Western music uses three variants of the minor scale:

1. Natural minor — the pure, unaltered minor scale
2. Harmonic minor — the natural minor with a raised seventh degree
3. Melodic minor — the natural minor with raised sixth and seventh degrees (ascending)

Each one exists to solve a specific musical problem, and together they form a complete toolkit for working in minor keys.

Natural Minor: The Foundation

The natural minor scale is built using the following interval pattern:

W – H – W – W – H – W – W

Where W is a whole step and H is a half step. Compare this to the major scale pattern (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) and you will see the half steps fall in different places, which is what creates the minor sound.

Here is A natural minor — the most commonly referenced minor scale because it contains no sharps or flats:

The defining intervals are the minor 3rd (♭3), minor 6th (♭6), and minor 7th (♭7). The minor 3rd is what makes it sound “minor” compared to a major scale.

Relative Major and Minor

Every natural minor scale shares its notes with a major scale. A natural minor (A–B–C–D–E–F–G) contains the exact same notes as C major (C–D–E–F–G–A–B). We say A minor is the relative minor of C major, and C major is the relative major of A minor. The relative minor always starts on the sixth degree of its parent major scale.

Here are several natural minor scales for reference:

The Problem with Natural Minor

The natural minor scale has a weakness: its seventh degree (♭7) sits a whole step below the root. In the key of A minor, that means G to A is a whole step. This large gap weakens the pull toward the tonic — the note G does not feel like it urgently needs to resolve to A. In major keys, the seventh degree (called the leading tone) is only a half step below the root, creating a much stronger sense of resolution. The harmonic minor scale was developed to fix this.

Harmonic Minor: The Raised Seventh

The harmonic minor scale takes the natural minor and raises the seventh degree by a half step, creating a leading tone:

W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H

In A harmonic minor, the G becomes G♯:

Now the seventh degree (G♯) is only a half step below the root (A), providing the strong resolution that the natural minor lacked.

The Augmented Second

Raising the seventh creates an unexpected side effect: an augmented second (three half steps) between the sixth and seventh degrees — from F to G♯ in A harmonic minor. This interval gives the harmonic minor its distinctive, somewhat exotic sound that many people associate with Middle Eastern or Eastern European music.

This augmented second is both the scale’s most recognizable feature and its main limitation. In smooth melodic lines, the gap can sound awkward or jumpy. Composers wanted the leading tone but also wanted smooth voice leading, which led to the creation of the melodic minor.

Harmonic Minor’s Effect on Chords

The raised seventh has a direct impact on harmony. In natural A minor, the chord built on the fifth degree is E minor (E–G–B). With the raised G♯, that chord becomes E major (E–G♯–B) — a much stronger dominant chord that resolves powerfully to A minor. This is why in classical and jazz music, minor keys almost always use the V chord (major or dominant seventh) rather than the v chord (minor). You can explore these chord relationships using the Interactive Chord Finder to hear the difference between a minor v and a major V in any minor key.

Melodic Minor: The Smooth Solution

The melodic minor scale solves the augmented second problem by raising both the sixth and seventh degrees when ascending:

Ascending: W – H – W – W – W – W – H

In A melodic minor ascending:

By raising the sixth degree (F to F♯), the augmented second between the sixth and seventh disappears, replaced by a normal whole step. The melodic line from F♯ to G♯ to A now moves smoothly by step.

The Classical Convention: Descending Form

In classical music theory, the melodic minor descends differently than it ascends. Going down, the raised sixth and seventh revert to their natural minor positions:

• Ascending: A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A
• Descending: A – G – F – E – D – C – B – A

The logic is that ascending melodies benefit from the leading tone pulling up toward the tonic, while descending melodies do not need that pull, so the natural minor suffices.

Jazz Melodic Minor

In jazz, musicians typically use the ascending form in both directions, treating the melodic minor as a consistent seven-note scale. This “jazz melodic minor” has become a scale in its own right, generating important modes like the Lydian dominant and the altered scale, both widely used in jazz improvisation.

Comparing the Three Minor Scales

Here are all three forms side by side in the key of A minor:

And in the key of D minor for comparison:

When to Use Each Scale

Natural minor is your default minor scale. Use it for straightforward minor melodies, minor chord progressions, and any situation where you want the pure minor sound. Rock, pop, folk, and blues lean heavily on natural minor.

Harmonic minor is essential for harmony. Use it when you need a dominant V chord in a minor key, or when you want that distinctive augmented-second flavor. It is common in classical, flamenco, metal, and film scores.

Melodic minor is the choice for smooth ascending melodic lines in minor keys, especially in classical and jazz. In jazz improvisation, the ascending melodic minor and its modes are tools for playing over altered dominant chords and minor-major seventh chords.

Practical Tips

Learn all three forms in every key. Start with A minor (no accidentals in the natural form), then work through the keys using the circle of fifths.

Listen for the differences. Play each scale slowly and notice where they diverge. The shift from natural to harmonic is a single note change, but the sonic impact is dramatic.

Apply them to chords. Build diatonic chords from each minor scale variant and compare the results. The harmonic minor’s V chord versus the natural minor’s v chord is a distinction you will hear in music everywhere once you know what to listen for.

Use the right scale for the context. When a chord progression in A minor includes an E major chord, the harmonic or melodic minor is in play. When the progression uses E minor instead, natural minor is the framework.

Understanding all three minor scales equips you to handle any musical situation in a minor key. They are not competitors — they are collaborators, each serving a distinct melodic and harmonic purpose.