A Minor Scale

The A natural minor scale contains exactly the same notes as C major, just starting and ending on A.

Starting on the open A string, the fingering mirrors what you learned in C major. The magic happens when you emphasise the A notes as your home base, which transforms the mood from bright major to darker minor.

Main Learning Points:

• Open position fingering: 0-2-3 on string five, then simply C major notes

• Why pausing on A notes creates the minor sound

• The connection between relative major and minor scales

• Apache by The Shadows: a classic A minor instrumental

• Walk Don't Run by The Ventures: great guitar line but a tricky!

• Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac: introduction to harmonised scale notes using 3rds

These instrumental songs are fantastic for developing your picking technique.

The scale harmonies in Rhiannon show how major and minor work together in the same song.