G natural minor scale
G natural minor scale is G – A – B♭ – C – D – E♭ – F, with B♭ and E♭. Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
Notes and steps
From G upward the gaps are W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between A–B♭ and D–E♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from G | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | root | |
| 2 | A | major second | |
| ♭3 | B♭ | minor third | |
| 4 | C | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | D | perfect fifth | |
| ♭6 | E♭ | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | F | minor seventh |
The sound of G natural minor scale
The natural minor scale is the darker twin of the major scale. It has the same notes as B♭ major, but starting on G changes where the half steps fall, and the mood turns.
Natural minor has no leading tone: F is a whole step below G, which is why F – Gm sounds modal and open rather than final.
Compared with G major scale, G natural minor scale has B♭, E♭ and F where the other has B, E and F♯; the other four notes are shared. Hear G major scale and compare.
G natural minor scale uses the same seven notes as B♭ major, starting from G instead of B♭.
Playing G natural minor
Keyboard players: two black (B♭ and E♭), five white.
17 notes fit in the box between frets 1 and 7, with G at the 3rd fret of the low E string.
The key of G minor
Songs in G minor are built from these notes, so the key signature has two flats (B♭, E♭). The relative major is B♭ major: same notes, starting on the 3rd degree. The parallel major, G major, starts on the same note with different notes above it.
Chords and progressions in G minor
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords of the key. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C Dorian (starting on the 4th note, C), D Phrygian (starting on the 5th note, D), E♭ Lydian (starting on the 6th note, E♭), F Mixolydian (starting on the 7th note, F), A Locrian (starting on the 2nd note, A) and B♭ major (starting on the 3rd note, B♭). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
Finding G natural minor on the neck
Find G first: fret 3 and 15 of the 6th string, fret 10 of the 5th. Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12) and you'll have it everywhere. On guitar it shares every note with the relative major, so the same boxes work with a different root in mind.
On the piano, G natural minor scale uses 2 black keys (B♭ and E♭) and 5 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: G–B♭, A–C, B♭–D, C–E♭, D–F, E♭–G, F–A.
Practice patterns for G natural minor scale
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Up in threes: G A B♭ · A B♭ C · B♭ C D · C D E♭ · D E♭ F · E♭ F G.
- Land on E♭: G E♭ G E♭ G: the ♭6 is what makes natural minor darker than Dorian.
Try next, from G
Natural minor scale in every key
G natural minor scale: questions
What are the notes of the G natural minor scale?
7 notes: G, A, B♭, C, D, E♭ and F.
How many sharps or flats are in the G natural minor scale?
Two: B♭ and E♭. That matches the key signature of G minor.
What chords are in the G natural minor scale?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Gm (i), Adim (ii°), B♭ (III), Cm (iv), Dm (v), E♭ (VI) and F (VII).
What's the difference between G natural minor scale and G major scale?
B♭, E♭ and F in G natural minor; B, E and F♯ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as G natural minor scale?
B♭ major. G natural minor is B♭ major played from its 6th note, G.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.