C natural minor

7-note natural minor scale on CC, D, D♯, F, G, G♯, A♯. Also called Aeolian.

Press to hear the scale played ascending.

The natural minor scale — the darker counterpart to the major, sharing the same seven notes as its relative major a minor third up.

The notes

Each degree links to its pitch page. Note names use sharp spelling throughout — every accidental is written as a sharp (C♯, not D♭), the same convention as the note pages.

Degrees & steps

DegreeNoteSemitones from rootStep to next
1C0whole
2D2half
♭3D♯3whole
4F5whole
5G7half
♭6G♯8whole
♭7A♯10whole

The step formula is 2–1–2–2–1–2–2 semitones — 7 steps that sum to a full octave (12 semitones) and return to C.

Relative scale

relative majorD♯ majorSame seven notes, a different home. D♯, F, G, G♯, A♯, C, D.

Other scales on C

natural minor scales on every root