Minor Pentatonic vs Natural Minor (Aeolian) on Bass
The C minor pentatonic and the C natural minor (aeolian) share 5 notes — C, Eb, F, G, Bb. From there, the C natural minor (aeolian) adds D, Ab.
Bass · 4-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G. 24 frets.
- E string: fret 1 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 3 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 4 Ab (flat 6), fret 6 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 8 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 10 D (2), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 13 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 15 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 16 Ab (flat 6), fret 18 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 20 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 22 D (2), fret 23 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)).
- A string: fret 1 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 3 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 5 D (2), fret 6 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 8 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 10 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 11 Ab (flat 6), fret 13 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 15 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 17 D (2), fret 18 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 20 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 22 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 23 Ab (flat 6).
- D string: fret 0 D (2), fret 1 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 3 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 5 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 6 Ab (flat 6), fret 8 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 10 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 12 D (2), fret 13 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 15 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 17 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 18 Ab (flat 6), fret 20 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 22 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 24 D (2).
- G string: fret 0 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 1 Ab (flat 6), fret 3 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 5 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 7 D (2), fret 8 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 10 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 12 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 13 Ab (flat 6), fret 15 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 17 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 19 D (2), fret 20 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 22 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 24 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)).
Swipe the chart sideways to see all of it.
Both scales above are drawn on one bass fretboard in the key of C. Notes belonging to both are drawn as a split two-color dot, so the notes they share and the notes unique to each are visible in one picture.
How the formulas differ
Scale degrees are the key-independent way to compare two scales — these stay the same in every key, and they are what actually distinguishes one scale from another.
| Scale | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Minor Pentatonic | R · b3 · 4 · 5 · b7 |
| Natural Minor (Aeolian) | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b6 · b7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Minor Pentatonic | In Natural Minor (Aeolian) |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| Eb | b3 | b3 |
| F | 4 | 4 |
| G | 5 | 5 |
| Bb | b7 | b7 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the natural minor (aeolian): D (2), Ab (b6)