Minor Pentatonic vs Natural Minor (Aeolian)
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.
Guitar · 6-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G, B, e. 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)).
- B string: fret 1 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 3 D (2), fret 4 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 6 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 8 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 9 Ab (flat 6), fret 11 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 13 C (root of C Minor Pentatonic and root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 15 D (2), fret 16 Eb (flat 3 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 18 F (4 of C Minor Pentatonic and 4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 20 G (5 of C Minor Pentatonic and 5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)), fret 21 Ab (flat 6), fret 23 Bb (flat 7 of C Minor Pentatonic and flat 7 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian)).
- 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)).
Both scales above are drawn on one guitar 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)