Natural Minor (Aeolian) vs Harmonic Minor on Guitar
The C natural minor (aeolian) and the C harmonic minor share 6 notes — C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab. From there, the C natural minor (aeolian) adds Bb, while the C harmonic minor adds B.
Guitar · 6-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G, B, e. 24 frets.
- E string: fret 1 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 3 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 4 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 6 Bb (flat 7), fret 7 B (7), fret 8 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 10 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 13 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 15 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 16 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 18 Bb (flat 7), fret 19 B (7), fret 20 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 22 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 23 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor).
- A string: fret 1 Bb (flat 7), fret 2 B (7), fret 3 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 5 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 6 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 8 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 10 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 11 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 13 Bb (flat 7), fret 14 B (7), fret 15 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 17 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 18 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 20 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 22 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 23 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor).
- D string: fret 0 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 1 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 3 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 5 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 6 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 8 Bb (flat 7), fret 9 B (7), fret 10 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 12 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 13 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 15 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 17 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 18 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 20 Bb (flat 7), fret 21 B (7), fret 22 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 24 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor).
- G string: fret 0 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 1 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 3 Bb (flat 7), fret 4 B (7), fret 5 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 7 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 8 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 10 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 12 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 13 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 15 Bb (flat 7), fret 16 B (7), fret 17 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 19 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 20 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 22 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 24 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor).
- B string: fret 0 B (7), fret 1 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 3 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 4 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 6 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 8 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 9 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 11 Bb (flat 7), fret 12 B (7), fret 13 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 15 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 16 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 18 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 20 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 21 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 23 Bb (flat 7), fret 24 B (7).
- e string: fret 1 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 3 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 4 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 6 Bb (flat 7), fret 7 B (7), fret 8 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 10 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 11 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 13 F (4 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 4 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 15 G (5 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 5 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 16 Ab (flat 6 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 6 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 18 Bb (flat 7), fret 19 B (7), fret 20 C (root of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and root of C Harmonic Minor), fret 22 D (2 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and 2 of C Harmonic Minor), fret 23 Eb (flat 3 of C Natural Minor (Aeolian) and flat 3 of C Harmonic Minor).
Swipe the chart sideways to see all of it.
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 |
|---|---|
| Natural Minor (Aeolian) | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b6 · b7 |
| Harmonic Minor | R · 2 · b3 · 4 · 5 · b6 · 7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Natural Minor (Aeolian) | In Harmonic Minor |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| D | 2 | 2 |
| Eb | b3 | b3 |
| F | 4 | 4 |
| G | 5 | 5 |
| Ab | b6 | b6 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the natural minor (aeolian): Bb (b7)
- Only in the harmonic minor: B (7)