Lesson Steps

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The A Minor Scale

A Minor Scale Overview

A Minor Scale Overview
Keyboard Layout
Staff Layout
Key Signature	No sharps (♯), No flats (♭)
Notes of Scale	A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A
RH Fingering	1 2 3 - 1 2 3 4 - 5
LH Fingering	5 - 4 3 2 1 - 3 2 1
Relative Scale	C Major Scale
Parallel Scale	A Major Scale

VIDEO: How to play the A Minor scale on the piano

Visualize the A Minor Scale layout on the keyboard

The layout of this scale is

Natural Minor
Harmonic Minor
Melodic Minor

The Natural Minor Scale layout on the piano

A Harmonic Minor Scale piano keyboard layout

The Harmonic Minor layout on the piano

A Melodic Minor Scale piano keyboard layout

The Melodic Minor layout on the piano. Keep in mind that this is the layout of the ascending Melodic Minor scale. When the Melodic Minor is played descending, the notes revert back to the Natural Minor version (see the first tab).

Read the A Minor Scale on the staff

This is what this scale looks like on the staff

C Major piano scale on the staff with fingering — Click image to enlarge

Play the A Minor Scale with hands alone

Core positions

A Minor Scale chart: Core Positions for the Right Hand:

A Minor Scale chart: Core Positions for the Left Hand:

Play the A Minor Scale with hands together

First sync point

C Major Scale hands together fingering chart

Second sync point

C Major piano scale hands together fingering diagram

Expand the A Minor Scale to more octaves

Playing this scale in more octaves

C Major piano scale chart in two octaves on staff with fingering — Click image to enlarge

Avoid common mistakes in the A Minor Scale

Common mistakes in this scale are

Other techniques related to the A Minor Piano Scale:

Loren Fishman

Loren Fishman is an award-winning concert pianist who has been teaching in both private and university settings for over 20 years. He started Vita Piano as an effort to make professional piano instruction and resources accessible to everyone.