A Minor Pentatonic Scale on Piano

The A Minor Pentatonic scale sounds raw and vocal. It runs A – C – D – E – G and is written with no sharps or flats.

It shares its key signature with C major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

W+HWWW+HWCb3C#D4D#E5FF#Gb7G#A1A#B

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

The same five-note shape rotated to start on its relative minor. It is the backbone of blues, rock and soul improvisation — five notes that stay usable over an entire minor or dominant progression.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

1-2-3-1-2-3

Left Hand (ascending)

4-3-2-1-2-1

Why this fingering

This scale uses only white keys, so the thumb is free to fall anywhere. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto E; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in A Minor Pentatonic

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
AA4Root (1)14
CC5Minor 3rd (b3)23
DD5Perfect 4th (4)32
EE5Perfect 5th (5)11
GG5Minor 7th (b7)22
AA5Octave (8)31

Other Minor Pentatonic Scales

C Minor Pentatonic
C – Eb – F – G – Bb
C# Minor Pentatonic
C# – E – F# – G# – B
D Minor Pentatonic
D – F – G – A – C
Eb Minor Pentatonic
Eb – Gb – Ab – Bb – Db
E Minor Pentatonic
E – G – A – B – D
F Minor Pentatonic
F – Ab – Bb – C – Eb
F# Minor Pentatonic
F# – A – B – C# – E
G Minor Pentatonic
G – Bb – C – D – F
G# Minor Pentatonic
G# – B – C# – D# – F#
Bb Minor Pentatonic
Bb – Db – Eb – F – Ab
B Minor Pentatonic
B – D – E – F# – A

Other A Scales

A Major
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G#
A Natural Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
A Harmonic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G#
A Melodic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G#
A Major Pentatonic
A – B – C# – E – F#
A Blues
A – C – D – Eb – E – G
A Dorian
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
A Mixolydian
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G
A Chromatic
A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G#