C Natural Minor Scale on Piano

The C Natural Minor scale sounds dark and settled. It runs C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb and is written with three flats.

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

Interval Circle

WHWWHWWC1DbD2Ebb3EF4GbG5Abb6ABbb7B

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

Also called the Aeolian mode. Lowering the 3rd, 6th and 7th of the major scale drops the leading tone, so it resolves gently rather than urgently — the sound of folk melodies and minor-key pop.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5

Left Hand (ascending)

5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1

Why this fingering

3 black keys (Eb, Ab, Bb) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto F; 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 C Natural Minor

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
CC4Root (1)15
DD4Major 2nd (2)24
EbEb4Minor 3rd (b3)33
FF4Perfect 4th (4)12
GG4Perfect 5th (5)21
AbAb4Minor 6th (b6)33
BbBb4Minor 7th (b7)42
CC5Octave (8)51

Other Natural Minor Scales

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

Other C Scales

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