About the F sharp Natural Minor scale
F sharp Natural Minor is used for ballads, cinematic themes and emotional rock and pop. Think of it as the classic sad, serious minor sound. It is F♯ Dorian with the sixth lowered.
Its notes are F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D, and E. The formula is W H W W H W W. It is the sixth mode of A Major.
Also called the Aeolian mode, Melodic Minor Descending, and Asavari. The descending form of the melodic minor scale uses these same notes.
F♯ Natural Minor draws three black keys from the piano, F♯, G♯, and C♯.
Chords in the key of F sharp Natural Minor
Expand a chord to see how to play it.
i F sharp minor
F sharp minor over A (1st inversion)
ii° G sharp diminished
G sharp diminished over B (1st inversion)
III A
A over C sharp (1st inversion)
iv B minor
B minor over D (1st inversion)
v C sharp minor
C sharp minor over E (1st inversion)
VI D
D over F sharp (1st inversion)
VII E
E over G sharp (1st inversion)
Seventh chords in F sharp Natural Minor
The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.
i F sharp minor seven
F sharp minor seven
ii° G sharp minor seven flat five
G sharp minor seven flat five
III A major seven
A major seven
iv B minor seven
B minor seven
v C sharp minor seven
C sharp minor seven
VI D major seven
D major seven
VII E seven
E seven
Progressions in F sharp Natural Minor
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | F#F♯ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | G#G♯ | Major 2nd |
| 3 | AA | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | BB | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | C#C♯ | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | DD | Minor 6th |
| 7 | EE | Minor 7th |
| Steps | W H W W H W W |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 2-1-2-2-1-2-2 |
| Degrees | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 |
Fingering
Standard fingering
| Hand | F sharp | G sharp | A | B | C sharp | D | E | F sharp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Left hand | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Practicing it
Going up, the right hand passes its thumb under on A and D. The left thumb lands on B and E, and the hand crosses back over it from there. Every black key here, F♯, G♯, and C♯, sits under a long finger, with the fourth finger anchoring on G♯, so the thumb never has to reach onto the raised group.
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
The relative major is A Major scale.
Natural Minor in other keys
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.