There are no new scale patterns to learn here. If you studied the patterns in the Major Scale Patterns lesson, then you already know your minor scale patterns. If you didn’t study Major Scale Patterns, you might want to go do that first.
For every major scale, there is a relative minor scale. These two scales share the exact same notes. The only difference is that they start in different places. To find the relative minor of a major scale go down a minor 3rd (3 frets).
Example 1
For the key of C major, the relative minor would be A minor.
Example 2
C Major scale = C – D – E- F- G – A – B
A Minor scale = A – B – C – D – E – F – G
This means that if you want to play an A minor scale, you can play a C major scale, just focusing on A as the tonic.
Example 3
If you wanted to play D minor scale
you would use an F major scale
Example 4
If you wanted to play B minor scale
you would use an D major scale
To restate: what this means is that while you were learning your major scale patterns, you were actually learning your minor scale patterns too.
Jazz Guitarist, Author, Educator & Nice Guy
