The F# natural minor scale has three sharps — F#, C#, and G# — and shares its notes with A major. It's a rich, dramatic minor scale that sits comfortably under the hand on guitar (it's relative-minor adjacent to all the open-position A major shapes).
Interval pattern
The F# natural minor scale is built from this fixed pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H):
- Wwhole
- Hhalf
- Wwhole
- Wwhole
- Hhalf
- Wwhole
- Wwhole
Every natural minor scale uses this same pattern. The half-steps fall between scale degrees 2–3 and 5–6.
Scale degrees and intervals
Each note of the scale, with its scale-degree name and interval from the root:
| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F# | Root | Tonic |
| 2 | G# | M2 | Supertonic |
| 3 | A | m3 | Mediant |
| 4 | B | P4 | Subdominant |
| 5 | C# | P5 | Dominant |
| 6 | D | m6 | Submediant |
| 7 | E | m7 | Subtonic / Leading tone |
In melody and improvisation
F# minor turns up in plenty of rock and metal — its third sharp (G#) gives the leading tone a bite when the harmonic variant is used. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in F# minor (Well-Tempered Clavier I) is one of the most introspective pieces in the keyboard literature.
Relative key
The F# natural minor scale shares its notes with A major. Same seven pitches, different tonal centre — when a piece moves between them, no accidentals change.
Common mistakes
F# minor and F# major are completely different — major has six sharps (including E#), minor has three. Don't confuse the two when sight-reading. Also: G is G#, not G natural.
Drill it
The Interval Trainer gives you a root note and an interval, and asks you to name the result. Practising the intervals of the F# natural minor scale is the fastest way to internalise it as a melodic shape rather than a memorised string of notes.
Open the Interval Trainer →Or drill key signaturesRelated
Frequently asked
- What are the notes in the F# natural minor scale?
- F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E.
- How many sharps does F# minor have?
- Three: F#, C#, and G# — same as its relative major, A major.
- What is the relative major of F# minor?
- A major.