ArpeggiosEN

Scale quality

aeolian

Aeolian is the sixth degree of the major scale, and most players know it as the natural minor scale. It lowers the third, sixth and seventh, producing a sound that is melancholy and completely stable — the relative minor of the major key, with the same notes and a different centre. It is the scale of the m chord and the m7 chord, the backbone of rock and pop minor keys, and the reference against which dorian and phrygian are heard. The flat sixth and flat seventh give it a darker weight than dorian. Listen for the flat sixth leaning toward the fifth and the whole scale settling into the root.

Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Notes
C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B
Family
Major scale modes

Notation in C♯

representative key
4412♭345♭6♭71

Fretboard — frets 0–12

C♯ aeolian — frets 0 to 12, 46 notes, roots in orange♭345♭6♭712♭3♭712♭345♭6♭75♭6♭712♭342♭345♭6♭71♭6♭712♭345♭6♭345♭6♭712♭30123456789101112
C♯ aeolian — frets 0 to 12, 46 notes, roots in orange♭345♭6♭712♭3♭712♭345♭6♭75♭6♭712♭342♭345♭6♭71♭6♭712♭345♭6♭345♭6♭712♭30123456789101112

All 17 keys

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Same family

How to practise this scale

  • Play the flat sixth and flat seventh and listen to the weight they add.
  • Compare it with dorian and hear what the lowered sixth changes.
  • Improvise over a minor vamp and resolve phrases to the third.
  • Play the scale from the sixth degree of a major scale you know.