G♯ Minor Scale

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Summary

G♯ Minor contains 7 notes: G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯. It has 5 sharps: G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯, F♯. The step pattern is W–H–W–W–H–W–W. It is the 6th mode of B Major, meaning it shares the same notes but starts on G♯.

The standard minor scale — the one you think of when someone says "minor." It sounds sad, dark, and melancholic, and it's behind most minor-key songs in pop, rock, and metal. If major is happy, this is its moody counterpart.

Theory

The formula is 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7. It's the 6th mode of the major scale and the starting point for understanding minor tonality. The b3 defines the minor quality, while b6 and b7 add heaviness compared to Dorian. It lacks the leading tone (major 7th) found in harmonic minor, which gives it a more modal, less classical resolution.

On the guitar

Originates from the 6th degree of the major scale, so the shapes are identical — just with a different root reference. It's the most appropriate scale for soloing over minor chord progressions in rock and pop. The five CAGED positions connect across the entire fretboard, and you can always fall back to the minor pentatonic within these shapes when you want simpler phrasing.

Advanced

Most pop and rock songs in minor keys use this scale, sometimes borrowing the raised 7th from harmonic minor just for cadences (the ending of a phrase). It sits between Dorian (brighter) and Phrygian (darker) in terms of mood — knowing all three gives you a complete minor palette to draw from depending on the emotion you want.

Step pattern W – H – W – W – H – W – W