C# Minor Scale on Bass
The C# Minor Scale (C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B) shown across the full 4-string bass fretboard. Tap any note to hear it, or open it in BassMapper to play along with a MIDI file. Free, no account needed.
About the Minor Scale
The natural minor scale (the Aeolian mode) is the major scale's darker cousin: same seven notes reorganized around a minor tonic for a sadder, moodier feel. It's the backbone of most minor-key rock, metal, pop ballads, and film cues, and the first minor sound most bassists learn.
The fretboard above shows the C# Minor Scale in every position at once. Open it in BassMapper and drop in a MIDI file to watch the scale light up on the neck in real time as a song plays.
questions
What notes are in the C# Minor Scale?
The C# Minor Scale contains C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B.
What does the Minor Scale sound like?
Dark, moody and melancholic: the go-to sad or serious sound in rock, metal, and cinematic music.
How do I play the Minor Scale on bass?
Play it from the root and notice the flatted 3rd, 6th, and 7th. Those are what make it minor. The same shape moves to any root, so one pattern covers every minor key.