Similar to the major scale, the minor scale covers all seven notes of western music (A,B,C,D,E,F,G). It is diatonic, meaning it contains 5 whole steps (2 semitones/frets) and 2 half steps(1 semitone/fret). Like the major scale, it can also be created using a pattern, which is:
Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole
We can also shorten it as:
W - H - W - W - H - W - W
Using that pattern to create a scale, means we need to pick a root note, then follow the pattern, jumping the required semitones to get the notes of the scale. For example, using the D Minor Scale, if we list out all twelve notes we have:
D - D♯ - E - F - F♯ - G - G♯ - A - B♭ - B - C - C♯ - D
Then we can follow the pattern.
You may be wondering why Bb and not A# for the 6th note in the D Minor Scale? The answer is that, being heptatonic scale, the minor scale uses 7 notes, 1 for each letter. Since A is already in use, the obvious note to use to maintain that 1 note per letter structure, would be Bb.
