Naming Minor Scales Options

[adam b]

ok so I am confused with minor scales. Lets say you have the minor pentatonic. You want to play it at the 5th fret. Now wouldn't this be in the key of A. Because even though its a minor scale its root notes would be A right? If you started at the 4th fret it would be A minor? I am asking because I saw it tabbed out of the 5th fret and they said it was in the key of A minor. Thanks!

[kyldeee]

Everything you need to know on Minor, or Major scales, can be found here Theory Board

[Andrew Cockburn]

It looks like you might be confusing Major and Minor with sharps and flats?

Flat means move it down a fret, not minor. So, the note that is on the 6th string, 5th fret is A. The note on the 6th string 4th fret is A flat (written Ab).

Major and minor are different scales that can start on the same root note, but will have a different sequence of notes to each other - as kyldee says, you can read up on them on the theory board, but I suggest you read the introduction to scales lesson first.

[Ivan Milenkovic]

There is an A minor scale that has a G# (the 4th fret) note, and that is harmonic minor scale. Maybe you mistaken it with natural minor scale. Andrew explained all the minor scales quite nicely on the theory board. All you have to do is read it