[Tainnor]

I don't know much about Jazz music, but I think "natural minor" is a well-understood term among classical musicians.

I think in classical music theory, you really "start" from the natural minor and then the harmonic and melodic scales can be explained in terms of leading tones etc.

Of course, the way classical music (at least anything between Baroque and Romanticism) works is rather different from the way Jazz works.

[yesenadam]

Ah ok thanks. I learnt of it in classical training, and have since read of it in classical books (e.g. classical music theory, or philosophy of music books concerned mainly with classical music), as the melodic minor descending. But seems I never understood "natural minor" so maybe unconsiously ignored that term or something.

[tritones]

Almost all jazz players I've played with and many jazz textbooks use aeolian when referring to natural minor.