Minor scale · 7 notes
E minor scale on guitar
The E minor scale has 7 notes: E, F♯, G, A, B, C and D. The natural minor scale: the major scale’s darker twin, with a ♭3, ♭6 and ♭7.
Notes
- E
- F♯
- G
- A
- B
- C
- D
Formula
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Steps
W – H – W – W – H – W – W
Sound
Dark, sad or serious, without being exotic
E minor on the whole fretboard
Every E minor note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, E, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
E at fret 0. Open position: frets 0–4.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of E minor as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from E, the E minor scale is built from these intervals. It contains 1 sharp (F♯). Compared with E major, it has G (♭3) instead of G♯, C (♭6) instead of C♯ and D (♭7) instead of D♯.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | root | 0 |
| 2 | F♯ | major 2nd | 2 |
| ♭3 | G | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | A | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | B | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭6 | C | minor 6th | 8 |
| ♭7 | D | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords in E minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each degree. These are the chords that “belong” to E minor: any of them will sound at home under a melody in E minor.
- iEmE · G · BEm7
- ii°F♯°F♯ · A · CF♯m7♭5
- ♭IIIGG · B · DGmaj7
- ivAmA · C · EAm7
- vBmB · D · F♯Bm7
- ♭VICC · E · GCmaj7
- ♭VIIDD · F♯ · AD7
Progressions to try
- Em – C – G – D i–♭VI–♭III–♭VII · epic rock/pop
- Em – Am – Bm i–iv–v · minor blues-style
- Em – D – C – D i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII · rock riffing
- Em – Am – D – G i–iv–♭VII–♭III · circle movement
How to use E minor
Reach for it over songs in a minor key, over minor and minor 7th chords, and in rock, metal, pop ballads and folk. Its sound is dark, sad or serious, without being exotic.
Tip: Every minor scale shares its notes with a major scale three frets higher. If you know G major, you already know E minor: just treat E as home.
- E minor is the relative minor of G major, so the two share all seven notes. See G major.
- E minor contains exactly the notes of G major, played from its Aeolian note, E. See G major.
Where to find E on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every E between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with E |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 0, 12 |
| B (2nd) | 5 |
| G (3rd) | 9 |
| D (4th) | 2 |
| A (5th) | 7 |
| Low E (6th) | 0, 12 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as E minor. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
E minor scale FAQ
What notes are in the E minor scale?
The E minor scale has 7 notes: E, F♯, G, A, B, C and D. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It contains 1 sharp (F♯).
What chords are in E minor?
Harmonising the E minor scale in thirds gives Em (i), F♯° (ii°), G (♭III), Am (iv), Bm (v), C (♭VI) and D (♭VII).
Where do you play the E minor scale on guitar?
The root, E, is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 0–4, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as E minor?
E minor is the relative minor of G major, so the two share all seven notes. E minor contains exactly the notes of G major, played from its Aeolian note, E.