Guitar scale · natural minor, Aeolian mode
E Minor Scale
Emotional, sad, and epic tones defined by the classic natural minor scale.
Tap any note to hear it.
E Minor Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------0-2-3-| B|-------------------------1-3-------| G|-------------------0-2-4-----------| D|-------------0-2-4-----------------| A|-------0-2-3-----------------------| E|-0-2-3-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------2-3-5-| B|-------------------------3-5-------| G|-------------------2-4-5-----------| D|-------------2-4-5-----------------| A|-------2-3-5-----------------------| E|-2-3-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------5-7-8-| B|-----------------------5-7-8-------| G|-----------------4-5-7-------------| D|-----------4-5-7-------------------| A|-------5-7-------------------------| E|-5-7-8-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-8-10-| B|-----------------------------8-10--------| G|----------------------7-9-11-------------| D|---------------7-9-10--------------------| A|--------7-9-10---------------------------| E|-7-8-10----------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------10-12-| B|-------------------------------10-12-13-------| G|-----------------------9-11-12----------------| D|---------------9-10-12------------------------| A|-------9-10-12--------------------------------| E|-10-12----------------------------------------|
How to play E Minor on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 0–4. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
E Minor uses exactly the same notes as G major; only the home note changes, which is what gives it its sound. See the G Major Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | E |
| 2 | F# |
| ♭3 | G |
| 4 | A |
| 5 | B |
| ♭6 | C |
| ♭7 | D |
Chords in E Minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Minor; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Em7 | Tonic |
| ii° | F#dim | F#m7b5 | Supertonic |
| ♭III | G | Gmaj7 | Mediant |
| iv | Am | Am7 | Subdominant |
| v | Bm | Bm7 | Dominant |
| ♭VI | C | Cmaj7 | Submediant |
| ♭VII | D | D7 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise E Minor anywhere, even offline.
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Minor Scale?
- The E Minor Scale has 7 notes: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D.
- What chords are in the E Minor Scale?
- The chords of E Minor are Em (i), F#dim (ii°), G (♭III), Am (iv), Bm (v), C (♭VI), D (♭VII).
- What is the formula of the minor scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, which is the step pattern W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play E Minor on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.