E Minor

E Minor scale for guitar.
The E Minor is a seven-note scale, also called Natural E Minor. Colored circles mark the tones in the diagram, with darker color highlighting the root notes. The root notes are always E tones. In the two-octave pattern, the first root note is on the 6th string, 12th fret.

E Minor 2 octaves

E Minor scale diagram

E Minor full fretboard

E Minor scale whole guitar neck diagram

E Minor with note names

E Minor scale with note letters diagram

Shape 1 (11th position) with fingerings

E Minor scale shape diagram 11th pos

Shape 2 (2nd position) with fingerings

E Minor scale shape diagram 2nd pos

Shape 3 (4th position) with fingerings

E Minor scale shape diagram 4th pos

Shape 4 (7th position) with fingerings

E Minor scale shape diagram 7th pos

Shape 5 (9th position) with fingerings

E Minor scale shape diagram 9th pos

E Minor in open position

E Minor in open position scale diagram
Notes: E - F# - G - A - B - C - D Intervals: 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 Type: Septonic 
Eb Minor scale  •  F Minor scale

The scale displayed with its numeric formula and scale degrees.

Formula Notes Intervals Degrees
1 E Unison Tonic
2 F# Major second Supertonic
b3 G Minor third Mediant
4 A Perfect fourth Subdominant
5 B Perfect fifth Dominant
b6 C Minor sixth Submediant
b7 D Minor seventh Subtonic

The interval formula (2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2) can be expound into specific notes of the scale.

Notes (ascending) Interval
E-F# M2
E-G m3
E-A P4
E-B P5
E-C m6
E-D m7
Notes (descending) Interval
E-D M2
E-C M3
E-B P4
E-A P5
E-G M6
E-F# m7

Abbreviations are used: M / m stands for major / minor and P stands for perfect.

The E Minor scale consists of seven notes. These can be described as intervals, as semi-notes or steps on the guitar fingerboard, written as 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 from the first note to the next octave.
The E Minor is relative to G Major. Both scales include the same notes but their tonal center differ.
The E Minor is identical with the E Aeolian mode.

Beneficial to learn this scale is to observe the note steps starting from the root: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. The same formula applies for the whole neck.

These are chords built from the notes of this scale:

Em, Em7, Em9, Em11
F#dim, F#m7b5
G, Gmaj7, G6, G6/9, Gmaj9, Gmaj13
Am, Am7, Am6, Am9, Am11, Am13
Bm, Bm7
C, Cmaj7, C6, C6/9, Cmaj9
D, D7, D6, D9, D11, D13

The tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the E Minor scale in which Em is the tonic triad and Em7 the tonic 7th chord.

Start the audio and play along with your guitar! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.

Normal tempo:
Slow tempo:

All Minor Scale jam tracks

E Minor scale first shape ascending.

E Minor scale tab

The numbers above the tablature are suggested fingerings.

Studies based on E Minor scale.

Study 1 (tab & standard notation)

Study 2 (tab & standard notation)