Six Strings
In this section: Scales

E♭ major scale

Also called the Ionian mode: it’s the first of the seven modes.

The seven notes of the key of E♭ major: root, second, major third, fourth, fifth, sixth and major seventh. The reference scale of Western music, where chords and melodies come from.

Notes:
E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D.
Formula:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Style:
All styles.
Difficulty:
Intermediate.

On the neck

Every note of the scale on the neck (choose 12, 15 or 19 frets). Click to listen.

Number of frets shown
FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭DE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭GA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭CDCDE♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭FFGA♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭B♭
FGA♭B♭CDE♭B♭CDE♭FGA♭DE♭FGA♭B♭CDGA♭B♭CDE♭FGCDE♭FGA♭B♭FGA♭B♭CDE♭

High E at the top, just like in tab.Neck seen from the front, headstock at the top: low E on the left, just like a chord diagram.

D♯ (root note)

Play the scale notes over it. Open in the Studio

Chords that go with it

The chords built on the notes of the scale: improvise with this scale over any progression that uses them.

E♭ majorI
F minorii
G minoriii
A♭ majorIV
B♭ majorV
C minorvi

Progressions to use it on

I, V, vi, IV: the pop progression
I, IV, V: the backbone of folk and rock
I, vi, IV, V: the ’50s progression

▶ Play it in the Studio

Loop the first one and improvise over it:

The pop strumE♭ · B♭ · Cm · A♭

Learn the pop strum step by step →

All 7 positions

Seven positions, one for each note of the scale, with three notes per string: the most regular way to cover the major scale across the whole neck. Position 1 starts on the root, on the 6th string.

Position 1: frets 11 to 16

DE♭FGA♭GA♭B♭CDCDE♭FGFGA♭B♭CB♭CDE♭DE♭FGA♭

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|----------------------------------------------13-15-16-|
B|-------------------------------------13-15-16----------|
G|----------------------------12-13-15-------------------|
D|-------------------12-13-15----------------------------|
A|----------11-13-15-------------------------------------|
E|-11-13-15----------------------------------------------|

Position 2: frets 1 to 6

FGA♭B♭B♭CDE♭DE♭FGA♭GA♭B♭CDCDE♭FFGA♭B♭

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|-------------------------------3-4-6-|
B|-------------------------3-4-6-------|
G|-------------------1-3-5-------------|
D|-------------1-3-5-------------------|
A|-------1-3-5-------------------------|
E|-1-3-4-------------------------------|

Position 3: frets 3 to 8

GA♭B♭CCDE♭FFGA♭B♭B♭CDE♭DE♭FGA♭GA♭B♭C

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|-------------------------------4-6-8-|
B|-------------------------4-6-8-------|
G|-------------------3-5-7-------------|
D|-------------3-5-6-------------------|
A|-------3-5-6-------------------------|
E|-3-4-6-------------------------------|

Position 4: frets 4 to 10

GA♭B♭CDE♭CDE♭FGA♭FGA♭B♭CB♭CDE♭FDE♭FGA♭B♭GA♭B♭CDE♭

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|-------------------------------6-8-10-|
B|-------------------------6-8-9--------|
G|-------------------5-7-8--------------|
D|-------------5-6-8--------------------|
A|-------5-6-8--------------------------|
E|-4-6-8--------------------------------|

Position 5: frets 6 to 11

B♭CDE♭DE♭FGA♭GA♭B♭CDCDE♭FGFGA♭B♭B♭CDE♭

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|------------------------------------8-10-11-|
B|-----------------------------8-9-11---------|
G|----------------------7-8-10----------------|
D|---------------6-8-10-----------------------|
A|--------6-8-10------------------------------|
E|-6-8-10-------------------------------------|

Position 6: frets 8 to 13

CDE♭FFGA♭B♭B♭CDE♭DE♭FGA♭GA♭B♭CCDE♭F

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|-----------------------------------------10-11-13-|
B|---------------------------------9-11-13----------|
G|-------------------------8-10-12------------------|
D|-----------------8-10-12--------------------------|
A|---------8-10-11----------------------------------|
E|-8-10-11------------------------------------------|

Position 7: frets 10 to 15

DE♭FGA♭GA♭B♭CCDE♭FFGA♭B♭A♭B♭CDE♭DE♭FGA♭

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|----------------------------------------------11-13-15-|
B|-------------------------------------11-13-15----------|
G|----------------------------10-12-13-------------------|
D|-------------------10-12-13----------------------------|
A|----------10-11-13-------------------------------------|
E|-10-11-13----------------------------------------------|