E minor pentatonic
A five-note scale built on E: root, minor third, fourth, fifth and minor seventh. The most widely used scale for improvising in rock and blues.
- Notes:
- E, G, A, B, D.
- Formula:
- 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.
- Style:
- Rock, blues, pop.
- Difficulty:
- Beginner.
On the neck
Every note of the scale on the neck (choose 12, 15 or 19 frets). Click to listen.
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.
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.
Progressions to use it on
Loop the first one and improvise over it:
All 5 positions
Each position covers all six strings, with two notes per string. Position 1 starts on the root, on the 6th string.
Position 1: frets 0 to 3
It also works an octave higher, frets 12 to 15.
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|---------------------0-3-| B|-----------------0-3-----| G|-------------0-2---------| D|---------0-2-------------| A|-----0-2-----------------| E|-0-3---------------------|
Position 2: frets 2 to 5
It also works an octave higher, frets 14 to 17.
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|---------------------3-5-| B|-----------------3-5-----| G|-------------2-4---------| D|---------2-5-------------| A|-----2-5-----------------| E|-3-5---------------------|
Position 3: frets 4 to 8
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|---------------------5-7-| B|-----------------5-8-----| G|-------------4-7---------| D|---------5-7-------------| A|-----5-7-----------------| E|-5-7---------------------|
Position 4: frets 7 to 10
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|------------------------7-10-| B|-------------------8-10------| G|---------------7-9-----------| D|-----------7-9---------------| A|------7-10-------------------| E|-7-10------------------------|
Position 5: frets 9 to 12
High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.
e|-----------------------------10-12-| B|-----------------------10-12-------| G|------------------9-12-------------| D|-------------9-12------------------| A|-------10-12-----------------------| E|-10-12-----------------------------|