Minor
E Natural Minor Scale on Piano
E natural minor is the relative minor of G major and shares its single sharp, F#. It is a very common key in guitar music, because the guitar's lowest open string is E.
Notes of the E Minor Scale
| Degree | Note | Interval from root |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | Root |
| 2 | F# | Major 2nd |
| 3 | G | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | A | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | B | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | C | Minor 6th |
| 7 | D | Minor 7th |
| 8 | E | Octave |
W-H-W-W-H-W-WW · H · W · W · H · W · WThe minor pattern starting on E, with F# replacing F to preserve whole and half step positions.
W = whole step, H = half step.
E Minor on the Staff
One octave ascending in treble clef with the key signature of E minor (1 sharp: F#).
Fingering
- 1E
- 2F#
- 3G
- 1A
- 2B
- 3C
- 4D
- 5E
- 5E
- 4F#
- 3G
- 2A
- 1B
- 3C
- 2D
- 1E
Numbers indicate fingers: 1 = thumb, 2 = index, 3 = middle, 4 = ring, 5 = little. Both rows are shown in ascending order (low note to high note). Note the left hand starts on the pinky (5) at the lowest note and crosses the middle finger over the thumb to continue upward — that is why the left-hand numbers count down before cycling again.
Diatonic Chords in E Minor
The seven triads built on each scale degree. They use only the notes of this scale; real pieces often add chords with altered notes as well.
Where You Hear This Scale
E minor has a brooding, driving quality that pairs well with riff-based writing; on guitar the open low E string makes it a common key for rock riffs. On piano it introduces the F# one step away from the tonic, giving the hand an easy way to practice crossing between white and black keys.
Train Your Ear to Recognize This Scale
Put what you learned into practice with Fortepian's free scale identification exercise. Hear a scale and identify it — 9 progressive levels, from major and minor to modes, pentatonic, blues, and exotic scales. No signup needed.
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