E minor scale

The E minor scale is E, F♯, G, A, B, C and D, with one sharp. From E, the steps go whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.

  1. E1
  2. whole
  3. F♯2
  4. half
  5. G3
  6. whole
  7. A4
  8. whole
  9. B5
  10. half
  11. C6
  12. whole
  13. D7
  14. whole
  15. E8
E1G3A1B2C3D4E5F♯2

E minor on the staff, piano and guitar

On the staff

♯EF♯GABCDE♯EF♯GABCDE

On piano

Right hand 1 2 3, then the thumb passes under to A: 1 2 3 4 5.

E5G3A2B1C3D2E1F♯4

Left hand 5 4 3 2 1, then finger 3 crosses over to C: 3 2 1.

Fingers are numbered from the thumb, 1, to the little finger, 5. Coming down, play the same fingers in reverse.

On guitar

678910EBGDAEBCDEF♯GABCDEF♯GABCD

Every note of E minor between the 6th and 10th fret. The root, E, has a heavy ring.

How to play the E minor scale on piano

  1. Find E, the white key just right of a group of two black keys.
  2. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to F♯, a black key.
  3. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to G.
  4. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to A.
  5. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to B.
  6. Go up a half step, to the very next key, to C.
  7. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to D.
  8. Go up a whole step, skipping one key, to E, an octave above where you started.

Practice the E minor scale

Play the E minor scale one note a beat, up and back down: E F♯ G A B C D E D C B A G F♯ E. Hands separately first. Start at 60 beats a minute and move up toward 100 once every note lands on the beat.

E
  1. E
  2. F♯
  3. G
  4. A
  5. B
  6. C
  7. D
  8. E
  9. D
  10. C
  11. B
  12. A
  13. G
  14. F♯
  15. E

The key of E minor

Follow the minor pattern from E and one note needs a sharp: F♯. That sharp is the key signature, the same as G major, its relative major.

Relative major
G major
Parallel major
E major
Neighbors on the circle of fifths
A minor and B minor
♯CVIAmivGIIIEmiDVIIBmvAF♯mEC♯mBC♭G♯mA♭mF♯G♭D♯mE♭mD♭C♯B♭mA♯mA♭FmE♭CmB♭GmFDmE minor
E minor on the circle of fifths, with the chords of its key marked.

The name of each note in the key

  1. 1Etonic
  2. 2F♯supertonic
  3. 3Gmediant
  4. 4Asubdominant
  5. 5Bdominant
  6. 6Csubmediant
  7. 7Dsubtonic

Chords in E minor

Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key. The numeral is the chord's place in the key: capitals for major, small letters for minor.

  1. iEm
  2. ii°F♯dim
  3. IIIG
  4. ivAm
  5. vBm
  6. VIC
  7. VIID

E harmonic and melodic minor

Harmonic minor

E harmonic minor raises the 7th note a half step, D to D♯, so the scale leads back to E.

♯EF♯GABC♯D♯E

Melodic minor

E melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th notes going up, C to C♯ and D to D♯, and comes back down as the natural minor.

♯EF♯GAB♯C♯♯D♯E♮D♮CBAGF♯E

Modes on the same notes

Start the G major scale on another of its notes and you get a mode, with the same key signature: G ionian, A dorian, B phrygian, C lydian, D mixolydian, E aeolian, F♯ locrian.

Practice notes for the E minor scale

E minor has one sharp, F♯: E F♯ G A B C D E. It is the relative minor of G major and has the same notes. In the right hand, F♯ falls to finger 2, and the thumb passes under to A after G.

Where it goes wrong. Moving from the natural to the harmonic form. E harmonic minor raises D to D♯, which falls to finger 4 near the top. The melodic form raises C to C♯ as well on the way up. That makes three different upper halves to learn, and they are easy to mix.

How to practice it. Learn the top four notes of each form on their own, as short groups with fingers 2 3 4 5: B C D E (natural), B C D♯ E (harmonic), B C♯ D♯ E (melodic, going up). When each group is secure, play the full scales. In the left hand, finger 3 crosses over to C after the thumb on B.

What to listen for. The leading note. D to E is a whole step in the natural form, so the scale ends gently. D♯ to E is a half step, and the ending pulls much harder. That difference is why the harmonic form exists.

What to learn next. G major, with the same one sharp, and A minor and D minor, to compare how the forms sit in each key.

Questions

What are the notes of the E minor scale?

E, F♯, G, A, B, C and D, then E again an octave up.

What chords are in the key of E minor?

Em, F♯dim, G, Am, Bm, C and D: i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI and VII.

Why does E minor have one sharp?

Follow the minor pattern from E and one note needs a sharp: F♯. That sharp is the key signature, the same as G major, its relative major.

What is the relative major of E minor?

G major. It uses the same notes and the same key signature, starting on G.

What is the E harmonic minor scale?

E, F♯, G, A, B, C and D♯. E harmonic minor raises the 7th note a half step, D to D♯, so the scale leads back to E.