E minor pentatonic scale on guitar

The minor pentatonic (five notes) is the most played scale among rock and blues guitarists. Easy to memorize on the neck, it works over almost every chord in the key.

On the whole neck

EADGBEEGABDEABDEGADEGABDGABDEGBDEGABEGABDE0123456789101112
EADGBEEGABDEABDEGADEGABDGABDEGBDEGABEGABDE0123456789101112

Open position

EADGBEEGABDEGABDEG0123
EADGBEEGABDEGABDEG0123

Root notes are filled. The position groups the notes of the scale in one area of the neck, starting from the root on the 6th string.

Notes of the scale

DegreeNoteInterval
1Eroot
2Gminor third
3Aperfect fourth
4Bperfect fifth
5Dminor seventh

Steps between notes: W+H – W – W – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step)

Relative scale: the G major pentatonic scale, with exactly the same notes.

Other E scales

The same scale in other keys