Common
About the E Natural Minor scale
E Natural Minor is used for ballads, cinematic themes and emotional rock and pop. Think of it as the classic sad, serious minor sound. It is E Dorian with the sixth lowered.
Its notes are E, F♯, G, A, B, C, and D. The formula is W H W W H W W. It is the sixth mode of G Major.
Also called the Aeolian mode, Melodic Minor Descending, and Asavari. The descending form of the melodic minor scale uses these same notes.
E Natural Minor uses one black key on the piano, F♯. This mode runs five white keys in a row on the piano.
Chords in the key of E Natural Minor
Expand a chord to see how to play it.
Position 2 of 3
E minor over G (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
F sharp diminished over A (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
G over B (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
A minor over C (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
B minor over D (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
C over E (1st inversion)
Position 2 of 3
D over F sharp (1st inversion)
Seventh chords in E Natural Minor
The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.
E minor seven
F sharp minor seven flat five
G major seven
A minor seven
B minor seven
C major seven
D seven
Progressions in E Natural Minor
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Common
Notes and intervals
| 1 | EE | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | F#F♯ | Major 2nd |
| 3 | GG | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | AA | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | BB | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | CC | Minor 6th |
| 7 | DD | Minor 7th |
| Steps | W H W W H W W |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 2-1-2-2-1-2-2 |
| Degrees | 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 |
Fingering
Standard fingering
| Hand | E | F sharp | G | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Practicing it
Going up, the right hand passes its thumb under on A. In the left hand, the thumb takes B. The left hand's fingering read backwards is the right hand's, so starting both thumbs on E and playing outward in contrary motion uses the same finger in each hand at every step. Every black key here, F♯, sits under a long finger, so the thumb never has to reach onto the raised group.
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
The relative major is G Major scale.
Natural Minor in other keys
C Natural Minor scaleD flat Natural Minor scaleD Natural Minor scaleE flat Natural Minor scaleF Natural Minor scaleG flat Natural Minor scaleG Natural Minor scaleA flat Natural Minor scaleA Natural Minor scaleB flat Natural Minor scaleB Natural Minor scale
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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