E natural minor scale
E natural minor scale is E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D, with F♯. Formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. Press play and follow the keys.
Notes and steps
Counted in steps it goes W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between F♯–G and B–C.
| Degree | Note | Interval from E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | root | |
| 2 | F♯ | major second | |
| ♭3 | G | minor third | |
| 4 | A | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | B | perfect fifth | |
| ♭6 | C | minor sixth | |
| ♭7 | D | minor seventh |
How the natural minor scale sounds
The natural minor scale is the darker twin of the major scale. It has the same notes as G major, but starting on E changes where the half steps fall, and the mood turns.
Natural minor has no leading tone: D is a whole step below E, which is why D – Em sounds modal and open rather than final.
Compared with E major scale, E natural minor scale has G, C and D where the other has G♯, C♯ and D♯; the other four notes are shared. Hear E major scale and compare.
E natural minor scale uses the same seven notes as G major, starting from E instead of G.
On piano and on guitar
On the piano it uses one black key (F♯) and six white.
On guitar the root sits open on the low E string. The box above covers frets 0–5 and holds 18 notes of the scale across all six strings; play it low string to high.
The key of E minor
Songs in E minor are built from these notes, so the key signature has one sharp (F♯). The relative major is G major: same notes, starting on the 3rd degree. The parallel major, E major, starts on the same note with different notes above it.
Chords and progressions in E minor
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords of the key. Tap to hear each one.
If you know E natural minor scale, you already know the notes of C Lydian (starting on the 6th note, C), D Mixolydian (starting on the 7th note, D), F♯ Locrian (starting on the 2nd note, F♯), G major (starting on the 3rd note, G), A Dorian (starting on the 4th note, A) and B Phrygian (starting on the 5th note, B).
E natural minor scale across the fretboard
Find E first: fret 0 and 12 of the 6th string, fret 7 of the 5th (0 means open). Most guitarists learn it in five overlapping positions; on the low E string they begin around frets 2, 5, 7, 9 and 12. On guitar it shares every note with the relative major, so the same boxes work with a different root in mind.
On the piano, E natural minor scale uses 1 black key (F♯) and 6 white.
Try it in thirds to stop it sounding like an exercise: E–G, F♯–A, G–B, A–C, B–D, C–E, D–F♯, then back down.
Drills for E natural minor
Running a scale straight up and down only teaches the order. These patterns use the same 7 notes and train your ear and fingers to jump around inside E natural minor scale.
- Up in threes: E F♯ G · F♯ G A · G A B · A B C · B C D · C D E.
- Target C: E C E C E: the ♭6 is what makes natural minor darker than Dorian.
Try next, from E
Natural minor scale in every key
E natural minor scale: questions
What are the notes of the E natural minor scale?
E, F♯, G, A, B, C and D, then E again at the octave. Formula: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the E natural minor scale?
One: F♯. That matches the key signature of E minor.
What chords are in the E natural minor scale?
Stacking thirds on each note gives Em (i), F♯dim (ii°), G (III), Am (iv), Bm (v), C (VI) and D (VII).
What's the difference between E natural minor scale and E major scale?
G, C and D in E natural minor; G♯, C♯ and D♯ in the other. Everything else is the same.
Which major scale has the same notes as E natural minor scale?
G major. E natural minor is G major played from its 6th note, E.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 and tested. Updated September 2026.