E♭ minor scale on bass
The E♭ minor scale has seven notes: E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭ and D♭ (1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7). The plain minor scale: the minor pentatonic with the 2nd and ♭6 filled in. Sad or serious, and the home of minor-key rock and metal, over changes like Am, F and G.
| Note | E♭ | F | G♭ | A♭ | B♭ | C♭ | D♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | 5 | ♭6 | ♭7 |
| Step to the next | whole | half | whole | whole | half | whole | whole |
7 positions to learn it in
Played three notes on every string, the E♭ minor scale has a position starting on each of its notes. They are good for speed, with the same picking pattern on every string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the E♭ minor scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; E♭ (E♭m) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (E♭) | E♭mhome | E♭m7home |
| 2 (F) | Fdimthe edge | Fm7♭5the edge |
| ♭3 (G♭) | G♭daylight | G♭maj7daylight |
| 4 (A♭) | A♭msoft fall | A♭m7soft fall |
| 5 (B♭) | B♭msoft fall | B♭m7soft fall |
| ♭6 (C♭) | C♭cinematic | C♭maj7cinematic |
| ♭7 (D♭) | D♭heroic | D♭7heroic |
Scales with the same notes
Its relative major is the F♯ major scale: the same notes, started from F♯.
The chords of this key, to hear and play: chords in the key of E♭ minor.
Questions
What notes are in the E♭ minor scale?
E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭ and D♭. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, and the steps between its notes are W H W W H W W (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the E♭ minor scale?
The chords made only of its notes: E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m, B♭m, C♭ and D♭, and as seventh chords E♭m7, Fm7♭5, G♭maj7, A♭m7, B♭m7, C♭maj7 and D♭7. E♭ is home: E♭m is the chord it sounds most settled over.
What is the relative major of the E♭ minor scale?
The F♯ major scale, which has the same notes started from F♯.
The minor scale in every key
Other scales in E♭
E♭ majorE♭ minor pentatonicE♭ major pentatonicE♭ bluesE♭ DorianE♭ MixolydianE♭ LydianE♭ PhrygianE♭ harmonic minorE♭ melodic minorE♭ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: bass scales. This scale on guitar, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.