Ukulele · minor

E♭ minor scale on ukulele

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.

The notes of the E♭ minor scale
NoteE♭FG♭A♭B♭C♭D♭
Interval1 (root)2♭345♭6♭7
Step to the nextwholehalfwholewholehalfwholewhole
Make a practice sheet of it
The whole neckevery E♭ minor scale note from the nut to fret 15, the root a diamond
GCEA135791215open45♭6♭7R2♭345♭7R2♭345♭6♭7R2♭345♭6♭7R2♭35♭6♭7R2♭345♭6

3 positions to learn it in

Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.

Open positionfrets 1–4
GCEA13open45♭6♭7R2♭345♭6♭7
Frets 2–6frets 2–6
GCEA2355♭6♭7R2♭3♭345♭6♭7R
Frets 10–14frets 10–14
GCEA10122♭345♭6♭7R2♭345♭6

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.

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

CC♯DE♭EFF♯GG♯AB♭B

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: ukulele scales. This scale on guitar, bass, mandolin and banjo.