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E♭ minor pentatonic scale on bass guitar
E♭ minor pentatonic uses E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, and D♭. Box 1 places the root on string 3, fret 6 for a flat-key position.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7
How do you play the E♭ minor pentatonic scale on bass?
E♭ minor pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 8 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to E♭ on the G string at fret 8. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 9 | B♭, D♭ |
| 3 (A) | 6, 9 | E♭, G♭ |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
E♭ minor pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 8 notes across 4 strings, from E♭ on the E string at fret 11 up to A♭ on the G string at fret 13. The root falls on the E string at fret 11 and the D string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 14 | E♭, G♭ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 13 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ minor pentatonic drops the 2nd and 6th from E♭ natural minor, leaving 1, ♭3, 4, 5, and ♭7. Add the ♭5 to create E♭ blues minor. The scale spans 1½, whole, whole, 1½, and whole steps.
When to use it
E♭ minor pentatonic fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. Use it for rock and funk bass lines in E♭ minor keys. It also works over F♯ major progressions.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first: the root sits on string 3, fret 6, covering frets 6–9. This position sets up Box 2 on the same root.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ minor pentatonic?
E♭ minor pentatonic contains E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, and D♭. These are the 1, ♭3, 4, 5, and ♭7 degrees. The scale omits the 2nd and 6th from the natural minor scale. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does E♭ minor pentatonic fit?
E♭ minor pentatonic fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. It also works over F♯ major and F♯ 5th chords. The scale's notes are all chord tones or common extensions.
How do I practice E♭ minor pentatonic on bass?
Start with Box 1 on string 3, fret 6. Play the notes ascending and descending with a metronome. Then connect to Box 2 by sliding from D♭ to E♭.