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E natural minor scale on guitar
E natural minor contains E, F♯, G, A, B, C, and D. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 2, spanning frets 0–3.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7
How do you play the E natural minor scale on guitar?
E natural minor in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 16 notes across 6 strings, from E on the low E string at fret 0 up to G on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the low E string at fret 0, the D string at fret 2 and the high e string at fret 0.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 2, 3 | E, F♯, G |
| 5 (A) | 0, 2, 3 | A, B, C |
| 4 (D) | 0, 2 | D, E |
| 3 (G) | 0, 2 | G, A |
| 2 (B) | 0, 1, 3 | B, C, D |
| 1 (e) | 0, 2, 3 | E, F♯, G |
Box 2 · frets 2–5
E natural minor in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 17 notes across 6 strings, from F♯ on the low E string at fret 2 up to A on the high e string at fret 5. The root falls on the D string at fret 2 and the B string at fret 5.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2, 3, 5 | F♯, G, A |
| 5 (A) | 2, 3, 5 | B, C, D |
| 4 (D) | 2, 4, 5 | E, F♯, G |
| 3 (G) | 2, 4, 5 | A, B, C |
| 2 (B) | 3, 5 | D, E |
| 1 (e) | 2, 3, 5 | F♯, G, A |
Box 3 · frets 5–8
E natural minor in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 15 notes across 6 strings, from A on the low E string at fret 5 up to C on the high e string at fret 8. The root falls on the A string at fret 7 and the B string at fret 5.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5, 7, 8 | A, B, C |
| 5 (A) | 5, 7 | D, E |
| 4 (D) | 5, 7 | G, A |
| 3 (G) | 5, 7 | C, D |
| 2 (B) | 5, 7, 8 | E, F♯, G |
| 1 (e) | 5, 7, 8 | A, B, C |
Box 4 · frets 7–10
E natural minor in box 4 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 17 notes across 6 strings, from B on the low E string at fret 7 up to D on the high e string at fret 10. The root falls on the A string at fret 7 and the G string at fret 9.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 8, 10 | B, C, D |
| 5 (A) | 7, 9, 10 | E, F♯, G |
| 4 (D) | 7, 9, 10 | A, B, C |
| 3 (G) | 7, 9 | D, E |
| 2 (B) | 7, 8, 10 | F♯, G, A |
| 1 (e) | 7, 8, 10 | B, C, D |
Box 5 · frets 10–13
E natural minor in box 5 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 13 notes across 6 strings, from D on the low E string at fret 10 up to E on the high e string at fret 12. The root falls on the low E string at fret 12 and the high e string at fret 12.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10, 12 | D, E |
| 5 (A) | 10, 12 | G, A |
| 4 (D) | 10, 12 | C, D |
| 3 (G) | 11, 12 | F♯, G |
| 2 (B) | 10, 12, 13 | A, B, C |
| 1 (e) | 10, 12 | D, E |
Why it sounds like that
E natural minor is the Aeolian mode of G major, built as 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7. It adds F♯ and C to E minor pentatonic. The pattern is W, H, W, W, H, W, W.
When to use it
E natural minor fits E minor and E 5th chords. Use it in E minor or G major keys. It works for rock and blues lines.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first. It keeps the root on string 4, fret 2, and covers frets 0–3 for easy access to open-position chords.
Common questions
What notes are in E natural minor?
E natural minor contains E, F♯, G, A, B, C, and D. The intervals are 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, ♭7. It is the Aeolian mode of G major.
Which chords does E natural minor fit?
E natural minor fits E minor and E 5th chords. It also works over G major and C major chords. Use it for minor-key progressions.
How is E natural minor different from E minor pentatonic?
E natural minor adds F♯ and C to E minor pentatonic. The pentatonic has five notes; natural minor has seven. The extra notes create a more complete minor sound.