E minor pentatonic scale on ukulele
The E minor pentatonic scale has the notes E G A B D. The most used scale for soloing in rock and blues. It has the same notes as the major pentatonic of the relative key, but the phrase rests on the minor tonic.
Notes and degrees
| Note | E | G | A | B | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | 1 | b3 | 4 | 5 | b7 |
In the first five frets
Standard G C E A tuning (high G). The number is the fret; 0 is the open string.
| String | Frets (note) |
|---|---|
| G | 0 (G) · 2 (A) · 4 (B) |
| C | 2 (D) · 4 (E) |
| E | 0 (E) · 3 (G) · 5 (A) |
| A | 0 (A) · 2 (B) · 5 (D) |
Chords that fit
Over these chords the scale sounds in key. Aim for each chord's notes on the strong beats.
- Emi
- GIII
- Amiv
- Bmv
- CVI
- DVII
How to use it
- Start and end your phrases on E: that is where the scale rests.
- Over Em, the safest notes are the chord tones. In the app, they show in green.
- Move by neighboring steps and leave space between phrases; rhythm matters as much as the note.
See also: chords in the key of E minor · E major · E minor · E blues