The E Natural minor scale scale is built from E, F#, G, A, B, C, D. Its formula is W–H–W–W–H–W–W, and it has 7 notes in total. This guide covers its notes and formula, how to play it on three instruments, what it sounds like and which chords it belongs over.
What notes are in the E Natural minor scale?
The E Natural minor scale contains 7 notes: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D. Those notes are fixed — play a different set and you are playing a different scale. The scale starts on E and returns to E an octave higher, passing through every note in the list above in order.
| Degree | Note | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | 0 |
| 2 | F# | 2 |
| 3 | G | 3 |
| 4 | A | 5 |
| 5 | B | 7 |
| 6 | C | 8 |
| 7 | D | 10 |
The formula of the E Natural minor scale is W–H–W–W–H–W–W, where W is a whole step (two semitones) and H is a half step (one semitone). Follow that pattern from E and you get exactly the notes above, in order. The intervals from the root are 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 semitones. Practise saying the formula out loud while you play the scale, so the pattern and the notes join up in your memory.
The E Natural minor scale sounds soft, reflective and a little dark — the natural minor is the sound of minor-key songs. That character comes from the intervals, especially the notes that differ from the major scale — those are the notes that give the natural minor scale its colour.
How to play it
On the guitar, anchor the E Natural minor scale on the root E, which sits at fret 0 on the low E string (open string). Play the scale across the strings from that root, one note per fret position where the pattern allows, and learn where the other E notes sit — on the A string, the D string and higher up the neck — so you can move the pattern to any position. The pattern is the same shape in every key; only the starting fret changes, which is why learning the E Natural minor scale as a shape plus a root note is more useful than learning it as a list of frets.
On the low E string of the guitar, the notes of the E Natural minor scale fall at E at fret 0, F# at fret 2, G at fret 3, A at fret 5, B at fret 7, C at fret 8, D at fret 10. On the C string of the ukulele they fall at E at fret 4, F# at fret 6, G at fret 7, A at fret 9, B at fret 11, C at fret 0, D at fret 2. Those fret numbers are worth learning, because they let you find any note of the E Natural minor scale on a single string without working out the pattern: pick a string, count to the fret, and the note is there. Practise playing the scale up one string only, from the low root to the high root, and then play it across the strings as a pattern — the two ways of playing it teach different things, and both are useful.
On the piano, play the E Natural minor scale with the notes E, F#, G, A, B, C, D in order, ascending and then descending. The black keys are F#, so let your longer fingers take those keys and use the thumb to turn under on the white keys. Practise hands separately first, then together, at a slow tempo, and say each note name as you play it — that is what turns the E Natural minor scale from a finger exercise into knowledge you can use.
On the ukulele, anchor the E Natural minor scale on the root E, which sits at fret 4 on the C string. Play the scale across the four strings from that anchor, keeping the pattern close to the root position first, then try the same notes an octave higher. Use the Guitar Scale Finder, the Piano Scale Finder and the Ukulele Scale Finder to see the E Natural minor scale on each instrument while you practise, and the Scale Finder to compare it with other scales.
How to use the Natural minor scale
The E Natural minor scale is the tonic scale of its minor key and the relative minor of the major key three semitones above it. Its home is the key of E minor, and the chords built from its notes are Em, F#dim, G, Am, Bm, C, D. Those chords are the ones the scale fits over most naturally: play the scale over any of them and every note belongs, because the chords are made from the scale itself. Start by soloing over the tonic chord — the chord built on E — and then try the scale over the other chords in the list, listening to how each chord changes which notes of the scale sound settled and which sound tense.
Its closest relative is the harmonic minor, which raises the 7th to give the dominant chord its pull. That comparison is the fastest way to hear what makes the E Natural minor scale different: play both scales back to back from the same root and listen for the note or notes that change. In practice, use the E Natural minor scale where its character fits the music — natural minor colour over the chords listed above — and switch to its relatives when the mood needs to change. The Chord to Key Finder will tell you which key a set of chords belongs to, which is the practical way to choose between the E Natural minor scale and its relatives in a real song.
Related scales
The scales most closely related to the E Natural minor scale are E Major scale, E Harmonic minor scale, E Melodic minor scale, C Natural minor scale, C# Natural minor scale. The first group shares the root E and changes the type, so you can hear how the same starting note produces a different colour. The second group keeps the natural minor type and moves it to a different root, so you can hear the same colour at a different pitch. The parallel scale — E major scale — starts on the same root E but is the opposite mode, and comparing the two is the classic way to learn what major and minor really mean. Work through the related scales one at a time, playing each from the same root, and the differences between them will become audible rather than theoretical.
Frequently asked questions
Is the E Natural minor scale hard to learn?
It has 7 notes, which is a manageable size, and the formula W–H–W–W–H–W–W gives you a pattern to follow rather than a list to memorise. Learn it on one instrument first — guitar, piano or ukulele — play it up and down slowly, and then try it over the tonic chord built on E.
What notes are in the E Natural minor scale?
The E Natural minor scale contains E, F#, G, A, B, C, D. Those 7 notes, in that order, are the whole scale — start on E, play through the list, and return to E an octave higher.
What is the formula of the E Natural minor scale?
The formula is W–H–W–W–H–W–W, where W is a whole step and H is a half step. Follow that pattern of steps from E and you get the notes E, F#, G, A, B, C, D. The formula is the same for this scale in every key.
Which chords fit over the E Natural minor scale?
The chords built from the scale itself fit best: Em, F#dim, G, Am, Bm, C, D. Because those chords use only notes from the scale, every note of the E Natural minor scale belongs over them. Start with the tonic chord built on E and work through the list.
Which key does the E Natural minor scale belong to?
Its home is the key of E minor. That key uses the same notes as the scale, so the scale and the key fit together exactly. The E Natural minor scale is the scale you play when you are soloing or writing in that key.