Aeolian (natural minor) · E · Guitar
The E Aeolian scale is E F♯ G A B C D — formula 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7, step pattern W–H–W–W–H–W–W. Use it over Em7: it is the scale for the tonic minor chord (i7) and vi chords; the natural-minor sound. Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play loops the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 7. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Reference
| Degree | Note | Interval from E | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | F♯ | major 2nd (2 semitones) | H |
| ♭3 | G | minor 3rd (3 semitones) | W |
| 4 | A | perfect 4th (5 semitones) | W |
| 5 | B | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | H |
| ♭6 | C | minor 6th (8 semitones) | W |
| ♭7 | D | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: Em7 (E – G – B – D). Use it for: the tonic minor chord (i7) and vi chords; the natural-minor sound.
Common questions
E F♯ G A B C D. As scale degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7. It has 7 notes.
E Aeolian fits Em7 and, more generally, the tonic minor chord (i7) and vi chords; the natural-minor sound.
1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 — the step pattern from the root is W H W W H W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Start on the root E on the A string at fret 7, and play the one-octave position shown: A-string fret 7, A-string fret 9, A-string fret 10, D-string fret 7, D-string fret 9, D-string fret 10, G-string fret 7, G-string fret 9. Every E on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Same scale on piano · all Aeolian pages: Aeolian (natural minor) hub · practise it in context: ii–V–I trainer · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from E