E♭ harmonic minor scale on guitar
The E♭ harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭ and D. Natural minor with a raised 7th. The wide gap between the 6th and 7th gives it its dramatic, “exotic” sound, and the raised 7th makes a strong major V chord in minor keys.
Notes in E♭ harmonic minor
- Formula
- 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
- Step pattern
- W – H – W – W – H – W+H – H
- Notes
- 7
Tap a note to hear it.
E♭ harmonic minor across the neck
Every E♭ harmonic minor note on the first 12 frets in standard tuning. Filled dots are the root, E♭. A good place to start: E♭ on the A string is at fret 6, so play the notes between frets 5 and 9 first, then move up the neck.
Intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval from E♭ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | Root |
| 2 | F | Major 2nd |
| ♭3 | G♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | A♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | B♭ | Perfect 5th |
| ♭6 | C♭ | Minor 6th |
| 7 | D | Major 7th |
Chords in E♭ harmonic minor
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these triads. Any of them will sound “at home” with the E♭ harmonic minor scale.
H = half step (1 fret), W = whole step (2 frets). Roman numerals: uppercase is major, lowercase is minor, ° is diminished, + is augmented.
Related scales
Questions
What notes are in the E♭ harmonic minor scale?
E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D. Its formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7.
Where do I start the E♭ harmonic minor scale on guitar?
E♭ on the A string is at fret 6, so play the notes between frets 5 and 9 first. The fretboard map on this page shows every E♭ harmonic minor note on the first 12 frets.
What scales are related to E♭ harmonic minor?
It is E♭ minor with the 7th raised a half step, which turns the v chord into a major V.
More scales
Harmonic minor in every key
Other scales from E♭