E♭ minor pentatonic scale on guitar
The E♭ minor pentatonic scale has 5 notes: E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭. The most-used soloing scale in rock and blues. Five notes, no half steps between them, and a shape that sits under the fingers: it is usually the first scale guitarists learn.
Notes in E♭ minor pentatonic
- Formula
- 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
- Step pattern
- W+H – W – W – W+H – W
- Notes
- 5
Tap a note to hear it.
E♭ minor pentatonic across the neck
Every E♭ minor pentatonic 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 |
| ♭3 | G♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | A♭ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | B♭ | Perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | D♭ | Minor 7th |
Chords to play E♭ minor pentatonic over
The E♭ minor pentatonic scale fits the main chords of the E♭ minor key:
It is also the classic choice over a twelve-bar blues in E♭: E♭7, A♭7, B♭7.
Related scales
- It uses exactly the same five notes as F♯ major pentatonic, so one shape covers both.
- Add the ♭5 for E♭ blues, or fill in the 2nd and ♭6th for E♭ minor.
Questions
What notes are in the E♭ minor pentatonic scale?
E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, D♭. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.
Where do I start the E♭ minor pentatonic 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♭ minor pentatonic note on the first 12 frets.
What scales are related to E♭ minor pentatonic?
It uses exactly the same five notes as F♯ major pentatonic, so one shape covers both.
More scales
Minor pentatonic in every key
Other scales from E♭