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Scale · 5 notes

E♯ Minor Pentatonic Scale

E♯ Minor Pentatonic is a 5-note scale with the notes E♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ D♯. It sounds the five-note backbone of rock and blues solos.

B♯E♯D♯G♯A♯

Purple = E♯ (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every E♯ minor pentatonic note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215E♯G♯A♯B♯D♯E♯A♯B♯D♯E♯G♯A♯B♯D♯E♯G♯A♯B♯D♯E♯G♯A♯B♯D♯E♯G♯A♯B♯D♯E♯G♯A♯B♯E♯G♯A♯B♯D♯E♯

Blue = E♯ (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the E♯ Minor Pentatonic scale

DegreeNote
1E♯
♭3G♯
4A♯
5B♯
♭7D♯

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: E♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ D♯.

E♯ Minor Pentatonic scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W+H – W – W – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step of three semitones). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.

Related scales

How to practise the E♯ Minor Pentatonic scale

Start with the box pattern on guitar or the simple finger patterns on piano. With only five notes and no half steps, almost anything you play will sound good over the matching chords.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the E♯ Minor Pentatonic scale?

The notes of the E♯ Minor Pentatonic scale are E♯ G♯ A♯ B♯ D♯.

What is the formula for the E♯ Minor Pentatonic scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W+H – W – W – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.

More E♯ scales

E♯ Phrygian, E♯ Locrian, E♯ Blues, E♯ Altered

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.