E pentatonic minor scale
Pentatonic5 notes · white keys only
Epentatonic minor
KeyboardRight hand · 1 = thumb
Fingering guideOne octave · both hands
| Hand | E | G | A | B | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1thumb under | 2 | 3 |
| Left hand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 33 over | 2 | 1 |
Chords in the key
Chords are built by stacking every other note of a seven-note scale. Pentatonic minor has 5, so try the natural minor scale for its chords.
How to read a scale
Steps, degrees, fingers.
The step pattern
Every scale is a pattern of whole and half steps. E pentatonic minor goes W+H–W–W–W+H–W: the step and a halfs between E and G, and between B and D give it its colour.
The degrees
Number the notes from the root: 1 E, ♭3 G, 4 A, 5 B, ♭7 D. The degrees stay the same in every key, so a pattern learned in E works in any other.
The fingering
Right hand: the thumb tucks under onto B. Left hand: finger 3 crosses over onto B. Practise the crossings slowly; once they're smooth, raise the tempo.
All 216 scales
Every scale and mode on every root, each with its own page.
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
Practise it on a real keyboard.
Plug in a MIDI keyboard: the Melodio app shows every scale with its fingering and chords, and names what you play. Free, offline.
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