E Harmonic Minor Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The E harmonic minor scale has 7 notes: E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D♯. The harmonic minor is the natural minor with its 7th raised a half step. The gap of three frets between the ♭6 and the 7 gives it its exotic, classical sound, and the raised 7th makes the V chord major, so it pulls strongly back home.

Compared with the E major scale it has ♭3 (G instead of G♯), ♭6 (C instead of C♯).

The explorer above is set to E harmonic minor: the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 7 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

E harmonic minor scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from E	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	E	R	0	S
2	F♯	M2	2	R
♭3	G	m3	3	g
4	A	P4	5	M
5	B	P5	7	P
♭6	C	m6	8	d
7	D♯	M7	11	N

Steps between the notes: W H W W H W+H H (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any E and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

E harmonic minor scale positions on the guitar

With three notes on every string, E harmonic minor has seven patterns that climb the neck. Position 1 starts on E on the low E string at fret 0; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Position 1 frets 0–5	2 3 5	1 4 5	0 2 4	1 2 4	0 2 3	0 2 3
Position 2 frets 2–7	3 5 7	4 5 7	2 4 5	2 4 5	2 3 6	2 3 5
Position 3 frets 3–8	5 7 8	5 7 8	4 5 8	4 5 7	3 6 7	3 5 7
Position 4 frets 5–11	7 8 11	7 8 10	5 8 9	5 7 9	6 7 9	5 7 8
Position 5 frets 7–12	8 11 12	8 10 12	8 9 11	7 9 10	7 9 10	7 8 11
Position 6 frets 8–14	11 12 14	10 12 13	9 11 12	9 10 13	9 10 12	8 11 12
Position 7 frets 10–16	12 14 15	12 13 16	11 12 14	10 13 14	10 12 14	11 12 14

Chords in the E harmonic minor scale

Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives these chords. They are the chords a song in E harmonic minor is made from, and the chords this scale fits over.

	i	ii°	♭III+	iv	V	♭VI	vii°
Triad	Em	F♯dim	Gaug	Am	B	C	D♯dim
7th chord	EmMaj7	F♯m7♭5	Gmaj7♯5	Am7	B7	Cmaj7	D♯dim7

Where you hear it

E harmonic minor is used in neo-classical metal, flamenco, Middle Eastern and Indian film music, and classical. It sounds best over minor chords and the major V or V7 chord of a minor key.

Backing tracks to practise E harmonic minor

E minor blues E minor rock E minor funk Em metal Em Bollywood

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 0–5) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every E (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on E.