Greasy Shuffle
Swaggering blues shuffle in E — open position, wide-open jam.
Jam this track with live chords →The E Minor Scale
The notes of E minor are E, F#, G, A, B, C, D — formula 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. Key signature: one sharp (F#). Its relative major is G major, which uses the same notes from a different home. Below: the full neck, the chords in the key, and the pentatonic that lives inside it.
E minor on the fretboard
Practice E minor position by position — interactive fretboard →
Chords in the key of E minor
Harmonising the scale gives the seven chords songs in E minor are built from:
| Degree | i | ii° | bIII | iv | v | bVI | bVII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord | Em | F#dim | G | Am | Bm | C | D |
The core minor progression is i–iv–v (Em, Am, Bm); songs wanting a stronger pull home borrow a major V (B) from the harmonic minor.
The E minor pentatonic shortcut
For soloing in E minor, most players reach first for the minor pentatonic — the same scale minus the two most clash-prone notes. E minor pentatonic: E, G, A, B, D.
Backing tracks in E minor
Scales stick when you use them. These free tracks are recorded in E minor — play them right here, or open them in JamLab to see the scale on a live fretboard while the chords change:
Greasy Pocket
Upbeat funk in E minor — tight rhythm guitar, punchy bass, clavinet stabs.
Jam this track with live chords →More jams in this key: E minor backing tracks.