STRINGSCALES

E♭ minor pentatonic Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: Gb, Ab, Bb, Db, Eb at frets 2, 4, 6, 9, 11

A string: Bb, Db, Eb, Gb, Ab at frets 1, 4, 6, 9, 11

D string: Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Db at frets 1, 4, 6, 8, 11

G string: Ab, Bb, Db, Eb, Gb at frets 1, 3, 6, 8, 11

B string: Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb at frets 2, 4, 7, 9, 11

High E string: Gb, Ab, Bb, Db, Eb at frets 2, 4, 6, 9, 11

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Eb minor pentatonic

The minor pentatonic is the most played guitar scale in existence: root, flat 3rd, 4th, 5th and flat 7th. Its five notes fit one comfortable two-notes-per-string box, which made it the backbone of blues, rock and countless classic solos. Because it omits the 2nd and 6th it works over almost any chord in a minor key, and adding the flat 5th turns it into the minor blues scale.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

E♭

I

G♭

bIII

A♭

IV

B♭

V

D♭

bVII

Same notes, different mode

Eb minor pentatonic uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

Gb major pentatonicAb egyptianBb malkos ragaDb ritusen

minor pentatonic in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Learn box 1 at the fret of Eb on the low E string first, but escape it early: slide up to box 2 on the B and E strings for higher bends.
  • The 4th (Ab) bent a whole step up to the 5th (Bb) is the single most-used bend in blues; practice hitting it in tune.
  • Rub the flat 3rd (Gb) against a major-key backing for blues grit, or curl it slightly sharp toward the major 3rd like the classic players.
  • Add the flat 5th (A) as a passing note and you have the Eb blues scale; use it in transit, not as a resting place.

How to play E♭ minor pentatonic on guitar

No open string belongs to Eb minor pentatonic, so every note in the key has to be fretted. Clamp a capo at fret 1 and the key plays like D, which means open-string D minor pentatonic fingerings come back into reach. Box one anchors at fret 11. Roots nearer the nut sit at fret 1 on the D string and at fret 4 on the B string, so low playing works fine without the capo.

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