E Minor Hexatonic Guitar Scale

Guitar scale — fretboard diagramIntermediate

E minor hexatonic scale — 6-string guitar fretboard diagramInteractive fretboard diagram showing the E minor hexatonic scale on 6-string guitar with 22 frets. Notes: E, F#, G, A, B, D#.EF#GABD#EF#GABBD#EF#GABD#EF#GAGABD#EF#GABD#ED#EF#GABD#EF#GABABD#EF#GABD#EF#GEF#GABD#EF#GAB1357911121315171921

What chords fit over E Minor Hexatonic?

Open E Minor Hexatonic Harmonizer

E Minor Hexatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals

The E Minor Hexatonic scale is a six-note scale that bridges the gap between the minor pentatonic and full modal scales. On Guitar, it contains the notes E, F#, G, A, B, D#. It has a soulful, minor character but offers more melodic flexibility, making it a common choice for blues and jazz-rock soloing. Commonly used in Blues, Jazz-Rock, R&B, Soul. Notable players include B.B. King, Albert King, John Mayer. Use over m7 chords and blues changes. More flexible than minor pentatonic but less complex than full Dorian.

Notes: E, F#, G, A, B, D#

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 4P, 5P, 7M

Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6

Formula: W-H-W-W-4-H

Number of notes: 6

Musical Character

SoulfulExpressiveBluesyWarm

Bridges the gap between the 5-note minor pentatonic and full 7-note modes — adds one note that provides extra melodic flexibility while maintaining the blues feel.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Blues, Jazz-Rock, R&B, Soul

Notable players: B.B. King, Albert King, John Mayer

How to Use the E Minor Hexatonic Scale

Use over m7 chords and blues changes. More flexible than minor pentatonic but less complex than full Dorian.

Origin & Background

A practical blues scale that adds melodic depth to the minor pentatonic without the full complexity of 7-note scales.

How to Play E Minor Hexatonic on Guitar

Start the E Minor Hexatonic scale in open position, taking advantage of the open E string. Use a three-notes-per-string fingering to cover the full scale in one position, or learn the CAGED shapes to navigate the entire fretboard. An alternative starting point is open position.

The E Minor Hexatonic scale contains 2 sharps (F#, D#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.

Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing

Begin by playing the E Minor Hexatonic scale ascending and descending at 80 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (E-G, F#-A) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.

Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on E to let the characteristic intervals of the Minor Hexatonic scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in jazz-rock contexts.

Guitar Tips

Use hybrid picking (pick + fingers) when playing the E Minor Hexatonic scale on guitar to access wider intervals and string skips that a pick alone cannot handle efficiently. Aim for a soulful quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

The E Minor Hexatonic scale contains 6 notes (E, F#, G, A, B, D#). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each shape and pattern on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges. Practice ascending and descending from the root note to learn the sound of this scale.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for E Minor Hexatonic

The E Minor Hexatonic scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 6-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore E Minor Hexatonic Further

Explore E Minor Hexatonic in Other Tunings

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