E minor

E minor
Relative key G major
Parallel key E major
Dominant key B minor
Subdominant A minor
Component pitches
E, F, G, A, B, C, D

E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.

The E natural minor scale is:

 {
\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\relative c' {
  \clef treble \key e \minor \time 7/4
  e4^\markup "E natural minor scale" fis g a b c d e d c b a g fis e2
} }

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The E harmonic minor and melodic minor scales are:

 {
\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\relative c' {
  \clef treble \key e \minor \time 7/4
  e4^\markup "E harmonic minor scale" fis g a b c dis e dis c b a g fis e2
} }
 {
\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\relative c' {
  \clef treble \key e \minor \time 7/4
  e4^\markup "E melodic minor scale (ascending and descending)" fis g a b cis dis e d! c! b a g fis e2
} }

Much of the classical guitar repertoire is in E minor, as this is a very natural key for the instrument. In standard tuning (E A D G B E), four of the instrument's six open (unfretted) strings are part of the tonic chord. The key of E minor is also popular in heavy metal music, as its tonic is the lowest note on a standard-tuned guitar.

Notable compositions

See also

  • Media related to E minor at Wikimedia Commons
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