E Natural Minor vs E Minor Pentatonic
E natural minor and minor pentatonic drawn on one neck. They differ by 2 notes.
Tap any note on the neck.
Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.
E natural minor is E minor pentatonic with the 2 and b6 added — F# and C.
E natural minor vs E minor pentatonic: what is different
E minor pentatonic is E natural minor with 2 notes left out. Every note of minor pentatonic is also in natural minor; natural minor adds:
- F#, the 2
- C, the b6
Shared by both: E G A B D.
When to use which
The bigger scale has more colour and more ways to go wrong; the smaller one is safer and plainer. Start solos in the smaller scale and add the extra notes as a passing tone, on the way to a note that belongs to the chord. Live on the extra note and it stops sounding like colour and starts sounding like a mistake.
Hear the difference
Free, no account needed. Change the key and both scales follow.
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