E Bebop Minor Guitar Scale

E Bebop Minor Scale — Notes and Intervals

The E Bebop Minor scale is a specialized eight-note scale for minor-key jazz. On Guitar, it contains the notes E, F#, G, G#, A, B, C#, D. It adds a chromatic note to the Dorian mode to maintain rhythmic drive and harmonic clarity during fast improvisations over minor seventh chords. Commonly used in Jazz, Bebop, Hard Bop. Notable players include Wes Montgomery, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon. Use over m7 chords in jazz. The chromatic addition keeps the phrasing rhythmically clean during fast improvisation.

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

Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3m, 3M, 4P, 5P, 6M, 7m

Degrees: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 b8

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

Number of notes: 8

Musical Character

Adds a chromatic note to Dorian, maintaining the rhythmic alignment of chord tones on strong beats in minor-key bebop contexts.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Jazz, Bebop, Hard Bop

Notable players: Wes Montgomery, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon

How to Use the E Bebop Minor Scale

Use over m7 chords in jazz. The chromatic addition keeps the phrasing rhythmically clean during fast improvisation.

Origin & Background

A bebop-era adaptation of the Dorian mode for maintaining rhythmic drive over minor 7th chords.

How to Play E Bebop Minor on Guitar

Start the E Bebop Minor scale in open position, taking advantage of the open E string. Because this scale has 8 notes, four-notes-per-string stretches may be necessary. Start with a single position and expand gradually. Keep your thumb centered behind the neck for reach.

The E Bebop Minor scale contains 3 sharps (F#, G#, C#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.

Practice Routine

Begin by playing the E Bebop Minor scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (E-G, F#-G#) 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 Bebop Minor scale come through clearly. This scale is especially effective in jazz contexts.

Guitar Tips

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

Related Scales

Bebop Minor is the Dorian with added chromatic passing tone. View E Dorian scale

• E Dorian
• E Bebop
• E Minor bebop
• E Melodic minor

The E Bebop Minor scale contains 8 notes (E, F#, G, G#, A, B, C#, D). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for E Bebop Minor

The E Bebop Minor 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 8-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore E Bebop Minor Further

• Harmonize the E Bebop Minor scale — triads & 7th chords
• Browse chord progressions
• E Bebop Minor on Ukulele
• E Bebop Minor on Bass
• E Bebop Minor on Piano

Explore E Bebop Minor in Other Tunings

• E Bebop Minor in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
• E Bebop Minor in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
• E Bebop Minor in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
• E Bebop Minor in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
• E Bebop Minor in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
• E Bebop Minor in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
• E Bebop Minor in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
• E Bebop Minor in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
• E Bebop Minor in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
• E Bebop Minor in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
• E Bebop Minor in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
• E Bebop Minor in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
• E Bebop Minor in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
• E Bebop Minor in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)

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