E Harmonic Major Guitar Scale — Drop B

Guitar scale in Drop B tuning — fretboard diagram

E Harmonic Major in Drop B — Notes and Intervals

The E Harmonic Major scale is a hybrid that combines the brightness of a major third with the sadness of a minor sixth. On Guitar, it contains the notes E, F#, G#, A, B, C, D#. It creates a unique bright-yet-sad tension that is common in film music to depict complex emotions that are not purely happy or sad. Commonly used in Film Scores, Classical, Jazz, Progressive. Notable players include Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Bela Bartok. Use over Maj7, Maj7b6 contexts. The b6 adds an unexpected shadow to otherwise bright major passages.

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

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

Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 b6 7

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

Number of notes: 7

Tuning: Drop B (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#)

About Drop B Tuning

Drop B tuning (B-F#-B-E-G#-C#) takes the guitar into territory traditionally reserved for 7-string instruments, delivering a subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest. This tuning has become essential in modern extreme metal, deathcore, and djent, where low-end clarity and rhythmic precision are paramount.

Drop B represents the practical limit of what a standard 6-string guitar can handle before tone quality degrades. With the right string gauge (12-60 or heavier) and proper setup, it delivers the crushing lows of a 7-string while keeping the familiar 6-string layout. Bands like Architects, Periphery (on some tracks), and Parkway Drive have used Drop B to create some of the heaviest riffs in modern metal.

DeathcoreDjentProgressive MetalExtreme MetalMetalcore

Notable artists: Architects, Parkway Drive, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, Emmure

Best for: Extreme metal riffs, deathcore breakdowns, djent chugs, and any style demanding the lowest possible 6-string tuning

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Drop B tuning