E minor

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E minor

Relative key	G major
Parallel key	E major
Component pitches
E, F♯, G, A, B, C, D, E

Also see: E major, or E-flat minor.

E minor (Em, Mim) is a musical minor scale based on the note E, consisting of the pitches E, F♯, G, A, B, C, and D. The harmonic minor scale contains a D♯. Its key signature has one sharp, F (see below: Scales and keys).

Its relative major is G major, and its parallel major is E major.

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary.

A lot of the classical acoustic guitar repertoire is in E minor, as this is a very characteristic key for the instrument. With the standard tuning, four of the instrument's six strings open are part of the tonic chord.

[edit] Well-known classical compositions in this key

• Symphony No. 4 - Johannes Brahms
• Nocturne in E Minor - Frédéric Chopin
• Piano Concerto No. 1 - Frédéric Chopin
• Prelude in E Minor (Chopin) - Frédéric Chopin
• New World Symphony - Antonín Dvořák
• Cello Concerto - Edward Elgar
• Symphony No. 44 "Trauer" - Joseph Haydn
• Symphony No.7 - Gustav Mahler
• Violin Concerto in E Minor - Felix Mendelssohn
• Caprice No. 3 - Nicolò Paganini
• Symphony No. 2 - Sergei Rachmaninov
• Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14 - Sergei Rachmaninov
• Symphony No. 1 - Jean Sibelius
• Symphony No. 5 - Tchaikovsky
• Symphony No. 6 - Ralph Vaughan Williams

See also: list of symphonies in E minor

[edit] Well-known contemporary music in this key

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• "Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica
• "Are You Gonna Go My Way (song)" - Lenny Kravitz
• "Bathwater" - No Doubt
• "Because of You" - Kelly Clarkson
• "Behind Blue Eyes" - The Who
• "Breathe" - Pink Floyd
• "Can't Stop" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "Cochise" - Audioslave
• "Cry" - James Blunt
• Doctor Who theme music - Ron Grainer
• "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles
• "Electric Eye" - Judas Priest
• "F.M." - Steely Dan
• "Four Sticks" - Led Zeppelin
• "Hey You" - Pink Floyd
• "Heart of Gold" - Neil Young
• "Hurt" - Christina Aguilera
• "A Horse with No Name" - America
• "Hot Razors in My Heart" - Crack the Sky
• "I am Murloc" - L70ETC
• "I Wanna Love You Forever" - Jessica Simpson
• The James Bond Theme
• "Know Who You Are at Every Age" - Cocteau Twins
• "Lady" - Lenny Kravitz
• "Last Resort" - Papa Roach
• "London Calling" - The Clash
• "New Born" - Muse
• "Nights in White Satin" - The Moody Blues
• "Orange Crush" - R.E.M.
• "Paralyzer" - Finger Eleven
• "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
• The Pink Panther Theme - Henry Mancini
• Pinky and the Brain TV theme
• "Roadhouse Blues" - The Doors
• "Roundabout" - Yes
• "Sacrificed Sons" - Dream Theater
• "Scarborough Fair" - Simon and Garfunkel
• "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
• "Solitary Man" - Neil Diamond
• "Stinkfist" - Tool
• "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand (Introduction in G major)
• "Time of the Season" - The Zombies
• "The Trooper" - Iron Maiden
• "Undun" - The Guess Who
• "Wake Up Call" - Maroon 5
• "The Wild Boys" - Duran Duran
• "Working Man" - Rush
• "You Belong to the City" - Glenn Frey
• "Pain" - Three Days Grace
• "Zombie" - The Cranberries

[edit] Scales and keys

v • d • e Diatonic Scales and Keys
	flats sharps major minor major minor 0 C, a 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯
lower case letters are minor the table indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale