Minor Descent Progression in E Minor for Banjo

The E Minor scale on banjo: the Minor Descent progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: E F# G A B C D

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Scale

Scale shapes

3NPS - First Position

D|--7---9-----|
B|--2---4---5-|
G|--2---4---5-|
D|--3---5---7-|
G|--5---7---9-|

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Em	E G B	`0 2 0 0 2`
I	Em	E G B	`0 2 4 0 2`
I	Em	E G B	`0 2 4 0 5`
II	F#dim	F# A C	`x x 2 1 x`
II	F#dim	F# A C	`x 4 2 1 4`
II	F#dim	F# A C	`x 4 2 1 x`
II	F#dim	F# A C	`x x 2 1 4`
III	G	G B D	`0 0 0 0 0`
IV	Am	A C E	`7 7 5 5 7`
V	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 0`
V	Bm	B D F#	`9 0 4 0 4`
V	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 9`
VI	C	C E G	`0 2 0 1 2`
VI	C	C E G	`0 2 0 1 5`
VI	C	C E G	`0 2 5 5 2`
VI	C	C E G	`0 2 5 5 5`
VII	D	D F# A	`7 0 2 3 4`
VII	D	D F# A	`7 7 7 7 7`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Em – D – C – D

D|2-------------------5---2-------------------5---2---------------|4-------------------5---9---4-------------------5---9---4-------|
B|0-----------3---5-------0-----------3---5-------0-----------3---|3-----------3---5-----------3-----------3---5-----------3-------|
G|0---0---4---------------0---0---4---------------0---0---4-------|2-------4-------------------2-------4-------------------2-------|
D|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|0---5-----------------------0---5-----------------------0---5---|
G|0-----------------------0-----------------------0---------------|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|

D|2-------------------5---2-------------------5---2---------------|4-------------------5---9---4-------------------5---9---4-------|
B|1-----------3---5-------1-----------3---5-------1-----------3---|3-----------3---5-----------3-----------3---5-----------3-------|
G|0---0---4---------------0---0---4---------------0---0---4-------|2-------4-------------------2-------4-------------------2-------|
D|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|0---5-----------------------0---5-----------------------0---5---|
G|0-----------------------0-----------------------0---------------|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Em7	E G B D	`x x 0 0 0`
I	Em7	E G B D	`0 0 0 0 0`
I	Em7	E G B D	`0 0 0 0 x`
I	Em7	E G B D	`x 0 0 0 0`
II	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x x 2 1 2`
II	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 2`
II	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 x`
II	F#m7b5	F# A C E	`x 4 2 1 2`
III	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`x x 0 0 4`
III	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`x x 0 3 4`
III	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`0 0 0 0 4`
III	Gmaj7	G B D F#	`0 0 0 3 4`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 0 1 2`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 2 1 2`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 0 1 x`
IV	Am7	A C E G	`0 2 2 1 x`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 0`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
V	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
VI	Cmaj7	C E G B	`0 2 0 0 2`
VI	Cmaj7	C E G B	`0 2 0 0 x`
VI	Cmaj7	C E G B	`x 2 0 0 2`
VI	Cmaj7	C E G B	`x 2 0 0 x`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 0`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 x`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`x x 2 1 0`
VII	D7	D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 4`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Em7 – D7 – Cmaj7 – D7

D|0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0---|0-------------------4---7---0-------------------4---7---0-------|
B|0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0---|1-----------1---3-----------1-----------1---3-----------1-------|
G|0---4---------------0---4---------------0---4---------------0---|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|2-------------------5---2-------------------5---2---------------|0-------------------4---7---0-------------------4---7---0-------|
B|0-----------3---5-------0-----------3---5-------0-----------3---|1-----------1---3-----------1-----------1---3-----------1-------|
G|0---0---4---------------0---0---4---------------0---0---4-------|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|0-----------------------0-----------------------0---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 2 0 3 4`
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`0 2 4 3 4`
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`x 2 0 3 4`
I	Em9	E G B D F#	`x x 0 0 4`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 2 1 2`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 2 1 x`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`0 2 2 x x`
II	F#m7b5b9	F# A C E G	`x 2 0 1 x`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 2 x x`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
III	Gmaj9	G B D F# A	`0 0 2 0 4`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`x x 2 0 2`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`0 2 2 0 2`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`0 2 2 0 x`
IV	Am9	A C E G B	`x 2 0 0 x`
V	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 x`
V	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x x 2 1 0`
V	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x x 4 1 0`
V	Bm7b9	B D F# A C	`x 0 2 1 4`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`x x 0 0 0`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`x 0 0 0 x`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`x x 0 1 0`
VI	Cmaj9	C E G B D	`x 0 0 1 x`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`x 0 2 1 2`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 0`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`x x 2 1 2`
VII	D9	D F# A C E	`x 2 2 1 x`

Minor Descent (i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII)

Chords: Em9 – D9 – Cmaj9 – D9

D|4-------------------5---4-------------------5---4---------------|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|
B|3-----------3---5-------3-----------3---5-------3-----------3---|1-----------1---3-----------1-----------1---3-----------1-------|
G|0---0---4---------------0---0---4---------------0---0---4-------|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|2-----------------------2-----------------------2---------------|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|0-----------------------0-----------------------0---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0---|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|
B|0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0---|1-----------1---3-----------1-----------1---3-----------1-------|
G|0---4---------------0---4---------------0---4---------------0---|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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