Minor ii–V–i Progression in E Minor for Banjo

The E Minor scale on banjo: the Minor ii–V–i 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 ii–V–i (ii°–v–i–i)

Chords: F#dim – Bm – Em – Em

D|------------5---7---------------5---7---------------5---7-------|0-------------------12--0-------------------12--0---------------|
B|1---1---5-----------1---1---5-----------1---1---5-----------1---|7-----------10--12------7-----------10--12------7-----------10--|
G|2-------------------2-------------------2-------------------2---|7---7---11--------------7---7---11--------------7---7---11------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|9-----------------------9-----------------------9---------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|9-----------------------9-----------------------9---------------|

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

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 ii–V–i (ii°–v–i–i)

Chords: F#m7b5 – Bm7 – Em7 – Em7

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

D|0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0---|0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0-----------4---5---0---|
B|0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0---|0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0-------3-----------0---|
G|0---4---------------0---4---------------0---4---------------0---|0---4---------------0---4---------------0---4---------------0---|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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 ii–V–i (ii°–v–i–i)

Chords: F#m7b5b9 – Bm7b9 – Em9 – Em9

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

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

All banjo lessons · The Guitar Scales