PENTATONIC SCALES · SCALE REFERENCE

Major Pentatonic scale

Major Pentatonic has 5 pitch classes. Its semitone formula from the root is 0 · 2 · 4 · 7 · 9. The example below starts on C; choose another root or tuning in the fretboard explorer.

Formula and notes in C

Five-note major scale. Each step is the semitone distance to the next tone, with the last step returning to the root an octave higher.

Note in CIntervalSemitones from rootStep to next tone
CRoot02
DMajor 2nd22
EMajor 3rd43
GPerfect 5th72
AMajor 6th93

FREE FRETBOARD REFERENCE

C Major pentatonic on the fretboard

Find each scale tone in a catalog tuning. Filled notes marked R are roots; outlined notes are other tones. Open strings are fret 0.

6-String Guitar referenceStandard tuning and this scaleC Major pentatonic scale in this tuning

6-String Guitar · Standard · Frets 0–12 · All scale tones

C Major pentatonic in Standard on 6-String GuitarPhysical string order is preserved, with the first catalog string at the bottom. Read exact frets and pitches in the table below. Roots carry an R marker.0123456789101112E2A2D3G3B3E4String 1, fret 0: E2EString 1, fret 3: G2GString 1, fret 5: A2AString 1, fret 8: C3, rootCRString 1, fret 10: D3DString 1, fret 12: E3EString 2, fret 0: A2AString 2, fret 3: C3, rootCRString 2, fret 5: D3DString 2, fret 7: E3EString 2, fret 10: G3GString 2, fret 12: A3AString 3, fret 0: D3DString 3, fret 2: E3EString 3, fret 5: G3GString 3, fret 7: A3AString 3, fret 10: C4, rootCRString 3, fret 12: D4DString 4, fret 0: G3GString 4, fret 2: A3AString 4, fret 5: C4, rootCRString 4, fret 7: D4DString 4, fret 9: E4EString 4, fret 12: G4GString 5, fret 1: C4, rootCRString 5, fret 3: D4DString 5, fret 5: E4EString 5, fret 8: G4GString 5, fret 10: A4AString 6, fret 0: E4EString 6, fret 3: G4GString 6, fret 5: A4AString 6, fret 8: C5, rootCRString 6, fret 10: D5DString 6, fret 12: E5E

Notes-per-string views select the first matching scale tones on each string at or above the starting fret, within a 12-fret window. These are position studies: crossing strings can repeat or skip pitches. They are not guaranteed continuous ascending runs or finger assignments. Four-note layouts can require stretches or position shifts.

Fret positions and pitches · first catalog string to last
Open stringFretsNotes with octaves
1 · E20 · 3 · 5 · 8 · 10 · 12E2 · G2 · A2 · C3 · D3 · E3
2 · A20 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 10 · 12A2 · C3 · D3 · E3 · G3 · A3
3 · D30 · 2 · 5 · 7 · 10 · 12D3 · E3 · G3 · A3 · C4 · D4
4 · G30 · 2 · 5 · 7 · 9 · 12G3 · A3 · C4 · D4 · E4 · G4
5 · B31 · 3 · 5 · 8 · 10C4 · D4 · E4 · G4 · A4
6 · E40 · 3 · 5 · 8 · 10 · 12E4 · G4 · A4 · C5 · D5 · E5

Major and minor chords contained in the C example

C MajorA Minor

Scales with nearby interval patterns

Compare these formulas at the same root to see which tones change.

Major Blues ScaleIonian (Major)KumoiLydian

Rooted references for this interval pattern

C Major pentatonicC# Major pentatonicD Major pentatonicEb Major pentatonicE Major pentatonicF Major pentatonicF# Major pentatonicG Major pentatonicAb Major pentatonicA Major pentatonicBb Major pentatonicB Major pentatonic

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