The Pentatonic Scale is the quintessential Rock and Blues scale. You’ve heard it in everyone’s playing from The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page to David Gilmore, Eric Clapton and beyond. Guitar players learn this scale in the womb. It is a useful tool for soloing and lead guitar, as well as writing melodies.

There are several variations and I will provide the formulas for each. Penta means five, so this is a scale that has five tones.

Traditional minor Pentatonic scale:

1 m3 4 5 m7 8 (1 b3 4 5 b7 8)

The most common keys for guitarists to play this scale in are…

A:

A C D E G A (1 b3 4 5 b7 8)

E:

E G A B D E

G:

G Bb C D F G

C:

C Eb F G Bb C

F:

F Ab Bb C Eb F

But, the scale of course can be played in any key and should be practiced in all keys in order to be able to play it across the entire fretboard. There are five box patterns to learn. Here is a link where you can find all five patterns in order to help you practice. https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/pentatonic-scales/. Wherever you start the first note of your first pattern, will tell you what key you are in.

Examples in music: Most solos by Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, David Gilmore, Eric Clapton. Come Together: The Beatles (D), Wish You Were Here: Pink Floyd (E), Suzie Q: CCR (E), Howlin’ For You: The Black Keys (E), I’ve Got My Eyes On You: Buddy Guy (A), One Way Out: The Allman Brothers (A).

Here’s a slight variation of the traditional minor Pentatonic scale.

“Stock Blues” Pentatonic scale with the #4/b5 tritone or “Blue” note. The addition of the tritone provides chromatic movement between the 4th and 5th tone of the scale. This is also known as the “minor Blues” scale.

1 m3 4 d5 5 m7 8 (1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 8)

The most common keys again…

A:

A C D Eb E G A

E:

E G A Bb B D E

G:

G Bb C Db D F G

C:

C Eb F Gb G Bb C

F:

F Ab Bb Cb C Eb F

Again, learn these five box patterns across the fretboard in all keys. Follow this link to do so. https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/pentatonic-scales/.

Examples in music: Sunshine Of your Love: Cream (D), Jump In The Fire: Metallica (G), Cowboys From Hell: Pantera (E), Iron Man: Black Sabbath (B)

There is also a Major Pentatonic scale! It’s a good one to use for Country, Rock-a-billy, Major Blues, over Dominant7 chords, RnB, etc…anything with Major or Dominant7 chords.

The easiest way to think about it is to start the second pattern of the minor Pentatonic scale on the root of the key you are playing in. In short, the Major Pentatonic scale is the same five patterns as the minor Pentatonic scale, but the harmony (chords) being played underneath and where you start the patterns gives it it’s unique sound.

The Major Pentatonic formula is…

1 M2 M3 5 6 8 (1 2 3 5 6 8)

A:

A B C# E F# A (1 2 3 5 6 8)

E:

E F# G# B C# E

G:

G A B D E G

C:

C D E G A C

F:

F G A C D F

Here’s a link to learn all five patterns across the fretboard, however if you’ve learned the minor pentatonic patterns, you will see they are the same shapes. https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/pentatonic-scales/. A lot of guitarists mix together the sound of the Major and minor pentatonic scales.

Examples in music: Solo to Crossroads: Cream (A), Johnny B Good: Chuck Berry (Bb), Mercy, Mercy, Mercy: Joe Zawinul (Bb)

And of course we can turn this into a “Major Blues” scale by adding a minor 3rd to the formula. This creates chromatic movement between the Major 2nd and Major 3rd.

Major Blues scale formula:

1 M2 m3 M3 5 6 8 (1 2 b3 3 5 6 8)

A:

A B C C# E F# A

E:

E F# G G# B C# E

G:

G A Bb B D E G

C:

C D Eb E G A C

F:

F G Ab A C D F

Click the link to learn all of these patterns across the fretboard. https://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/pentatonic-scales/.