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C - Major |
C - Major Pentatonic |
C - Minor Pentatonic |
C - 1st & 3rd shape |
C - shape 2, 4 & 5 |
C - diagonal shape

The Major Pentatonic

The Major Pentatonic

This chart shows how to derive the major pentatonic scale from the major scale, it also shows how the overall shapes from the minor pentatonic can be used to play the major pentatonic scale.

The Major Scale as reference

The major pentatonic scale (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6) is a subset of the Major scale (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) the notes that are excluded are the 4th and 7th, see fig. 1.

1.
C - Major
1,2,3,4,5,6,7
C,D,E,F,G,A,B
Not in min. Penta.
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
B
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
G
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
D
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
A
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
0123456789101112

To go from the Minor Pentatonic Scale

Although the major pentatonic scale does contain different notes compared to the minor pentatonic scale (1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7), the exact same overall shapes can be used to play both scales. In fact the major pentatonic shapes can be visualized by shifting the minor pentatonic three frets, see fig. 2 and 3. Please note that the scale patterns for the major pentatonic scale are fully movable, just put the first note (1st scale degree) of the scale at the note of your current key.

2.
C - Major Pentatonic
1,2,3,5,6
C,D,E,G,A
G - shape
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
B
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
G
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
D
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
A
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
0123456789101112
3.
C - Minor Pentatonic
1,♭3,4,5,♭7
C,E♭,F,G,B♭
G - shape
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
B
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
G
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
D
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
A
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
0123456789101112
4.
C - 1st & 3rd shape
1st pos. - G shape
3rd pos. - D shape
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
0123456789101112131415
5.
C - shape 2, 4 & 5
5th pos. - A Shape
2nd pos. - E Shape
4th pos. - C Shape
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
0123456789101112131415

Some additional scale shapes

6.
C - diagonal shape
1st Octave
2nd Octave
3rd Octave
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
B
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
G
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
D
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
A
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
E
3
4
♭5
5
♭6
6
♭7
7
1
♭2
2
♭3
3
4
♭5
5
0123456789101112131415

If you wonder what scale degrees are, here you can learn more about scales and intervals.

Happy playing!

This chart shows how to derive the major pentatonic scale from the major scale, it also shows how the overall shapes from the minor pentatonic can be used to play the major pentatonic scale.

The Major Scale as reference

The major pentatonic scale (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6) is a subset of the Major scale (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) the notes that are excluded are the 4th and 7th, see fig. 1.

1.
C - Major
1,2,3,4,5,6,7
C,D,E,F,G,A,B
Not in min. Penta.
EADGBE
0
3
6
2
5
7
3
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3

To go from the Minor Pentatonic Scale

Although the major pentatonic scale does contain different notes compared to the minor pentatonic scale (1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7), the exact same overall shapes can be used to play both scales. In fact the major pentatonic shapes can be visualized by shifting the minor pentatonic three frets, see fig. 2 and 3. Please note that the scale patterns for the major pentatonic scale are fully movable, just put the first note (1st scale degree) of the scale at the note of your current key.

2.
C - Major Pentatonic
1,2,3,5,6
C,D,E,G,A
G - shape
EADGBE
0
3
6
2
5
7
3
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
3.
C - Minor Pentatonic
1,♭3,4,5,♭7
C,E♭,F,G,B♭
G - shape
EADGBE
0
3
6
2
5
7
3
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
4.
C - 1st & 3rd shape
1st pos. - G shape
3rd pos. - D shape
EADGBE
0
3
6
2
5
7
3
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
5.
C - shape 2, 4 & 5
5th pos. - A Shape
2nd pos. - E Shape
4th pos. - C Shape
EADGBE
0
3
6
2
5
7
3
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5

Some additional scale shapes

6.
C - diagonal shape
1st Octave
2nd Octave
3rd Octave
EADGBE
0
3
6
2
5
7
3
1
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
2
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
3
5
1
4
♭7
2
5
4
♭6
♭2
♭5
7
♭3
♭6
5
6
2
5
1
3
6
6
♭7
♭3
♭6
♭2
4
♭7
7
7
3
6
2
♭5
7
8
1
4
♭7
♭3
5
1
9
♭2
♭5
7
3
♭6
♭2
10
2
5
1
4
6
2
11
♭3
♭6
♭2
♭5
♭7
♭3
12
3
6
2
5
7
3
13
4
♭7
♭3
♭6
1
4
14
♭5
7
3
6
♭2
♭5
15
5
1
4
♭7
2
5

If you wonder what scale degrees are, here you can learn more about scales and intervals.

Happy playing!

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