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The Major Pentatonic
The Major Pentatonic
This chart show how to derive the major pentatonic scale from the major scale, it also show how the over all 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.
To go from the Minor Pentatonic Scale
Although the major pentatonic scale do contain different notes compared to the minor pentatonic scale (1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7), the exact same over all 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.
Some additional scale shapes
If you wonder what scale degrees are, here you can learn more about scales and intervals.
Happy playing!
This chart show how to derive the major pentatonic scale from the major scale, it also show how the over all 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.
To go from the Minor Pentatonic Scale
Although the major pentatonic scale do contain different notes compared to the minor pentatonic scale (1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7), the exact same over all 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.
Some additional scale shapes
If you wonder what scale degrees are, here you can learn more about scales and intervals.