Scale guide
The bright, open five-note scale.
A major pentatonic is A major with the fourth and seventh removed: A B C♯ E F♯. It is the same five notes as F♯ minor pentatonic, but the home note changes the mood completely.
Full neck · start position
A major pentatonic
Every occurrence of the scale is marked; the start position is labelled so you can begin without hunting. Root notes are brass.
Strings top to bottom: E A D G B e · swipe the neck sideways
What is A major pentatonic?
The formula is 1–2–3–5–6. Leaving out the fourth and seventh removes the half steps, which makes the scale open and hard to make sound wrong. It is the major counterpart to the minor pentatonic most players learn first.
The notes are A · B · C♯ · E · F♯. The formula is 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6.
The start position
Start at the 5th fret. The root A sits on the low E and high e strings at fret 5, and on the D string at fret 7. The C♯ appears on the A string at fret 4 and the G string at fret 6.
The labelled notes in the highlighted window are the ones to learn first. The unlabelled dots elsewhere on the neck are the same notes in other positions; ignore them until the start position is automatic.
How to practise
- Play A–B–C♯–E–F♯ ascending, then descending.
- Find every A in the position and stop on it.
- Loop A–B–C♯ over an A chord, then over F♯m; listen to the same notes change role.
- Play two-note phrases instead of running the scale. Resolve to A or C♯.
- When the shape is comfortable, move it to the 7th fret and call it B major pentatonic.
Where it fits
Use it over A, F♯m, D and E, and over country, pop, gospel and southern rock. It is also useful for melodies that need to sound bright without becoming a full major-scale exercise.
Pair it with the chord progression guide and the tuning guide. If a note sounds wrong before you blame the scale, check that the guitar is in tune.
What to do next
Play the start position for five minutes a day. When you can find the root notes without counting, move the same shape to another fret and name the new key. Use the fretboard note quiz to connect the notes to the neck.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in A major pentatonic?
A, B, C♯, E and F♯. The formula is 1–2–3–5–6.
Is A major pentatonic the same as F♯ minor pentatonic?
Yes — both use A, B, C♯, E and F♯. A major pentatonic starts on A; F♯ minor pentatonic starts on F♯.
What is it good over?
A, F♯m, D and E, and bright country/pop/southern-rock vamps. Start with an A chord and resolve phrases to A or C♯.
Should I learn major or minor pentatonic first?
Minor pentatonic is the usual first scale because the Box 1 shape is so common in rock and blues. Major pentatonic is the next step, especially for country and pop.