Scale · 5 notes
A major pentatonic scale — guitar notes & shapes
The A major pentatonic scale is A, B, C♯, E, F♯. The major pentatonic keeps the sweetest five notes of the major scale. It’s the sound of country licks, southern rock and uplifting pop solos.
On the fretboard
Red = root (A). High e string on top, like tab. Numbers show the scale degree. Shaded area: position 1 (frets 5–8).
Notes and formula
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root |
| 2 | B | major 2nd |
| 3 | C♯ | major 3rd |
| 5 | E | perfect 5th |
| 6 | F♯ | major 6th |
Steps: W W W+H W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Chords to play it over
Relative scale: F♯ minor pentatonic.
Home key: A.
Sound, styles and practice
Styles: Country, southern rock, pop and gospel-flavoured blues.
- It uses the same shapes as the relative minor pentatonic, three frets lower.
- Slide into the major 3rd for a country feel.
- Mix it with the minor pentatonic over a major blues.
Go further with the pentatonic scale guide and how to improvise.
FAQ
- What notes are in the A major pentatonic scale?
- A major pentatonic: A, B, C♯, E, F♯.
- Where do I play A major pentatonic on the guitar?
- The easiest place is around fret 5, where A sits on the low E string (highlighted in the diagram). The same pattern repeats 12 frets higher.
- What is its relative scale?
- F♯ minor pentatonic — the same notes with a different home note.