GuitarManac

A major pentatonic scale

Notes in the scaleTap one to hear it and find it on the neck

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 5
  5. 6
Key
CD♭DE♭EFF♯GA♭AB♭B
Scale

Every A major pentatonic note on the neck.

3579121517EF♯ABC♯EF♯ABC♯EF♯ABC♯EABC♯EF♯ABEF♯ABC♯EF♯ABC♯EF♯ABC♯EF♯ABC♯EF♯A
A major pentatonic scale guide

The A major pentatonic scale

The major pentatonic drops the 4th and 7th from the major scale, which removes both half steps. With no notes that clash, it is hard to hit a wrong note, so it is a common first scale for soloing in country, pop and rock.

Its relative minor is F♯ minor pentatonic, which uses the same notes starting from F♯.

Notes
A B C♯ E F♯
Formula
1 2 3 5 6
Steps
W W W+H W W+H
W is two frets, H is one fret

A major pentatonic scale positions

Five boxes cover the whole neck. Each one fits under your hand without shifting. They overlap: the top of one box is the bottom of the next.

  1. 3579121517F♯AC♯EABEF♯BC♯F♯A

    Position 1

    Frets 2 to 5. Starts on F♯, the 6, on the lowest string. Same shape as F♯ minor pentatonic box 1. Learn this one first.
  2. 3579121517ABEF♯BC♯F♯AC♯EAB

    Position 2

    Frets 4 to 7. Starts on A, the root, on the lowest string. Same shape as F♯ minor pentatonic box 2.
  3. 3579121517BC♯F♯AC♯EABEF♯BC♯

    Position 3

    Frets 6 to 10. Starts on B, the 2, on the lowest string. Same shape as F♯ minor pentatonic box 3.
  4. 3579121517C♯EABEF♯BC♯F♯AC♯E

    Position 4

    Frets 9 to 12. Starts on C♯, the 3, on the lowest string. Same shape as F♯ minor pentatonic box 4.
  5. 3579121517EF♯BC♯F♯AC♯EABEF♯

    Position 5

    Frets 11 to 14. Starts on E, the 5, on the lowest string. Same shape as F♯ minor pentatonic box 5.

Chords in A major

The A major pentatonic scale works over the chords of A major.