Major Pentatonic scale · 5 notes
A major pentatonic scale on guitar
The A major pentatonic scale has 5 notes: A, B, C♯, E and F♯. The sweet, singable five-note scale behind country licks, Southern rock and pop hooks.
Notes
- A
- B
- C♯
- E
- F♯
Formula
1 2 3 5 6
Steps
W – W – W+H – W – W+H
Sound
Sweet, open and happy
A major pentatonic on the whole fretboard
Every A major pentatonic note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, A, is shown in red so you can always find home.
A shape to learn first
You don’t need the whole neck at once. This hand position is anchored on a root note on the 6th (low E) string, which is how most guitarists find a scale in any key.
Root on the 6th (low E) string
A at fret 5. 5th position: frets 5–8.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of A major pentatonic as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A, the A major pentatonic scale is built from these intervals. It contains 2 sharps (C♯ and F♯).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | 0 |
| 2 | B | major 2nd | 2 |
| 3 | C♯ | major 3rd | 4 |
| 5 | E | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | F♯ | major 6th | 9 |
Chords that go with A major pentatonic
A 5-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, A major. Every note of A major pentatonic is in these chords’ key.
- IAA · C♯ · E
- iiBmB · D · F♯
- iiiC♯mC♯ · E · G♯
- IVDD · F♯ · A
- VEE · G♯ · B
- viF♯mF♯ · A · C♯
- vii°G♯°G♯ · B · D
Progressions to try
- A – D – E I–IV–V · country, rock
- A – E – F♯m – D I–V–vi–IV · pop
- A – F♯m – D – E I–vi–IV–V
How to use A major pentatonic
Reach for it over major-key songs, country, Southern rock and pop, and over major chords and major blues. Its sound is sweet, open and happy.
Tip: The major pentatonic uses the same shapes as the minor pentatonic three frets lower. G major pentatonic is E minor pentatonic with G as home.
- A major pentatonic has the same five notes as F♯ minor pentatonic: the shapes are the same, only the home note changes. See F♯ minor pentatonic.
Where to find A on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every A between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with A |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 5 |
| B (2nd) | 10 |
| G (3rd) | 2 |
| D (4th) | 7 |
| A (5th) | 0, 12 |
| Low E (6th) | 5 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as A major pentatonic. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A major pentatonic scale FAQ
What notes are in the A major pentatonic scale?
The A major pentatonic scale has 5 notes: A, B, C♯, E and F♯. Its formula is 1 2 3 5 6. It contains 2 sharps (C♯ and F♯).
What chords go with the A major pentatonic scale?
The A major pentatonic scale is drawn from A major, whose chords are A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯°.
Where do you play the A major pentatonic scale on guitar?
The root, A, is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 and 12 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 5–8, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as A major pentatonic?
A major pentatonic has the same five notes as F♯ minor pentatonic: the shapes are the same, only the home note changes.