Major Pentatonic scale · 5 notes
C major pentatonic scale on guitar
The C major pentatonic scale has 5 notes: C, D, E, G and A. The sweet, singable five-note scale behind country licks, Southern rock and pop hooks.
Notes
- C
- D
- E
- G
- A
Formula
1 2 3 5 6
Steps
W – W – W+H – W – W+H
Sound
Sweet, open and happy
C major pentatonic on the whole fretboard
Every C major pentatonic note from the open strings to the 15th fret in standard tuning (E A D G B E). The root, C, 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
C at fret 8. 8th position: frets 8–11.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C major pentatonic as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C, the C major pentatonic scale is built from these intervals. It has no sharps or flats: every note is a natural.
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root | 0 |
| 2 | D | major 2nd | 2 |
| 3 | E | major 3rd | 4 |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | A | major 6th | 9 |
Chords that go with C major pentatonic
A 5-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, C major. Every note of C major pentatonic is in these chords’ key.
- ICC · E · G
- iiDmD · F · A
- iiiEmE · G · B
- IVFF · A · C
- VGG · B · D
- viAmA · C · E
- vii°B°B · D · F
Progressions to try
- C – F – G I–IV–V · country, rock
- C – G – Am – F I–V–vi–IV · pop
- C – Am – F – G I–vi–IV–V
How to use C 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.
- C major pentatonic has the same five notes as A minor pentatonic: the shapes are the same, only the home note changes. See A minor pentatonic.
Where to find C on every string
Knowing where the root sits lets you start this scale anywhere. Here is every C between the open string and the 12th fret.
| String | Frets with C |
|---|---|
| High E (1st) | 8 |
| B (2nd) | 1 |
| G (3rd) | 5 |
| D (4th) | 10 |
| A (5th) | 3 |
| Low E (6th) | 8 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C major pentatonic. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C major pentatonic scale FAQ
What notes are in the C major pentatonic scale?
The C major pentatonic scale has 5 notes: C, D, E, G and A. Its formula is 1 2 3 5 6. It has no sharps or flats: every note is a natural.
What chords go with the C major pentatonic scale?
The C major pentatonic scale is drawn from C major, whose chords are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B°.
Where do you play the C major pentatonic scale on guitar?
The root, C, is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 8–11, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C major pentatonic?
C major pentatonic has the same five notes as A minor pentatonic: the shapes are the same, only the home note changes.