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