Minor Pentatonic scale · 5 notes
A minor pentatonic scale on guitar
The A minor pentatonic scale has 5 notes: A, C, D, E and G. Five notes, no wrong ones: the most-played lead guitar scale in rock and blues.
Notes
- A
- C
- D
- E
- G
Formula
1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
Steps
W+H – W – W – W+H – W
Sound
Bluesy, gritty and open
A minor pentatonic on the whole fretboard
Every A minor 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 minor pentatonic as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from A, the A minor 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 | A | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | C | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | D | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | E | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | G | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with A minor pentatonic
A 5-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, A minor. Every note of A minor pentatonic is in these chords’ key.
- iAmA · C · E
- ii°B°B · D · F
- ♭IIICC · E · G
- ivDmD · F · A
- vEmE · G · B
- ♭VIFF · A · C
- ♭VIIGG · B · D
Progressions to try
- Am – Dm – Em i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- Am – F – G i–♭VI–♭VII · rock
- Am – G – F – G i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII
How to use A minor pentatonic
Reach for it over rock and blues solos, minor-key songs, and over dominant 7th chords in a blues. Its sound is bluesy, gritty and open.
Tip: Start with the “box 1” shape with the root on the 6th string. Bend the 4th degree up a whole step to the 5th: it is the most-used move in rock guitar.
- A minor pentatonic uses the same five notes as C major pentatonic, so the shapes are identical. See C major 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 minor pentatonic. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
A minor pentatonic scale FAQ
What notes are in the A minor pentatonic scale?
The A minor pentatonic scale has 5 notes: A, C, D, E and G. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. It has no sharps or flats: every note is a natural.
What chords go with the A minor pentatonic scale?
The A minor pentatonic scale is drawn from A minor, whose chords are Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G. It also works over a A blues built on dominant 7th chords.
Where do you play the A minor 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 minor pentatonic?
A minor pentatonic uses the same five notes as C major pentatonic, so the shapes are identical.