Minor Pentatonic scale · 5 notes
C♯ minor pentatonic scale on guitar
The C♯ minor pentatonic scale (C sharp minor pentatonic scale) has 5 notes: C♯, E, F♯, G♯ and B. Five notes, no wrong ones: the most-played lead guitar scale in rock and blues. You may also see it written as D♭ minor pentatonic, but C♯ is the usual spelling because it needs fewer accidentals.
Notes
- C♯
- E
- F♯
- G♯
- B
Formula
1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
Steps
W+H – W – W – W+H – W
Sound
Bluesy, gritty and open
C♯ minor pentatonic on the whole fretboard
Every C♯ minor 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 9. 9th position: frets 9–12.
In the Guitar Scale Finder app you also get the chords of C♯ minor pentatonic as chord diagrams, and can search all 1,860 scales for the notes you play.
Intervals and formula
Measured from C♯, the C♯ minor pentatonic scale is built from these intervals. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and G♯).
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C♯ | root | 0 |
| ♭3 | E | minor 3rd | 3 |
| 4 | F♯ | perfect 4th | 5 |
| 5 | G♯ | perfect 5th | 7 |
| ♭7 | B | minor 7th | 10 |
Chords that go with C♯ minor pentatonic
A 5-note scale doesn’t make a full set of triads, so guitarists use the chords of its parent scale, C♯ minor. Every note of C♯ minor pentatonic is in these chords’ key.
- iC♯mC♯ · E · G♯
- ii°D♯°D♯ · F♯ · A
- ♭IIIEE · G♯ · B
- ivF♯mF♯ · A · C♯
- vG♯mG♯ · B · D♯
- ♭VIAA · C♯ · E
- ♭VIIBB · D♯ · F♯
Progressions to try
- C♯m – F♯m – G♯m i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- C♯m – A – B i–♭VI–♭VII · rock
- C♯m – B – A – B i–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII
How to use C♯ 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.
- C♯ minor pentatonic uses the same five notes as E major pentatonic, so the shapes are identical. See E major 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) | 9 |
| B (2nd) | 2 |
| G (3rd) | 6 |
| D (4th) | 11 |
| A (5th) | 4 |
| Low E (6th) | 9 |
Same notes, different name
These scales from the Scale Finder library contain exactly the same notes as C♯ minor pentatonic. They sound different because a different note is treated as home.
C♯ minor pentatonic scale FAQ
What notes are in the C♯ minor pentatonic scale?
The C♯ minor pentatonic scale has 5 notes: C♯, E, F♯, G♯ and B. Its formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. It contains 3 sharps (C♯, F♯ and G♯).
What chords go with the C♯ minor pentatonic scale?
The C♯ minor pentatonic scale is drawn from C♯ minor, whose chords are C♯m, D♯°, E, F♯m, G♯m, A and B. It also works over a C♯ blues built on dominant 7th chords.
Where do you play the C♯ minor pentatonic scale on guitar?
The root, C♯, is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. A good first shape covers frets 9–12, starting from the root on the 6th string.
Which scales share the same notes as C♯ minor pentatonic?
C♯ minor pentatonic uses the same five notes as E major pentatonic, so the shapes are identical.