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