Minor Pentatonic scale · 5 notes
G minor pentatonic scale on guitar
The G 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.
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 3. 3rd position: frets 3–6.
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 1 flat (B♭).
| 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.
- iGmG · B♭ · D
- ii°A°A · C · E♭
- ♭IIIB♭B♭ · D · F
- ivCmC · E♭ · G
- vDmD · F · A
- ♭VIE♭E♭ · G · B♭
- ♭VIIFF · A · C
Progressions to try
- Gm – Cm – Dm i–iv–v · minor blues, from the parent minor key
- Gm – E♭ – F i–♭VI–♭VII · rock
- Gm – 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) | 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 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 1 flat (B♭).
What chords go with the G minor pentatonic scale?
The G minor pentatonic scale is drawn from G minor, whose chords are Gm, A°, B♭, Cm, Dm, 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 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 minor pentatonic?
G minor pentatonic uses the same five notes as B♭ major pentatonic, so the shapes are identical.