Cyberfret.com: Guitar Theory: Pentatonic Scales

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Pentatonic Scales

Minor pentatonic scales

Minor pentatonic scales can just be thought of as a minor scale, minus scale degrees 2 and b6. Therefore a minor pentatonic scale has the formula 1 b3 4 5 b7.

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C - C minor scale
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1 - scale functions

Basic minor scale
functions indicated

|-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-b3--| -1st string
|-----|--5--|-b6--|-----|-b7--|
|--2--|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|
|-----|-b7--|-----|--1--|-----|
|-----|--4--|-----|--5--|-b6--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-b3--| -6th string

C Eb F G Bb C - C minor pentatonic
1 b3 4 5 b7 1 - scale functions

Basic minor pentatonic scale
functions indicated

|--1--|-----|-----|-b3--| -1st string
|--5--|-----|-----|-b7--|
|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|
|-b7--|-----|--1--|-----|
|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|
|--1--|-----|-----|-b3--| -6th string

For a reference page with all minor pentatonic scale forms click the button below.

Page 2, Major pentatonic scales

Page 4, Relative major and minor

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Minor pentatonic scales