Guitar scale
A Major Pentatonic Guitar Scale
A Major Pentatonic is a five-note scale built from A, B, C#, E, and F#. Use it to study the scale's notes, interval formula, and guitar fretboard positions.
- Notes
- A, B, C#, E, F#
- Formula
- 1 2 3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 2 4 7 9
How to read this scale
The notes are shown as pitch classes first. Square markers representA root notes in the fretboard view, while circular markers represent the other notes in the scale.
Use the interactive fretboard to locate the A root notes and connect the remaining major pentatonic tones across standard tuning.
Sound and defining tones
A major pentatonic highlights 3 (C#) and 6 (F#). Omitting the fourth and seventh removes both major-scale half steps, producing an open major sound with few strongly dissonant notes.
- Characteristic tones
- 3C#6F#
Fretboard diagram
Open this scale in the fretboard tool
Start with A Major Pentatonic loaded, then adjust tuning, labels, colors, fret count, and orientation.
Open in interactive fretboardCommon chords and contexts
Use A major pentatonic over A major harmony, country and pop progressions, and major-key blues ideas. Track the chords when the progression moves away from the tonic.
- Use A major pentatonic over A major chords, country phrases, pop melodies, and major blues ideas.
- It keeps the strongest major-scale tones while leaving out the 4 and 7.
Practice this scale on guitar
- Play A Major Pentatonic from one A root to the next in at least two fretboard positions, saying each note name and scale degree aloud.
- Build short double-stop and single-note phrases around 3 (C#) and 6 (F#), resolving them to the root or fifth.
- Improvise over a major progression in A and deliberately begin each phrase on a different chord tone instead of always starting from the root.