Scale · 5 notes
B♭ major pentatonic scale — guitar notes & shapes
The B♭ major pentatonic scale is B♭, C, D, F, G. The major pentatonic keeps the sweetest five notes of the major scale. It’s the sound of country licks, southern rock and uplifting pop solos.
On the fretboard
Red = root (B♭). High e string on top, like tab. Numbers show the scale degree. Shaded area: position 1 (frets 6–9).
Notes and formula
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B♭ | root |
| 2 | C | major 2nd |
| 3 | D | major 3rd |
| 5 | F | perfect 5th |
| 6 | G | major 6th |
Steps: W W W+H W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Chords to play it over
Relative scale: G minor pentatonic.
Home key: B♭.
Sound, styles and practice
Styles: Country, southern rock, pop and gospel-flavoured blues.
- It uses the same shapes as the relative minor pentatonic, three frets lower.
- Slide into the major 3rd for a country feel.
- Mix it with the minor pentatonic over a major blues.
Go further with the pentatonic scale guide and how to improvise.
FAQ
- What notes are in the B♭ major pentatonic scale?
- B♭ major pentatonic: B♭, C, D, F, G.
- Where do I play B♭ major pentatonic on the guitar?
- The easiest place is around fret 6, where B♭ sits on the low E string (highlighted in the diagram). The same pattern repeats 12 frets higher.
- What is its relative scale?
- G minor pentatonic — the same notes with a different home note.