Scale · 5 notes
C major pentatonic scale — guitar notes & shapes
The C major pentatonic scale is C, D, E, G, A. 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 (C). High e string on top, like tab. Numbers show the scale degree. Shaded area: position 1 (frets 8–11).
Notes and formula
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root |
| 2 | D | major 2nd |
| 3 | E | major 3rd |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th |
| 6 | A | major 6th |
Steps: W W W+H W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Chords to play it over
Relative scale: A minor pentatonic.
Home key: C.
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 C major pentatonic scale?
- C major pentatonic: C, D, E, G, A.
- Where do I play C major pentatonic on the guitar?
- The easiest place is around fret 8, where C sits on the low E string (highlighted in the diagram). The same pattern repeats 12 frets higher.
- What is its relative scale?
- A minor pentatonic — the same notes with a different home note.