# The major pentatonic scale

*Module 12 · Lesson 1: Pentatonic and blues · BazzLow*

> Build and play the major pentatonic scale and know why it is so "safe".

Before this lesson: [5.3 Major scale fingerings](https://bazzlow.com/en/major-scale-and-keys/major-scale-fingerings/) · [4.7 Consonance and dissonance](https://bazzlow.com/en/intervals/consonance-and-dissonance/)

Fewer notes can be better. A five-note scale is easy to play, and it avoids the notes most likely to clash.

## Five notes

**Pentatonic** means five notes. The **major pentatonic** is the major scale without its **4th and 7th**: **1 2 3 5 6**. C major pentatonic is C D E G A.

Removing the 4th and 7th removes the two **half steps** of the major scale (E–F and B–C) and its **tritone** (F–B). No two notes clash strongly, so the scale fits over the I chord and many others in the key. Its pattern is W – W – (W+H) – W – (W+H), that is 2-2-3-2-3 frets.

## The one-octave shape

With the root on the E or A string, from a root at fret *f*: on the root string, 1 and 2 (frets *f* and *f*+2); on the next string up, 3 and 5 (frets *f*−1 and *f*+2); on the next string up, 6 and 8 (frets *f*−1 and *f*+2).

> **Diagram:** A major pentatonic from the root at fret 5 on the E string, with degree numbers: A B | C♯ E on the A string (frets 4, 7) | F♯ A on the D string (frets 4, 7).

## On the whole neck

> **Diagram:** C major pentatonic (C D E G A) on frets 0–12 of all four strings.

On the bass, the major pentatonic is a ready-made source of lines over major chords. Its notes are the chord tones 1 3 5 plus the two “colour” notes 2 and 6, which work as passing notes.

## Try it

Play the shape above up and down, then improvise a one-bar line over A major using only these notes, ending on A. Move it to C (root at fret 3 on the A string).

## New terms

- pentatonic scale
- major pentatonic

Page: https://bazzlow.com/en/pentatonic-and-blues/major-pentatonic/