Scales & Modes
C Major Pentatonic
Neck DiagramFive notes, no half steps. Folk, country and the bedrock of guitar soloing.
How it sounds, and where to use it
Often described as open and joyful; folk and country. Hear it in "Amazing Grace"; "My Girl".
How usual it sounds: as tight as it gets: the notes sit side by side on the circle of fifths, which is why it sounds so familiar. (No gaps round the circle of fifths. See its shape.)
Same notes as A Minor Pentatonic: read its key signature from there.
Solo with it over:CCsus2C6
Chords on C made only from this scale's notes, so every note of the scale sits safely over them.
Mode 2 of A Minor Pentatonic: the same notes, started from its degree 2.
Formula: W-W-W+H-W-W+H · Arpeggios in C Major Pentatonic
Relative minor pentatonic: A Minor Pentatonic (same notes, from the 6th) · Parallel minor pentatonic: C Minor Pentatonic (same root, three notes lowered)
| Step | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | C | D | E | G | A |
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Interval | P1 | M2 | M3 | P5 | M6 |
Degree and Interval are the same thing written two ways: how far each note is from the root. See them all on the Intervals page → Click either one in the table to open that interval.
Modes
Two octaves across; each mode starts one scale degree later and is numbered from its own root. ▶ plays a mode.
The same notes, started from each degree: the degrees against major, the steps between them, and the notes.
| # | Degrees and steps | Notes | Name(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 123568WWW+HWW+H | C D E G A C | Major Pentatonic | |
| II | 1245♭78WW+HWW+HW | D E G A C D | Suspended Pentatonic | |
| III | 1♭34♭6♭78W+HWW+HWW | E G A C D E | Epathitonic | |
| IV | 124568WW+HWWW+H | G A C D E G | Blues Major Pentatonic | |
| V | 1♭345♭78W+HWWW+HW | A C D E G A | Minor Pentatonic |
Nobody has found a C Major Pentatonic track yet. The root drone on the Every 7-note scale page works for any scale meanwhile.
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For more on modes, check out
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