Pentatonic Major Scale Guitar Fretboard Patterns- Chart, Key of C
by Jay SkylerGuitar Lesson Summary & Chart Explanation
C Pentatonic Major Scale
C Pentatonic Major Scale Notes: C D E G A Pentatonic Major Scale Scale Degrees: 1 2 3 5 6Pentatonic Major Scale Alternative Names: The Country & Western Scale
Pentatonic Major: Not Just for Country
The Pentatonic Major Scale is sometime called the The Country Scale or The Country and Western Scale. Having said that, every country guitarist I know calls it Pentatonic Major.
It is obviously of critical importance to Country and Western Guitar players. When playing Country music the bends and other techniques must be executed precisely.
It doesn't always sound Country! Your phrasing and rhythm will determine how it sounds. It is a very flexible scale capable of many different moods and sounds.
To be honest, if you can play the hell out of the Blues Scale and the Pentatonic Major you could probably kick ass soloing over the majority of popular music you would encounter, without having to whip out any of the more advanced scales (but where's the fun in that?).
Pentatonic Major Scale Usage
The Pentatonic Major Scale is usually a safe choice against both Dominant and Major progressions. It is a subset of both the Major Scale (AKA Ionian Mode) and the Dominant 7th Scale (Mixolydian Mode). See:
- Major Scale Guitar Fretboard Patterns- Chart, Key of C
- C Ionian Mode Guitar Scale Patterns- 5 Position Chart
- Dominant 7th Scale Guitar Patterns- Chart, Key of G
- G Mixolydian Mode Guitar Scale Patterns- 5 Position Chart
It removes the 2 notes that are traditionally considered dissonant from the Major Scale: the 4 and the 7.
Add back the 4 and you have the Hexatonic Major Scale. See:
Check out the Hexatonic Scale Theory Guide if you are unfamiliar with Hexatonic Scales.
You could also think of Pentatonic Major Scale as a Major 6add9 Scale based Arpeggio. The notes and therefore the patterns on the guitar neck will be exactly the same. See:
The Guitar Fretboard Diagrams show all 5 CAGED system forms of the Pentatonic Major Scale on the guitar neck in the key of C.
This is an essential scale that every guitar player should eventually know.