Major pentatonic · A · Guitar
The A Major pentatonic scale is A B C♯ E F♯ — formula 1 2 3 5 6, step pattern W–W–W+H–W–W+H. Use it over Amaj7: it is the scale for major and dominant chords when you want a clean, open sound with no avoid notes. Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play runs the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes in the position starting at fret 5. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Reference
| Degree | Note | Interval from A | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | B | major 2nd (2 semitones) | W |
| 3 | C♯ | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W+H |
| 5 | E | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | W |
| 6 | F♯ | major 6th (9 semitones) | W+H |
Chord it implies: Amaj7. Use it for: major and dominant chords when you want a clean, open sound with no avoid notes.
Common questions
A B C♯ E F♯. As scale degrees: 1 2 3 5 6. It has 5 notes.
A Major pentatonic fits Amaj7 and, more generally, major and dominant chords when you want a clean, open sound with no avoid notes.
1 2 3 5 6 — the step pattern from the root is W W W+H W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Start on the root A on the low E string at fret 5, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 5, E-string fret 7, E-string fret 9, A-string fret 7, A-string fret 9, D-string fret 7. Every A on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Same scale on piano · all Major pentatonic pages: Major pentatonic hub · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from A