Learning F Major Pentatonic
F major pentatonic is a five-note set: F, G, A, C and D. Start on the 1st fret of the low E string and the box fits right beside the nut, with the same notes as D minor pentatonic.
The same root appears at the 8th fret of the A string. Without a B or E natural to worry about, this scale is forgiving over an F chord. For melodic playing, scale exercise ideas help avoid the sound of running up and down the box.
Play the F major pentatonic scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the F major pentatonic scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | 1 | Root | 0 |
| G | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| A | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| C | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| D | 6 | Major 6th | 9 |
Structure
F major pentatonic scale notes:
How the major pentatonic scale is built:
The major pentatonic scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 5 6, which gives the step pattern W-W-W+H-W-W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 7, 9. That makes it a 5-note scale.
F Major Pentatonic Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (low E)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
The major pentatonic scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
