Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
A Major Pentatonic Scale
Sweet 5-note major scale used for uplifting melodies in country, southern rock, and acoustic pop.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Major Pentatonic Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|---------------5-7-| B|-----------5-7-----| G|---------6---------| D|-------7-----------| A|-----7-------------| E|-5-7---------------|
e|--------------------7-9-| B|---------------7-10-----| G|-------------9----------| D|---------7-9------------| A|-----7-9----------------| E|-7-9--------------------|
e|---------------------------9-12-| B|---------------------10-12------| G|----------------9-11------------| D|-----------9-11-----------------| A|------9-12----------------------| E|-9-12---------------------------|
e|-------------------------12-14-| B|-------------------12-14-------| G|----------------14-------------| D|-------------14----------------| A|-------12-14-------------------| E|-12-14-------------------------|
e|-------------------------------14-17-| B|-------------------------14-17-------| G|-------------------14-16-------------| D|-------------14-16-------------------| A|-------14-16-------------------------| E|-14-17-------------------------------|
How to play A Major Pentatonic on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–8. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
A major pentatonic has the same five notes as F# minor pentatonic, so the same box shapes work for both. See the F# Minor Pentatonic Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| 2 | B |
| 3 | C# |
| 5 | E |
| 6 | F# |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Major Pentatonic anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Major Pentatonic Scale?
- The A Major Pentatonic Scale has 5 notes: A, B, C#, E, F#.
- What is the formula of the major pentatonic scale?
- 1 2 3 5 6, which is the step pattern W W W+H W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Major Pentatonic on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–8, and four more positions connect it up the neck.