Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
A Minor Pentatonic Scale
The legendary 5-note scale most widely used for guitar solos. Essential for guitarists!
Tap any note to hear it.
A Minor 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|---------------------5-8-| B|-----------------5-8-----| G|-------------5-7---------| D|---------5-7-------------| A|-----5-7-----------------| E|-5-8---------------------|
e|-------------------------8-10-| B|--------------------8-10------| G|----------------7-9-----------| D|-----------7-10---------------| A|------7-10--------------------| E|-8-10-------------------------|
e|---------------------------10-12-| B|------------------------10-------| G|-------------------9-12----------| D|-------------10-12---------------| A|-------10-12---------------------| E|-10-12---------------------------|
e|-------------------------------12-15-| B|-------------------------13-15-------| G|-------------------12-14-------------| D|-------------12-14-------------------| A|-------12-15-------------------------| E|-12-15-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------15-17-| B|-------------------------15-17-------| G|-------------------14-17-------------| D|-------------14-17-------------------| A|-------15-17-------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------|
How to play A Minor 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, ♭7), 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 minor pentatonic has the same five notes as C major pentatonic, so the same box shapes work for both. See the C Major Pentatonic Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| ♭3 | C |
| 4 | D |
| 5 | E |
| ♭7 | G |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Minor 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.
Free
- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
- A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
- A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
- Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
- No subscription, ads removed
Questions
- What notes are in the A Minor Pentatonic Scale?
- The A Minor Pentatonic Scale has 5 notes: A, C, D, E, G.
- What is the formula of the minor pentatonic scale?
- 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7, which is the step pattern W+H W W W+H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Minor 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.