Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
C# Minor Pentatonic Scale
The legendary 5-note scale most widely used for guitar solos. Essential for guitarists!
Tap any note to hear it.
C# 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|--------------------------9-12-| B|---------------------9-12------| G|----------------9-11-----------| D|-----------9-11----------------| A|------9-11---------------------| E|-9-12--------------------------|
e|-------------------------------12-14-| B|-------------------------12-14-------| G|-------------------11-13-------------| D|-------------11-14-------------------| A|-------11-14-------------------------| E|-12-14-------------------------------|
e|----------------------------14-16-| B|-------------------------14-------| G|-------------------13-16----------| D|-------------14-16----------------| A|-------14-16----------------------| E|-14-16----------------------------|
e|-------------------------------16-19-| B|-------------------------17-19-------| G|-------------------16-18-------------| D|-------------16-18-------------------| A|-------16-19-------------------------| E|-16-19-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------19-21-| B|-------------------------19-21-------| G|-------------------18-21-------------| D|-------------18-21-------------------| A|-------19-21-------------------------| E|-19-21-------------------------------|
How to play C# Minor Pentatonic on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C# 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 9–12. 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.
C# minor pentatonic has the same five notes as E major pentatonic, so the same box shapes work for both. See the E Major Pentatonic Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | C# |
| ♭3 | E |
| 4 | F# |
| 5 | G# |
| ♭7 | B |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C# 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.
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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Minor Pentatonic Scale?
- The C# Minor Pentatonic Scale has 5 notes: C#, E, F#, G#, B.
- 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 C# Minor Pentatonic on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.