Major pentatonic · B · Guitar
The B Major pentatonic scale is B C♯ D♯ F♯ G♯ — formula 1 2 3 5 6, step pattern W–W–W+H–W–W+H. Use it over Bmaj7: 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 loops the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 7. “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 B | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | C♯ | major 2nd (2 semitones) | W |
| 3 | D♯ | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W+H |
| 5 | F♯ | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | W |
| 6 | G♯ | major 6th (9 semitones) | W+H |
Chord it implies: Bmaj7. Use it for: major and dominant chords when you want a clean, open sound with no avoid notes.
Common questions
B C♯ D♯ F♯ G♯. As scale degrees: 1 2 3 5 6. It has 5 notes.
B Major pentatonic fits Bmaj7 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 B on the low E string at fret 7, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 7, E-string fret 9, E-string fret 11, A-string fret 9, A-string fret 11, D-string fret 9. Every B 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 B