Major pentatonic · C · Guitar
The C Major pentatonic scale is C D E G A — formula 1 2 3 5 6, step pattern W–W–W+H–W–W+H. Use it over Cmaj7: 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 8. “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 C | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | D | major 2nd (2 semitones) | W |
| 3 | E | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W+H |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | W |
| 6 | A | major 6th (9 semitones) | W+H |
Chord it implies: Cmaj7. Use it for: major and dominant chords when you want a clean, open sound with no avoid notes.
Common questions
C D E G A. As scale degrees: 1 2 3 5 6. It has 5 notes.
C Major pentatonic fits Cmaj7 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 C on the low E string at fret 8, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 8, E-string fret 10, E-string fret 12, A-string fret 10, A-string fret 12, D-string fret 10. Every C 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 C