Minor pentatonic · C · Guitar
The C Minor pentatonic scale is C E♭ F G B♭ — formula 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7, step pattern W+H–W–W–W+H–W. Use it over Cm7: it is the scale for minor chords and blues — the first improvising scale most players learn. 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+H |
| ♭3 | E♭ | minor 3rd (3 semitones) | W |
| 4 | F | perfect 4th (5 semitones) | W |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th (7 semitones) | W+H |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: Cm7. Use it for: minor chords and blues — the first improvising scale most players learn.
Common questions
C E♭ F G B♭. As scale degrees: 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. It has 5 notes.
C Minor pentatonic fits Cm7 and, more generally, minor chords and blues — the first improvising scale most players learn.
1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7 — the step pattern from the root is W+H W W W+H W (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 11, A-string fret 8, A-string fret 10, D-string fret 8, 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 Minor pentatonic pages: Minor pentatonic hub · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from C