Standard tuning · 5 positions · notes & degrees
C Major Pentatonic Scale on Guitar
The C major pentatonic scale has 5 notes — C D E G A (1 2 3 5 6). The bright, happy five-note scale behind country licks, classic-rock melodies and folk tunes. Below: every note on the neck, 5 positions to learn (two notes per string), the chords that fit, and a backing track to jam over.
C major pentatonic scale: the whole neck
5 positions to learn
Each position covers four or five frets so you can play the scale without moving your hand. Learn position 1 first (it starts on the root, C, at fret 7 of the low E string), then join it to the next one up the neck. Press ▶ Play to hear a position up and back down.
Jam over it
Notes and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval from C | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root | 0 |
| 2 | D | major 2nd | 2 |
| 3 | E | major 3rd | 4 |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th | 7 |
| 6 | A | major 6th | 9 |
Same notes, different home: C major pentatonic scale uses exactly the same notes as A minor pentatonic scale — the shapes are identical, only the note you treat as "home" changes.
Chords that go with the C major pentatonic scale
These chords are built from the major scale it comes from, so the major pentatonic fits over all of them. Tap a chord to see how to play it.
How to practise it
- Slow and even first: play position 1 up and down with the metronome at 60–70 BPM, one note per click, then two.
- Say the notes: switch the view to Degrees and land on the root (C) at the end of every phrase — that is what makes a solo sound finished.
- Connect the positions: once two positions feel easy, slide between them on one string so the neck becomes one big map.
- Make music, not exercises: start the backing above and play short phrases with gaps between them.
Major pentatonic in other keys
Other scales in C
New to scales? Start with the guitar scales guide, learn the notes with fretboard notes, or test your ear with the daily challenge.
Questions
What notes are in the C major pentatonic scale?
C, D, E, G, A. As scale degrees that is 1 2 3 5 6.
How do you play the C major pentatonic scale on guitar?
Start with position 1: it begins on C at fret 7 of the low E string and covers frets 7–10, two notes per string. The diagrams on this page show every position and the whole neck.
What is the relative minor of the C major pentatonic scale?
A minor pentatonic scale. Both use the notes C, D, E, G, A, so every position shape is the same; only the home note changes.
What is the major pentatonic scale used for?
It is used in country, classic rock, folk, pop and major-key blues. The bright, happy five-note scale behind country licks, classic-rock melodies and folk tunes.