The major pentatonic

Five notes from the major scale

Take out the two “tricky” notes of G major, the 4^th and 7^th degrees (C and F#). What’s left:

G, A, B, D, E

That’s the G major pentatonic. Like the minor one, it has no notes that clash: it sounds good over almost every chord in the key. It’s the sound of country, pop and sunny rock.

The same notes as E minor

Compare it with the E minor pentatonic: E, G, A, B, D. They’re the same five notes. Only the starting note changes, the one you land on.

E minor is called the relative minor of G major. Every major key has one, three frets (a step and a half) lower: A minor for C major, B minor for D major, F# minor for A major.

On this neck, the shapes are those of the E minor pentatonic, which you know in A minor five frets higher. Only the orange dots have changed: now they’re the G notes.

The rule of thumb

To play the major pentatonic of a note, play the minor pentatonic three frets lower.

• G major → E minor: position 1 of E minor is in open position, frets 0 to 3.
• A major → F# minor: position 1 at the 2^nd fret.
• C major → A minor: your usual position 1, at the 5^th fret… but targeting the C notes instead of the A notes.

Hearing the difference

Play the same position 1 of the A minor pentatonic, frets 5 to 8, over two backings:

1. Over A minor and G: end your phrases on A. It sounds minor, bluesy.
2. Over C, F and G: end them on C (G string at the 5^th fret, or high E at the 8^th fret). It sounds major, happy.

Same notes, same shape, different story: the landing note sets the color.

In G major

Improvise near the nut, ending your phrases on G. Then try ending on E: the same phrase sounds more wistful.

You’ve got it when…

• You can play the G major pentatonic in two positions
• You can explain why the E minor and G major pentatonics have the same shape
• You hear the difference between a phrase ending on G and a phrase ending on E