Six Strings
In this section: Scales

E♭ major pentatonic

A five-note scale built on E♭: root, second, major third, fifth and sixth. A bright, happy sound you’ll hear all over country, folk and pop.

Notes:
E♭, F, G, B♭, C.
Formula:
1, 2, 3, 5, 6.
Style:
Country, folk, pop, rock.
Difficulty:
Beginner.

On the neck

Every note of the scale on the neck (choose 12, 15 or 19 frets). Click to listen.

Number of frets shown
FGB♭CE♭FGB♭B♭CE♭FGB♭CE♭E♭FGB♭CE♭FGGB♭CE♭FGB♭CCE♭FGB♭CE♭FFGB♭CE♭FGB♭
FGB♭CE♭B♭CE♭FGE♭FGB♭CGB♭CE♭FGCE♭FGB♭FGB♭CE♭

High E at the top, just like in tab.Neck seen from the front, headstock at the top: low E on the left, just like a chord diagram.

D♯ (root note)

Play the scale notes over it. Open in the Studio

Chords that go with it

The chords built on the notes of the scale: improvise with this scale over any progression that uses them.

E♭ majorI
F minorii
G minoriii
A♭ majorIV
B♭ majorV
C minorvi

Progressions to use it on

I, V, vi, IV: the pop progression
I, IV, V: the backbone of folk and rock
I, vi, IV, V: the ’50s progression

▶ Play it in the Studio

Loop the first one and improvise over it:

The pop strumE♭ · B♭ · Cm · A♭

Learn the pop strum step by step →

All 5 positions

Each position covers all six strings, with two notes per string. Position 1 starts on the root, on the 6th string.

Position 1: frets 10 to 13

E♭FGB♭CE♭FGB♭CE♭F

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|-------------------------------11-13-|
B|-------------------------11-13-------|
G|-------------------10-12-------------|
D|-------------10-13-------------------|
A|-------10-13-------------------------|
E|-11-13-------------------------------|

Position 2: frets 0 to 4

It also works an octave higher, frets 12 to 16.

FGB♭CE♭FGGB♭CCE♭FG

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|---------------------1-3-|
B|-----------------1-4-----|
G|-------------0-3---------|
D|---------1-3-------------|
A|-----1-3-----------------|
E|-1-3---------------------|

Position 3: frets 3 to 6

GB♭CE♭FGB♭CE♭FGB♭

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|---------------------3-6-|
B|-----------------4-6-----|
G|-------------3-5---------|
D|---------3-5-------------|
A|-----3-6-----------------|
E|-3-6---------------------|

Position 4: frets 5 to 8

B♭CE♭FGB♭CE♭E♭FGB♭C

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|---------------------6-8-|
B|-----------------6-8-----|
G|-------------5-8---------|
D|---------5-8-------------|
A|-----6-8-----------------|
E|-6-8---------------------|

Position 5: frets 8 to 11

CE♭FGB♭CE♭FGGB♭CE♭

High E at the top, just like in tab; the numbers under the neck are fret numbers.

e|--------------------------8-11-|
B|---------------------8-11------|
G|----------------8-10-----------|
D|-----------8-10----------------|
A|------8-10---------------------|
E|-8-11--------------------------|