Six Strings
In this section: Scales

F minor pentatonic

A five-note scale built on F: root, minor third, fourth, fifth and minor seventh. The most widely used scale for improvising in rock and blues.

Notes:
F, A♭, B♭, C, E♭.
Formula:
1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7.
Style:
Rock, blues, pop.
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
FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭E♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭A♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CCE♭FA♭B♭CE♭FFA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭
FA♭B♭CE♭B♭CE♭FA♭E♭FA♭B♭CA♭B♭CE♭FCE♭FA♭B♭FA♭B♭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.

F (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.

F minori
A♭ majorIII
B♭ minoriv
C minorv
D♭ majorVI
E♭ majorVII

Progressions to use it on

i, VII, VI, VII: the rock loop
i, iv, v: the minor cadence
12-bar blues

▶ Play it in the Studio

Loop the first one and improvise over it:

The pop strumFm · E♭ · D♭ · E♭

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 1 to 4

It also works an octave higher, frets 13 to 16.

FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CCE♭FA♭

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

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

Position 2: frets 3 to 6

A♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭

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

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

Position 3: frets 5 to 9

A♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CCE♭FE♭FA♭A♭B♭C

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

e|---------------------6-8-|
B|-----------------6-9-----|
G|-------------5-8---------|
D|---------6-8-------------|
A|-----6-8-----------------|
E|-6-8---------------------|

Position 4: frets 8 to 11

CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭B♭CE♭

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

e|--------------------------8-11-|
B|---------------------9-11------|
G|----------------8-10-----------|
D|-----------8-10----------------|
A|------8-11---------------------|
E|-8-11--------------------------|

Position 5: frets 10 to 13

E♭FA♭B♭CE♭FA♭A♭B♭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|-------------------10-13-------------|
D|-------------10-13-------------------|
A|-------11-13-------------------------|
E|-11-13-------------------------------|