Six Strings
In this section: Scales

F♯ major pentatonic

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

Notes:
F♯, G♯, A♯, C♯, D♯.
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
F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯
F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯

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♯ majorI
G♯ minorii
B♭ minoriii
B majorIV
D♭ majorV
E♭ 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 strumF♯ · D♭ · E♭m · B

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.

F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯

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

e|---------------------2-4-|
B|-----------------2-4-----|
G|-------------1-3---------|
D|---------1-4-------------|
A|-----1-4-----------------|
E|-2-4---------------------|

Position 2: frets 3 to 7

F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯A♯C♯D♯C♯D♯F♯F♯G♯A♯

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

e|---------------------4-6-|
B|-----------------4-7-----|
G|-------------3-6---------|
D|---------4-6-------------|
A|-----4-6-----------------|
E|-4-6---------------------|

Position 3: frets 6 to 9

A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯

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

e|---------------------6-9-|
B|-----------------7-9-----|
G|-------------6-8---------|
D|---------6-8-------------|
A|-----6-9-----------------|
E|-6-9---------------------|

Position 4: frets 8 to 11

C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯

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

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

Position 5: frets 11 to 14

D♯F♯G♯A♯C♯D♯F♯G♯A♯A♯C♯D♯F♯

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

e|-------------------------------11-14-|
B|-------------------------11-14-------|
G|-------------------11-13-------------|
D|-------------11-13-------------------|
A|-------11-13-------------------------|
E|-11-14-------------------------------|