Six Strings
In this section: Scales

G major pentatonic

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

Notes:
G, A, B, D, E.
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
EGABDEGABABDEGABDEDEGABDEGAGABDEGABDBDEGABDEEGABDEGAB
EGABDEABDEGADEGABDGABDEGBDEGABEGABDE

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.

G (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.

G majorI
A minorii
B minoriii
C 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 strumG · D · Em · C

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 2 to 5

It also works an octave higher, frets 14 to 17.

GABDEGABDEGA

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

e|---------------------3-5-|
B|-----------------3-5-----|
G|-------------2-4---------|
D|---------2-5-------------|
A|-----2-5-----------------|
E|-3-5---------------------|

Position 2: frets 4 to 8

GABDEGABBDEDEGGAB

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

e|---------------------5-7-|
B|-----------------5-8-----|
G|-------------4-7---------|
D|---------5-7-------------|
A|-----5-7-----------------|
E|-5-7---------------------|

Position 3: frets 7 to 10

BDEGABDEGABD

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

e|------------------------7-10-|
B|-------------------8-10------|
G|---------------7-9-----------|
D|-----------7-9---------------|
A|------7-10-------------------|
E|-7-10------------------------|

Position 4: frets 9 to 12

DEGABDEGGABDE

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

e|-----------------------------10-12-|
B|-----------------------10-12-------|
G|------------------9-12-------------|
D|-------------9-12------------------|
A|-------10-12-----------------------|
E|-10-12-----------------------------|

Position 5: frets 0 to 3

It also works an octave higher, frets 12 to 15.

EGABDEGABBDEG

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

e|---------------------0-3-|
B|-----------------0-3-----|
G|-------------0-2---------|
D|---------0-2-------------|
A|-----0-2-----------------|
E|-0-3---------------------|