A Minor Pentatonic Scale On Guitar
The A minor pentatonic scale is a 5 note scale that is derived from the 7 note A minor scale.
Here you will find all 5 scale shapes, the correct fingerings, best picking for speed & accuracy and the notes of the scale so you will be able to easily play the scale and understand what's going on musically.
Of all scales the minor pentatonic is the most popular and the most popular key is to play in is A minor so you'll want to be sure you learn this scale and can play it well!
Click the tabs below to learn the various shapes and how they fit together across the fretboard.
Notes of A Minor Pentatonic Full Fretboard
Like all guitar scales, the notes span across the entire fretboard and fit together like a puzzle. At first glance it may seem a bit overwhelming. However, there are a lots of tricks for how to get them all memorized, easily change keys, and even break out of the box patterns.
What Are the 5 notes in a minor pentatonic scale?
The 5 notes that make the Am pentatonic scale are notes A C D E G. See the scale diagrams and fretboard for reference.
Lets compare to the A minor scale to the A minor pentatonic scale to better understand whats going on:
A B C D E F G - A natural minor scale
A - C D E - G - A minor pentatonic scale
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What is the formula for the A minor pentatonic scale
The Am pentatonic formula consists of the 1 b3 4 5 b7 notes of the A minor scale it is derived from.
Here's an easy breakdown:
If you know your scale degrees it would look like this:
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
1 - b3 4 5 - b7
The 2nd and b6 scale degrees have been removed from the minor scale thus creating the Am Pentatonic scale. By omitting these notes it makes the scale sound very bluesy!
A minor pentatonic scale shapes guitar
By only playing these notes (A C D E G) we we'll end up with 5 distinct "shapes" or "patterns" that span across all six strings depending on which note we start on. (See break down of each shape above).
Why is the A minor pentatonic scale so popular?
The reason the A minor pentatonic scale is so popular is because it's easy to play, it sounds good, there aren't any accidentals (sharps or flats) which makes it easy on the theory side to start with and due to how the guitar is tuned (standard tuning) the chords that fit with this scale.
Is A minor pentatonic the same as C major pentatonic?
Yes actually! They share the exact same notes so when you play any A minor pentatonic scale you are also playing the C major pentatonic scale. What determines which scale you are playing is the chord progressions underneath as the lead guitarist will harmonize with the notes of the chords being played.
What songs use the A minor pentatonic scale?
Where this is one of the most popular keys especially for rock and metal there are 1000's. Here are a few big hitters:
- AC/DC - HIghway to Hell, Shoot To Thrill
- DIO - Rainbow In The Dark
- Metallica - The Unforgiven
- Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
What chords work with the A minor pentatonic Scale?
The basic chords that the Am pentatonic scale works well with Am Bdim C Dm Em F G. You can also turn all these into power chords such as A5 B5 C5 D5 E5 F5 and G5.
A killer minor chord progression to solo over would be A5 G5 F5 G5 - try it!
If you need help learning these chords check out the Chord Library!