F Minor Pentatonic Scale On Guitar
The F minor pentatonic scale is a 5 note scale that is derived from the 7 note F 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.
Click the tabs below to learn the various shapes and how they fit together across the fretboard.
Notes of F 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 F minor pentatonic scale?
The 5 notes that make the Fm pentatonic scale are notes F Ab Bb C Eb. See the scale diagrams and fretboard for reference.
Lets compare the F minor scale to the F minor pentatonic scale better understand whats going on:
F G Ab Bb Cb Db E : F minor scale
F - Ab Bb Cb - E : F minor pentatonic scale
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What is the formula for the F minor pentatonic scale?
The F minor pentatonic formula consists of the 1 b3 4 5 b7 notes of the F minor scale it is derived from.
Here's an easy breakdown:
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 F minor Pentatonic scale.
F minor pentatonic scale shapes guitar
By only playing these notes (F Ab Bb C Eb) 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).
Is F minor pentatonic the same as Ab major pentatonic?
Yes actually! They share the exact same notes so when you play any F minor pentatonic scale you are also playing the Ab 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.
F minor pentatonic Scale Guitar Chords
The basic chords that work with the Fm pentatonic scale are: Fm Gdim Ab Bbm Cbm Db E. You can also turn all these into power chords such as: F5 G5 Ab5 Bb5 Cb5 Db5 E5.
If you need help learning these chords check out the Chord Library!