Also written Zhi, Sen-Ritsu or Ritsu-Sen
B scottish pentatonic uses B, C♯, E, F♯, and G♯. Box 1 places the root on string 3, fret 2 for a mid-neck starting point.
Build it from B major pentatonic by raising the third D♯ to E. The intervals become 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 with steps W, 1½, W, W, 1½. Compare with B major pentatonic to hear the suspended fourth. This scale omits the third and seventh, giving an open, modal color.
Use it over B 5th and B suspended 2nd chords for a bright, open sound. It fits folk and rock grooves in B major or B mixolydian contexts. Try it over B 5th or B suspended 2nd.
Start with Box 1. It keeps the root under your first finger on string 3, fret 2 and covers frets 4–7 for easy access to the mid register.
B scottish pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 8 notes across 4 strings, from G♯ on the E string at fret 4 up to C♯ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the E string at fret 7 and the G string at fret 4.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 7 | G♯, B |
| 3 (A) | 4, 7 | C♯, E |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6 | F♯, G♯ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 6 | B, C♯ |
B scottish pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 8 notes across 4 strings, from C♯ on the E string at fret 9 up to F♯ on the G string at fret 11. The root falls on the D string at fret 9.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9, 12 | C♯, E |
| 3 (A) | 9, 11 | F♯, G♯ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 11 | B, C♯ |
| 1 (G) | 9, 11 | E, F♯ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
The notes are B, C♯, E, F♯, and G♯. The scale omits the third and seventh, creating an open sound. It is built from the major pentatonic with a raised third.
B 5th and B suspended 2nd chords fit well. The scale's fourth and second degrees match sus2 voicings. Avoid chords with a major third unless you want tension.
B scottish pentatonic raises the third D♯ to E. This replaces the major third with a perfect fourth. The resulting scale has a suspended, open quality.