Also written Egyptian, Shang or Standard Slendro
C♯ neutral pentatonic contains C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, and B. Box 1 places the root on string 3, fret 4 for a low, open feel.
C♯ neutral pentatonic is C♯ minor pentatonic with the ♭3 raised to a major 2nd. The scale keeps the perfect 4th, perfect 5th, and minor 7th, but the major 2nd replaces the minor 3rd. Compare it with C♯ minor pentatonic to hear the difference.
C♯ neutral pentatonic fits C♯ 5th and C♯ suspended 2nd chords. Use it over F♯ 5th and F♯ suspended 2nd for a suspended sound. The major 2nd adds openness to rock and folk lines.
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 3, fret 4, giving easy access to the low C♯ and a clear starting point.
C♯ neutral pentatonic in box 2 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 A string at fret 4 and the G string at fret 6.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4, 7 | G♯, B |
| 3 (A) | 4, 6 | C♯, D♯ |
| 2 (D) | 4, 6 | F♯, G♯ |
| 1 (G) | 4, 6 | B, C♯ |
C♯ neutral pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 8 notes across 4 strings, from D♯ on the E string at fret 11 up to G♯ on the G string at fret 13. The root falls on the D string at fret 11.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11, 14 | D♯, F♯ |
| 3 (A) | 11, 14 | G♯, B |
| 2 (D) | 11, 13 | C♯, D♯ |
| 1 (G) | 11, 13 | F♯, G♯ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
C♯ neutral pentatonic contains C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, and B. The scale degrees are 1, 2, 4, 5, and ♭7. It has no tritone or leading tone. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
C♯ neutral pentatonic fits C♯ 5th and C♯ suspended 2nd chords. It also works over F♯ 5th and F♯ suspended 2nd. The major 2nd creates a suspended, open sound.
C♯ neutral pentatonic raises the ♭3 of C♯ minor pentatonic to a major 2nd. The other notes stay the same. This removes the minor quality and adds brightness.