Also written Zhi, Sen-Ritsu or Ritsu-Sen
A scottish pentatonic uses A, B, D, E, F♯. Box 1 spans frets 0–3 and keeps the root on the sixth string.
Build it from A major pentatonic by raising the third C♯ to D, creating the 1–2–4–5–6 pattern. The interval sequence becomes W, 1½, W, W, 1½, with the gap between B and D defining the sound. Compare it with A major pentatonic to hear the suspended fourth replace the major third.
Use it over A5 and Asus2 chords for a suspended, open sound. It also fits B minor and D major progressions in folk or rock contexts. Try it with A 5th and D major.
Practise Box 1 first. It covers frets 0–3 with the root on string 6, fret 5, making it easy to anchor phrases.
A scottish pentatonic in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 11 notes across 6 strings, from E on the low E string at fret 0 up to F♯ on the high e string at fret 2. The root falls on the A string at fret 0 and the G string at fret 2.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 0, 2 | E, F♯ |
| 5 (A) | 0, 2 | A, B |
| 4 (D) | 0, 2 | D, E |
| 3 (G) | 2 | A |
| 2 (B) | 0, 3 | B, D |
| 1 (e) | 0, 2 | E, F♯ |
A scottish pentatonic in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 12 notes across 6 strings, from F♯ on the low E string at fret 2 up to A on the high e string at fret 5. The root falls on the low E string at fret 5, the G string at fret 2 and the high e string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2, 5 | F♯, A |
| 5 (A) | 2, 5 | B, D |
| 4 (D) | 2, 4 | E, F♯ |
| 3 (G) | 2, 4 | A, B |
| 2 (B) | 3, 5 | D, E |
| 1 (e) | 2, 5 | F♯, A |
A scottish pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 7, 10 notes across 6 strings, from A on the low E string at fret 5 up to B on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the low E string at fret 5, the D string at fret 7 and the high e string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5, 7 | A, B |
| 5 (A) | 5, 7 | D, E |
| 4 (D) | 7 | A |
| 3 (G) | 7 | D |
| 2 (B) | 5, 7 | E, F♯ |
| 1 (e) | 5, 7 | A, B |
A scottish pentatonic in box 4 runs from fret 7 to fret 10, 12 notes across 6 strings, from B on the low E string at fret 7 up to D on the high e string at fret 10. The root falls on the D string at fret 7 and the B string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7, 10 | B, D |
| 5 (A) | 7, 9 | E, F♯ |
| 4 (D) | 7, 9 | A, B |
| 3 (G) | 7, 9 | D, E |
| 2 (B) | 7, 10 | F♯, A |
| 1 (e) | 7, 10 | B, D |
A scottish pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 10 to fret 12, 9 notes across 6 strings, from D on the low E string at fret 10 up to E on the high e string at fret 12. The root falls on the A string at fret 12 and the B string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10, 12 | D, E |
| 5 (A) | 12 | A |
| 4 (D) | 12 | D |
| 3 (G) | 11 | F♯ |
| 2 (B) | 10, 12 | A, B |
| 1 (e) | 10, 12 | D, E |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
The notes are A, B, D, E, and F♯. They follow the intervals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 from the A major scale. This omits the third and seventh degrees.
A5 and Asus2 are the most direct fits because they avoid the third. B minor and D major also work well, since they share most of the scale tones. Use it over progressions in A major or F♯ minor.
A major pentatonic contains C♯, the major third. A scottish pentatonic replaces C♯ with D, the fourth. This creates a suspended sound without a third.