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B♭ scottish pentatonic scale on guitar
B♭ scottish pentatonic uses B♭, C, E♭, F, G. Box 1 spans frets 1–4 and places the root on the sixth string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
How do you play the B♭ scottish pentatonic scale on guitar?
B♭ scottish pentatonic in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 11 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to G on the high e string at fret 3. The root falls on the A string at fret 1 and the G string at fret 3.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 3 | F, G |
| 5 (A) | 1, 3 | B♭, C |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3 | E♭, F |
| 3 (G) | 3 | B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 4 | C, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 3 | F, G |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
B♭ scottish pentatonic in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 12 notes across 6 strings, from G on the low E string at fret 3 up to B♭ on the high e string at fret 6. The root falls on the low E string at fret 6, the G string at fret 3 and the high e string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 6 | G, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 3, 6 | C, E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 3, 5 | F, G |
| 3 (G) | 3, 5 | B♭, C |
| 2 (B) | 4, 6 | E♭, F |
| 1 (e) | 3, 6 | G, B♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–8
B♭ scottish pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 8, 10 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to C on the high e string at fret 8. The root falls on the low E string at fret 6, the D string at fret 8 and the high e string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
| 5 (A) | 6, 8 | E♭, F |
| 4 (D) | 8 | B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 8 | E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 8 | F, G |
| 1 (e) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
B♭ scottish pentatonic in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 12 notes across 6 strings, from C on the low E string at fret 8 up to E♭ on the high e string at fret 11. The root falls on the D string at fret 8 and the B string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8, 11 | C, E♭ |
| 5 (A) | 8, 10 | F, G |
| 4 (D) | 8, 10 | B♭, C |
| 3 (G) | 8, 10 | E♭, F |
| 2 (B) | 8, 11 | G, B♭ |
| 1 (e) | 8, 11 | C, E♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–13
B♭ scottish pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 13, 9 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to F on the high e string at fret 13. The root falls on the A string at fret 13 and the B string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 13 | E♭, F |
| 5 (A) | 13 | B♭ |
| 4 (D) | 13 | E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 12 | G |
| 2 (B) | 11, 13 | B♭, C |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13 | E♭, F |
Why it sounds like that
Derive it from B♭ major pentatonic by raising the third D to E♭, yielding 1–2–4–5–6. The step pattern W, 1½, W, W, 1½ creates a wide gap between C and E♭. See B♭ major pentatonic for comparison; the raised third becomes the fourth.
When to use it
Use it over B♭5 and B♭sus2 for a suspended sound. It also fits C minor and E♭ major progressions in rock or folk. Try B♭ 5th and E♭ major.
Which position to practise
Start with Box 1. It covers frets 1–4 with the root on string 6, fret 6, giving a low anchor for phrases.
Common questions
What notes are in B♭ scottish pentatonic?
The notes are B♭, C, E♭, F, and G. They follow the intervals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 from the B♭ major scale. This omits the third and seventh degrees. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords work with B♭ scottish pentatonic?
B♭5 and B♭sus2 are the most direct fits because they avoid the third. C minor and E♭ major also work well, since they share most of the scale tones. Use it over progressions in B♭ major or G minor.
How does B♭ scottish pentatonic differ from B♭ major pentatonic?
B♭ major pentatonic contains D, the major third. B♭ scottish pentatonic replaces D with E♭, the fourth. This creates a suspended sound without a third.