Explore scales · Guitar
E♭ major pentatonic scale on guitar
E♭ major pentatonic uses E♭, F, G, B♭, and C. Box 1 sits low on the neck from frets 1–4 with roots on the fourth and second strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
How do you play the E♭ major pentatonic scale on guitar?
E♭ major 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 D string at fret 1 and the B string at fret 4.
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
E♭ major 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 A string at fret 6 and the B string at fret 4.
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
E♭ major 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 A string at fret 6 and the G string at fret 8.
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
E♭ major 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 low E string at fret 11, the G string at fret 8 and the high e 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
E♭ major 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 low E string at fret 11, the D string at fret 13 and the high e 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
E♭ major pentatonic drops the fourth and seventh from E♭ major, leaving intervals 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. The parent scale is E♭ major. Removing A♭ and D eliminates the tritone and leading tone, producing a bright, open sound.
When to use it
E♭ major pentatonic fits E♭ major and E♭ 5th chords, and it also works over F 5th and B♭ 5th. Use it for jazz, funk, and pop in the key of E♭ major. Try it over E♭ major or E♭ 5th.
Which position to practise
Learn Box 1 first. Its root on the fourth string, first fret keeps the pattern close to the nut and easy to visualize.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ major pentatonic?
E♭ major pentatonic contains E♭, F, G, B♭, and C. These are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th degrees of the E♭ major scale. The fourth and seventh are omitted. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does E♭ major pentatonic fit?
E♭ major pentatonic fits E♭ major and E♭ 5th chords directly. It also works over F 5th and B♭ 5th in progressions. The scale avoids the fourth and seventh, so it rarely clashes.
Is E♭ major pentatonic the same as C minor pentatonic?
E♭ major pentatonic shares the same notes as C minor pentatonic. The difference is the tonal center: E♭ major pentatonic resolves to E♭, while C minor pentatonic resolves to C.