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E♭ neutral pentatonic scale on guitar
E♭ neutral pentatonic contains E♭, F, A♭, B♭, and D♭. Box 2 places the root on string 5, fret 6 for a mid-neck shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, 4, 5, ♭7
How do you play the E♭ neutral pentatonic scale on guitar?
E♭ neutral pentatonic in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 12 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to A♭ on the high e string at fret 4. 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, 4 | F, A♭ |
| 5 (A) | 1, 4 | B♭, D♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3 | E♭, F |
| 3 (G) | 1, 3 | A♭, B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 2, 4 | D♭, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 4 | F, A♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–6
E♭ neutral pentatonic in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 6, 10 notes across 6 strings, from A♭ on the low E string at fret 4 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) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 4, 6 | D♭, E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 6 | A♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6 | D♭ |
| 2 (B) | 4, 6 | E♭, F |
| 1 (e) | 4, 6 | A♭, B♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
E♭ neutral pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 12 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to D♭ on the high e string at fret 9. 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, 9 | B♭, D♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 8 | E♭, F |
| 4 (D) | 6, 8 | A♭, B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 6, 8 | D♭, E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 9 | F, A♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 9 | B♭, D♭ |
Box 4 · frets 9–11
E♭ neutral pentatonic in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 11, 9 notes across 6 strings, from D♭ on the low E string at fret 9 up to E♭ on the high e string at fret 11. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
| 5 (A) | 11 | A♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11 | D♭ |
| 3 (G) | 10 | F |
| 2 (B) | 9, 11 | A♭, B♭ |
| 1 (e) | 9, 11 | D♭, E♭ |
Box 5 · frets 11–14
E♭ neutral pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 11 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) | 11, 13 | A♭, B♭ |
| 4 (D) | 11, 13 | D♭, E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 13 | A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 14 | B♭, D♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13 | E♭, F |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ neutral pentatonic comes from E♭ minor pentatonic by raising the ♭3 to a major 2nd, producing intervals 1, 2, 4, 5, ♭7. Compare it with E♭ minor pentatonic to hear the difference. The scale has no tritone or leading tone. Its step pattern is W, 1½, W, 1½, W.
When to use it
E♭ neutral pentatonic fits E♭ 5th and E♭ suspended 2nd chords, as well as A♭ 5th and B♭ minor. Use it for open, drone-based rock or folk lines in E♭. The scale also works over C♯ major when you want a suspended sound.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 2 first. It keeps the root on string 5, fret 6 and covers frets 4–6, making it easy to shift to Box 3.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ neutral pentatonic?
E♭ neutral pentatonic contains E♭, F, A♭, B♭, and D♭. The intervals 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.
Which chords does E♭ neutral pentatonic fit?
E♭ neutral pentatonic fits E♭ 5th and E♭ suspended 2nd chords. It also works over A♭ 5th and B♭ minor. The scale avoids the third, so it suits open fifth chords.
How is E♭ neutral pentatonic different from E♭ minor pentatonic?
E♭ neutral pentatonic raises the minor third of E♭ minor pentatonic to a major second. This removes the minor quality and creates a suspended sound. The note F replaces G♭.
What is the step pattern of E♭ neutral pentatonic?
The step pattern is whole, one and a half, whole, one and a half, whole. This gives the scale its neutral, open character. It is also known as Egyptian or Shang.