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F scottish pentatonic scale on guitar
F scottish pentatonic uses F, G, B♭, C, D. Box 1 spans frets 1–3 with the root on the sixth string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
How do you play the F scottish pentatonic scale on guitar?
F scottish pentatonic in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 3, 10 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 low E string at fret 1, the D string at fret 3 and the high e string at fret 1.
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) | 3 | F |
| 3 (G) | 3 | B♭ |
| 2 (B) | 1, 3 | C, D |
| 1 (e) | 1, 3 | F, G |
Box 2 · frets 3–6
F 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 D string at fret 3 and the B string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3, 6 | G, B♭ |
| 5 (A) | 3, 5 | C, D |
| 4 (D) | 3, 5 | F, G |
| 3 (G) | 3, 5 | B♭, C |
| 2 (B) | 3, 6 | D, F |
| 1 (e) | 3, 6 | G, B♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–8
F scottish pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 8, 9 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 8 and the B string at fret 6.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
| 5 (A) | 8 | F |
| 4 (D) | 8 | B♭ |
| 3 (G) | 7 | D |
| 2 (B) | 6, 8 | F, G |
| 1 (e) | 6, 8 | B♭, C |
Box 4 · frets 8–11
F scottish pentatonic in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 11 notes across 6 strings, from C on the low E string at fret 8 up to D on the high e string at fret 10. The root falls on the A string at fret 8 and the G string at fret 10.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8, 10 | C, D |
| 5 (A) | 8, 10 | F, G |
| 4 (D) | 8, 10 | B♭, C |
| 3 (G) | 10 | F |
| 2 (B) | 8, 11 | G, B♭ |
| 1 (e) | 8, 10 | C, D |
Box 5 · frets 10–13
F scottish pentatonic in box 5 runs from fret 10 to fret 13, 12 notes across 6 strings, from D on the low E string at fret 10 up to F on the high e string at fret 13. The root falls on the low E string at fret 13, the G string at fret 10 and the high e string at fret 13.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10, 13 | D, F |
| 5 (A) | 10, 13 | G, B♭ |
| 4 (D) | 10, 12 | C, D |
| 3 (G) | 10, 12 | F, G |
| 2 (B) | 11, 13 | B♭, C |
| 1 (e) | 10, 13 | D, F |
Why it sounds like that
Raise the third A of F major pentatonic to B♭, producing 1–2–4–5–6. The step pattern W, 1½, W, W, 1½ places a wide gap between G and B♭. Compare with F major pentatonic to hear the suspended fourth replace the major third.
When to use it
Use it over F5 and Fsus2 chords for a suspended sound. It also fits G minor and B♭ major progressions in rock or folk. Try F 5th and B♭ major.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first. It covers frets 1–3 with the root on string 6, fret 1, making it easy to anchor phrases.
Common questions
What notes are in F scottish pentatonic?
The notes are F, G, B♭, C, and D. They follow the intervals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 from the F major scale. This omits the third and seventh degrees.
Which chords work with F scottish pentatonic?
F5 and Fsus2 are the most direct fits because they avoid the third. G minor and B♭ major also work well, since they share most of the scale tones. Use it over progressions in F major or D minor.
How does F scottish pentatonic differ from F major pentatonic?
F major pentatonic contains A, the major third. F scottish pentatonic replaces A with B♭, the fourth. This creates a suspended sound without a third.