Also written Zhi, Sen-Ritsu or Ritsu-Sen
C♯ Scottish pentatonic uses C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, A♯. Box 4 places the root on string 2, fret 9.
Derive it from C♯ major pentatonic by raising the third E♯ to F♯. The intervals become 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 with steps W, 1½, W, W, 1½. The missing third gives a suspended quality. Compare with C♯ major pentatonic to hear the raised fourth.
Use it over C♯5 or C♯sus2 to keep the harmony open. The F♯ and G♯ create a suspended colour that suits Scottish folk and modal rock. Try C♯ 5th or C♯ suspended 2nd.
Learn Box 4 first: the root sits on string 2, fret 9, covering frets 8–11. It gives you a high position for melodic runs.
C♯ scottish pentatonic in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 8 notes across 4 strings, from C♯ on the C string at fret 1 up to C♯ on the A string at fret 4. The root falls on the C string at fret 1 and the A string at fret 4.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1, 3 | G♯, A♯ |
| 3 (C) | 1, 3 | C♯, D♯ |
| 2 (E) | 2, 4 | F♯, G♯ |
| 1 (A) | 1, 4 | A♯, C♯ |
C♯ scottish pentatonic in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 8 notes across 4 strings, from D♯ on the C string at fret 3 up to D♯ on the A string at fret 6. The root falls on the G string at fret 6 and the A string at fret 4.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3, 6 | A♯, C♯ |
| 3 (C) | 3, 6 | D♯, F♯ |
| 2 (E) | 4, 6 | G♯, A♯ |
| 1 (A) | 4, 6 | C♯, D♯ |
C♯ scottish pentatonic in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 8 notes across 4 strings, from F♯ on the C string at fret 6 up to F♯ on the A string at fret 9. The root falls on the G string at fret 6 and the E string at fret 9.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 6, 8 | C♯, D♯ |
| 3 (C) | 6, 8 | F♯, G♯ |
| 2 (E) | 6, 9 | A♯, C♯ |
| 1 (A) | 6, 9 | D♯, F♯ |
C♯ scottish pentatonic in box 4 runs from fret 8 to fret 11, 8 notes across 4 strings, from G♯ on the C string at fret 8 up to G♯ on the A string at fret 11. The root falls on the E string at fret 9.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8, 11 | D♯, F♯ |
| 3 (C) | 8, 10 | G♯, A♯ |
| 2 (E) | 9, 11 | C♯, D♯ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 11 | F♯, G♯ |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
The notes are C♯, D♯, F♯, G♯, and A♯. They follow the pattern 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. The third is omitted, creating a suspended sound. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
C♯5 and C♯sus2 work well because they avoid the third. You can also use D♯ minor and F♯ major for movement. The scale fits over modal vamps.
C♯ major pentatonic has E♯ as the third. Scottish pentatonic raises that to F♯, the fourth. This changes the interval pattern and removes the major third.