The Major Pentatonic Scale
The major pentatonic scale is another particularly useful scale for improvising. Like the minor pentatonic it contains only five different notes, but has a much more major sound. The C major pentatonic scale is shown below in the open position.
Shown below is the full fingering for the open position C form of the C major pentatonic scale. If you look at the diagram, you will notice that the major pentatonic scale is simply a major scale with the 4th and 7th degrees left out.
Open Position C Form
The major pentatonic scale is particularly common in Country music as well as many traditional Folk music styles from around the world. Here are some examples making use of the open position C major pentatonic scale.
This example features some typical Country style note bending. This sound came about by guitarists imitating the sound of a pedal steel. Listen to Roy Nichols (with Merle Haggard) and Roy Buchanan, as well as Southern Rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd to hear some great examples of this style of playing.
Major and Minor Pentatonic Fingerings
Shown below is the E form of the C major pentatonic scale. Notice that the fretboard pattern is the same as that of the D form of the C minor pentatonic scale. The difference is the positions of the root notes. The fingering pattern for the major pentatonic scale is three frets lower than that of the minor pentatonic.
E Form (C Major Pentatonic)
D Form (C Minor Pentatonic)
Here is a lick which is derived from the E form of the C major pentatonic scale. The fingering used here is different from the scale itself. Once you have learned a scale pattern it is often necessary to change the fingering depending on the type of lick you are playing. Experiment with fingerings for any lick you know until you find the one which suits you best.
Shown below are the other four forms of the C major pentatonic scale and some licks created from them. Because these patterns closely resemble those of the minor pentatonic scale, it is important to memorize the scale degrees and particularly the positions of the root notes (key notes).
D Form (Pattern 2)
C Form (Pattern 3)
A Form (Pattern 4)
When you learn a new scale pattern, remember to experiment with different techniques using the notes of the scale. This one features the use of hammer-ons.
G Form (Pattern 5)
The G form is great for playing pedal steel inspired bending licks as shown here.
