Piano Pentatonic Scales

The Pentatonic Scale is frequently used in lots of popular music styles. There are

both Pentatonic Major and Minor – the Minor is slightly more often used. Note that

A Minor Pentatonic has identical notes with C Major Pentatonic but in different

order; D Minor Pentatonic has the same notes as F Major Pentatonic and so it

goes. Knowing this will make it easier for you to memorize the scales.

Minor Pentatonic Scales

Here are pictures and notes of the Minor Pentatonic scales. These scales are very common

in many styles, but not least in pop and rock music. See also Major Pentatonic Scales.

Cm

Notes: C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C

Fingerings (LH): 1, 3, 2, 1, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

C#m / Dbm

Notes: C#, E, F#, G#, B, C#

Fingerings (LH): 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 2

Fingerings (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2

Dm
Notes: D, F, G, A, C, D

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

D#m / Ebm

Notes: D#, F#, G#, A#, C#, D#

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

Em

Notes: E, G, A, B, D, E

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

Fm

Notes: F, Ab, Bb, C, Eb, F

Fingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3
F#m / Gbm

Notes: F#, A, B, C#, E, F#

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Fingerings (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2

Gm

Notes: G, Bb, C, D, F, G

Fingerings (LH): 1, 3, 2, 1, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1

G#m / Abm

Notes: G#, B, C#, D#, F#, G#

Fingerings (LH): 2, 1, 5, 4, 3, 2

Fingerings (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Am

Notes: A, C, D, E, G, A
Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

A#m / Bbm

Notes: A#, C#, D#, E#, G#, A#

Fingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3

Fingerings (RH): 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3

Bm

Notes: B, D, E, F#, A, B

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2

Pentatonic Minor Scales overview

C: C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C

C#/Db: C#, E, F#, G#, B, C#

D: D, F, G, A, C, D

D#/Eb: D#, F#, G#, A#, C#, D#

E: E, G, A, B, D, E

F: F, Ab, Bb, C, Eb, F

F#/Gb: F#, A, B, C#, E, F#

G: G, Bb, C, D, F, G

G#/Ab: G#, B, C#, D#, F#, G#

A: A, C, D, E, G, A
 A#/Bb: A#, C#, D#, E#, G#, A#

B: B, D, E, F#, A, B

Intervals: 1, b3, 4, 5, b7

Semi-notes: 3 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 2

Formula: Whole and a half, Whole, Whole, Whole and a half, Whole

Major Pentatonic Scales

This five-note scale is similar to the Major Scale, but with the 4th and 7th degrees removed.

Major Pentatonic scales are especially common in traditional folk music, country and gospel.

Here are pictures and notes of the Major Pentatonic scales.

Notes: C, D, E, G, A, C

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

C# / Db

Notes: C#, D#, F, G#, A#, C#

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2

Fingerings (RH): 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4

D
Notes: D, E, F#, A, B, D

Fingerings (LH): 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 2

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 4

D# / Eb

Notes: D#, F, G, A#, C, D#

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Fingerings (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2

Notes: E, F#, G#, B, C#, E

Fingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

Notes: F, G, A, C, D, F

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 4
F# / Gb

Notes: F#, G#, A#, C#, D#, F#

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

Notes: G, A, B, D, E, G

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 4

G# / Ab

Notes: G#, A#, C, D#, F, G#

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Fingerings (RH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Notes: A, B, C#, E, F#, A

Fingerings (LH): 2, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1

A# / Bb

Notes: A#, C, D, F, G, A#

Fingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3

Fingerings (RH): 3, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3

Notes: B, C#, D#, F#, G#,B

Fingerings (LH): 1, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Fingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1

Pentatonic Major Scales overview

C: C, D, E, G, A, C

C#/Db: C#, D#, F, G#, A#, C#

D: D, E, F#, A, B, D

D#/Eb: D#, F, G, A#, C, D#

E: E, F#, G#, B, C#, E

F: F, G, A, C, D, F

F#/Gb: F#, G#, A#, C#, D#, F#

G: G, A, B, D, E, G

G#/Ab: G#, A#, C, D#, F, G#

A: A, B, C#, E, F#, A
 A#/Bb: A#, C, D, F, G, A#

B: B, C#, D#, F#, G#, B

Intervals: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Semi-notes: 2 - 2 - 3 - 2 - 3

Formula: Whole, Whole, Whole and a half, Whole, Whole and a half

Improvising with the Pentatonic Scale

The Pentatonic Scale is a flexible scale for improvising and apart from the standard way,

which is combining a scale with chords in the same key, you could also be outside the key.

By “being outside the key” means that you don't necessarily play chords and scale that

belongs to the same key. For example, you could play G Major Pentatonic over a C Major

chord or E Minor Pentatonic over an A Minor chord, this is called superimposing.