About the E Major Pentatonic Scale
The E major pentatonic scale is a 5-note scale. Bright and happy sound, great for country and pop. Its notes are E, F#, G#, B and C#, built from the formula 1 2 3 5 6.
- Notes
- E – F# – G# – B – C#
- Formula
- 1 2 3 5 6
- Steps
- W W W+H W W+H (2–2–3–2–3 semitones)
- Root
- E
E Major Pentatonic Scale degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | Root |
| 2 | F# | Major 2nd |
| 3 | G# | Major 3rd |
| 5 | B | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | C# | Major 6th |
Where to play the E Major Pentatonic Scale on 6-string bass
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (B E A D G C), lowest string first. Root notes (E) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| B0 | 0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12 |
| E1 | 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 12 |
| A1 | 2, 4, 7, 9, 11 |
| D2 | 2, 4, 6, 9, 11 |
| G2 | 1, 4, 6, 9, 11 |
| C3 | 1, 4, 6, 8, 11 |
How to practice the major pentatonic scale
- Practice country-style double stops
- Work on hybrid picking patterns
- Try sliding between positions
- Play over major chord progressions
- Mix with minor pentatonic for variety
Scales with the same notes as E Major Pentatonic Scale
These scales share every note with the E major pentatonic scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Major Pentatonic scale in other keys
Other scales in E
- E Minor Pentatonic
- E Mixolydian Pentatonic
- E Natural Minor
- E Major (Ionian)
- E Blues
- E Dorian
- E Mixolydian
- E Phrygian
- E Harmonic Minor
- E Lydian
- E Locrian
- E Diminished (Half-Whole)
- E Diminished (Whole-Half)
- E Whole Tone
- E Augmented (Hexatonic)
- E Altered (Super Locrian)
- E Phrygian Dominant
- E Lydian Dominant
- E Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- E Bebop Dominant
- E Quartal (Stacked 4ths)
- E Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)