About the G#/Ab Minor Pentatonic Scale
The G#/Ab minor pentatonic scale is a 5-note scale. The most popular scale for rock and blues soloing. Its notes are G#, B, C#, D# and F#, built from the formula 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.
- Notes
- G# – B – C# – D# – F#
- Formula
- 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
- Steps
- W+H W W W+H W (3–2–2–3–2 semitones)
- Root
- G#/Ab
G#/Ab Minor Pentatonic Scale degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G# | Root |
| ♭3 | B | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | C# | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | D# | Perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | F# | Minor 7th |
Where to play the G#/Ab Minor Pentatonic Scale on 6-string bass
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (B E A D G C), lowest string first. Root notes (G#) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| B0 | 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 12 |
| E1 | 2, 4, 7, 9, 11 |
| A1 | 2, 4, 6, 9, 11 |
| D2 | 1, 4, 6, 9, 11 |
| G2 | 1, 4, 6, 8, 11 |
| C3 | 1, 3, 6, 8, 11 |
How to practice the minor pentatonic scale
- Play ascending and descending across all strings
- Practice bending the ♭3 up to the major 3rd
- Try the "box pattern" starting from the root
- Jam over a 12-bar blues backing track
- Connect to neighboring pentatonic positions
Scales with the same notes as G#/Ab Minor Pentatonic Scale
These scales share every note with the G#/Ab minor pentatonic scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Minor Pentatonic scale in other keys
Other scales in G#/Ab
- G#/Ab Major Pentatonic
- G#/Ab Mixolydian Pentatonic
- G#/Ab Natural Minor
- G#/Ab Major (Ionian)
- G#/Ab Blues
- G#/Ab Dorian
- G#/Ab Mixolydian
- G#/Ab Phrygian
- G#/Ab Harmonic Minor
- G#/Ab Lydian
- G#/Ab Locrian
- G#/Ab Diminished (Half-Whole)
- G#/Ab Diminished (Whole-Half)
- G#/Ab Whole Tone
- G#/Ab Augmented (Hexatonic)
- G#/Ab Altered (Super Locrian)
- G#/Ab Phrygian Dominant
- G#/Ab Lydian Dominant
- G#/Ab Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- G#/Ab Bebop Dominant
- G#/Ab Quartal (Stacked 4ths)
- G#/Ab Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)