On this page, you will find all 5 Major Pentatonic Scales as they appear in the CAGED System. For each scale position, you will see two diagrams:
Root Notes – R
The first scale diagram demonstrating where the Root notes lie – these are in Red. These are essential to memorise.
The Chord – R 3 5
The second scale diagram highlights the chord which lives inside the scale. These are marked in Blue. These are also important to learn.
Major Pentatonic Scale Degrees – R 2 3 5 6
Inside every scale diagram, you will see R 2 3 5 6. These are the scale degrees that make up the Major Pentatonic scale. Notice there are only 5 of them – hence the “Penta” (meaning 5).
Side Note: I prefer using Scale Degrees in my teaching versus note names, as scale degrees stay the same in every key, where as note names change in every key. That said, in the grand scheme of things, it’s still a good idea to have a handle on the given note names in a specific key.
Also, a really cool thing to notice here is that the Major Pentatonic scale is essentially the same scale as the Major Scale minus the 4 and 7 notes. So if you’ve learnt the Major Scales already, you will probably see how the Major Pentatonic Scale sits inside it, and how you can also spot and use the 4 and 7 notes to add colour and melody.
How To Practice These Scales
When practicing these scales, start by playing the chord first. Then play through the scale by starting on the lowest root note, up to the highest note, then back down to the lowest note, and then back to the lowest root note, where you started. Finally, end with the chord again. This approach ensures you digest all three of the Scale, Root notes and Chord shape. Also, to add a bit more fun and excitement, I really like to practice scales with a backing track 🙂
Below are all 5 CAGED positions of the Major Pentatonic Scale:
Position 1 Major Pentatonic Scale – The E shape
Position 2 Major Pentatonic Scale – The D shape
Position 3 Major Pentatonic Scale – The C shape
Position 4 Major Pentatonic Scale – The A shape
Position 5 Major Pentatonic Scale – The G shape
The Full Fretboard – All 5 Positions
Here are all 5 CAGED positions of the Major Pentatonic scale as they appear on the full fretboard. Make sure you have really absorbed the individual positions above before attempting to link things together.
