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The 5 minor pentatonic positions

The minor pentatonic scale has five positions, or boxes, that cover the guitar neck. In A minor they sit at frets 5–8, 7–10, 9–13, 12–15 and 2–5, then position 1 comes back 12 frets higher. Each box has two notes on every string, and neighbouring boxes share notes, so the five join into one map of the neck.

Updated · Every note checked against the scale

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The 5 positions

Dots show each note’s place in the scale: R is the root, A. Cream dots are the roots, the notes to start and finish on. Fret numbers run under each box.

  1. 1position

    Frets 5–8

    R♭345♭7R♭345♭7R♭35678

  2. 2position

    Frets 7–10

    ♭345♭7R♭345♭7R♭3478910

  3. 3position

    Frets 9–13

    45♭7R♭345♭7R♭345910111213

  4. 4position

    Frets 12–15

    5♭7R♭345♭7R♭345♭712131415

  5. 5position

    Frets 2–5

    ♭7R♭345♭7R♭345♭7R2345
A minor pentatonic: where each position sits and where its roots are
PositionFretsRoots (A) on
Position 15–8low E fret 5, D fret 7, high e fret 5
Position 27–10D fret 7, B fret 10
Position 39–13A fret 12, B fret 10
Position 412–15A fret 12, G fret 14
Position 52–5low E fret 5, G fret 2, high e fret 5

All five on one neck

Here are all five on one neck. Each bracket is a position; where two brackets overlap, the boxes share those notes. That overlap is how you slide from one box to the next in a solo.

51234EGACDEGACDEGACDEGACDEGACDEGACDEGACDEGACDEG35791215
The notes are A, C, D, E, G. Cream dots are A, the root. Swipe the neck to see it up to fret 15.
The notes of A minor pentatonic and their degrees
NoteACDEG
DegreeR♭345♭7

How to practise it

  1. Play position 1 from the low E string to the high e and back, one note per click at 60 BPM. Start and end on a root.
  2. Learn position 2 the same way, then move between the two through the notes they share.
  3. Put on a slow backing track in A minor and improvise inside one box. End each phrase on a cream root.

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Print it

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Questions

What notes are in the A minor pentatonic scale?

A, C, D, E and G: the root, flat third, fourth, fifth and flat seventh. It is the A natural minor scale without its second and sixth notes, which leaves no half steps.

Which pentatonic position should I learn first?

Position 1. Its root sits under your first finger on the low E string, and most rock and blues licks are written in it. Learn position 2 next, then join them.

How do I play the minor pentatonic in another key?

Move every box so the root lands on the new key. Position 1 starts on the low E string at the key’s note: fret 3 for G minor, fret 8 for C minor, fret 0 or 12 for E minor.

Is A minor pentatonic the same as C major pentatonic?

They use the same five notes, so the boxes are the same. What changes is the root you start and finish on: A for A minor, C for C major.