G Major Pentatonic Scale on Guitar
G A B D E — the bright, open sound of country, folk and melodic rock.
G major pentatonic
Tap any fret to hear it. Gold dots are the root. Positions start at each scale note on the low string, so position 1 is the lowest box.
Notes
The bright twin of the minor pentatonic — same five shapes, different root. Country, folk, and sweet-sounding rock leads.
Play it over
Try it over G or Gmaj7, or a progression in G major. Or turn the drone on and improvise over that.
Want a backing track instead of a drone? Loop a progression in the same key.
Notes and Intervals
| Note | Interval | From the root |
|---|---|---|
| G | R | Root · 0 semitones |
| A | 2 | Major 2nd · 2 semitones |
| B | 3 | Major 3rd · 4 semitones |
| D | 5 | Perfect 5th · 7 semitones |
| E | 6 | Major 6th · 9 semitones |
Positions in Standard Tuning
| Position | Frets | Low E string starts on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0–4 | E |
| 2 | 2–6 | G · root |
| 3 | 4–8 | A |
| 4 | 6–10 | B |
| 5 | 9–13 | D |
Positions are numbered from the lowest box on the neck, as in the explorer above. Add 12 to any of them for the same shape an octave higher.
About the G Major Pentatonic Scale
The G major pentatonic is G, A, B, D and E: the G major scale without its 4th (C) and 7th (F♯). Like every pentatonic it has no semitones, so it is easy to sound good with, but its major third gives it a sunny, open character instead of the minor pentatonic's grit.
It uses exactly the same notes — and therefore exactly the same shapes — as E minor pentatonic. What makes it sound major is where you start, stop and linger: on G and B rather than E and G.
Finding It on the Fretboard
The scale has 5 notes, so it has 5 positions: five-fret windows that each start on a different scale note on the low E string. The one that starts on the root, G, covers frets 2 to 6. It is the shape most lessons teach first, and the easiest to keep your bearings in, because the root is under your hand on both E strings. Use the position buttons in the explorer to isolate each one, and switch the labels to intervals to see what every fret does in the scale.
How to Practise It
- Play the shape whose root is on the 6th string at the 3rd fret. Start and end every phrase on G.
- Target the B, the major third, on strong beats. It is the note that tells the listener "major".
- Slide between the 2nd and 4th fret on the 3rd string (A to B) — the classic country move into the third.
- Play the same shapes over a G chord and then over an Em chord, and listen to the mood change with the root.
A steady reference makes every one of these more useful: open the drone generator on G in another tab and play against it.
Where You Hear It
Country lead guitar, bluegrass runs, folk melodies and the sweeter side of rock soloing all lean on the major pentatonic. It fits a whole song in G — over G, C and D chords — without a wrong note.
Blues players mix it with the minor pentatonic over the same chord: the major pentatonic's third against the minor pentatonic's flat third is a large part of the B.B. King sound. Its relative minor is E minor pentatonic.
Explore every scale in every key in the scale explorer, or print the free guitar charts to practise away from a screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes of the G major pentatonic scale?
G, A, B, D and E: root, major second, major third, perfect fifth and major sixth.
Why does my G major pentatonic sound minor?
Probably because you are resolving to E. The shapes are the same as E minor pentatonic, so if your phrases start and end on E over an E minor chord, the ear hears minor. Land on G and B over a G chord instead.
Can I play G major pentatonic over a blues in G?
Yes, especially over the G chord. Many players switch to the minor pentatonic over the IV chord (C) or mix the two.