A minor pentatonic scale
A minor pentatonic scale is A – C – D – E – G, all naturals. Formula 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
A minor pentatonic scale, note by note
The step pattern is W+H W W W+H W (W = whole step, H = half step, W+H = a step and a half). With no half steps, any two notes of it sound fine together. The wide steps are A–C and E–G.
| Degree | Note | Interval from A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | |
| ♭3 | C | minor third | |
| 4 | D | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | E | perfect fifth | |
| ♭7 | G | minor seventh |
The sound of A minor pentatonic scale
Guitarists learn the minor pentatonic "box" first because it falls under four fingers at one position. A minor pentatonic has the same five notes as C major pentatonic, just starting somewhere else.
The notes A, C, D, E and G are Am7 plus the 4th, so the scale sits over a Am7 chord like a glove.
A minor pentatonic scale is A natural minor scale without B and F. Hear A natural minor scale and compare.
Playing A minor pentatonic
All white keys on the piano.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 5th fret of the low E string and spans frets 3–9: 12 notes, low string to high, two per string.
Chords that fit A minor pentatonic scale
These chords are built only from the scale's notes, so it sits over any of them: Am, Am7, Asus4, C, Csus2, Dsus2, Gsus2, Dsus4, Gsus4, C6, Cadd9.
Same notes, different home: C major pentatonic (starting on the 2nd note, C). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
Moving it around the guitar
The root, A, sits at fret 5 on the low E string and 0 and 12 on the A string (0 = open). The five pentatonic boxes start on the low E string at frets 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12; each box overlaps the next, and together they cover the whole neck. The first box sits under one hand with two notes per string, the shape most rock and blues solos start from.
On the piano, A minor pentatonic scale uses no black keys at all.
A good drill once the scale is under your fingers: play it in thirds, skipping one note each time. Here that's A–D, C–E, D–G, E–A, G–C.
Drills for A minor pentatonic
Once A minor pentatonic is comfortable up and down, break the order. Each pattern below uses only its 5 notes.
- Groups of three: A C D · C D E · D E G · E G A.
- Lean on D: A D A D A: the 4th and ♭7 give the rock and blues sound.
Close relatives of A minor pentatonic scale
Minor pentatonic scale in every key
A minor pentatonic scale: questions
What are the notes of the A minor pentatonic scale?
A, C, D, E and G, then A again at the octave. Formula: 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the A minor pentatonic scale?
None at all.
What's the difference between A minor pentatonic scale and A natural minor scale?
It leaves out B and F.
What chords go with the A minor pentatonic scale?
Any chord built only from its notes, for example Am, Am7, Asus4, C, Csus2 and Dsus2.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.