C minor pentatonic scale
C minor pentatonic scale is C – E♭ – F – G – B♭, with E♭ and B♭. Formula 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. Play it, then slow the tempo until every note is clear.
The notes, one step at a time
From C upward the gaps are 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 C–E♭ and G–B♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval from C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | root | |
| ♭3 | E♭ | minor third | |
| 4 | F | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | G | perfect fifth | |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor seventh |
How the minor pentatonic scale sounds
The minor pentatonic is the most-used soloing scale in rock and blues. It keeps the 1, ♭3, 4, 5 and ♭7 of the minor scale, so over a C minor or C7 chord almost nothing can sound wrong.
The notes C, E♭, F, G and B♭ are Cm7 plus the 4th, so the scale sits over a Cm7 chord like a glove.
C minor pentatonic scale is C natural minor scale without D and A♭. Hear C natural minor scale and compare.
On piano and on guitar
On the piano it uses two black keys (E♭ and B♭) and three white.
12 notes fit in the box between frets 6 and 12, with C at the 8th fret of the low E string.
Chords that fit C minor pentatonic scale
Five notes are too few to stack a chord on every degree, but these chords use only notes from the scale, so the scale fits over each of them: Cm, Cm7, Csus4, E♭, E♭sus2, Fsus2, B♭sus2, Fsus4, B♭sus4, E♭6, E♭add9.
If you know C minor pentatonic scale, you already know the notes of E♭ major pentatonic (starting on the 2nd note, E♭).
Finding C minor pentatonic on the neck
Anchor points for C: low E string fret 8, A string fret 3 and 15. The five pentatonic boxes start on the low E string at frets 1, 3, 6, 8 and 11; 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, C minor pentatonic scale uses 2 black keys (E♭ and B♭) and 3 white.
Try it in thirds to stop it sounding like an exercise: C–F, E♭–G, F–B♭, G–C, B♭–E♭, then back down.
Three ways to practise C minor pentatonic
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Groups of three: C E♭ F · E♭ F G · F G B♭ · G B♭ C.
- Land on F: C F C F C: the 4th and ♭7 give the rock and blues sound.
Close relatives of C minor pentatonic scale
Minor pentatonic scale in every key
C minor pentatonic scale: questions
What are the notes of the C minor pentatonic scale?
C, E♭, F, G, B♭, C. As degrees: 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.
How many sharps or flats are in the C minor pentatonic scale?
Two: E♭ and B♭.
What's the difference between C minor pentatonic scale and C natural minor scale?
It leaves out D and A♭.
What chords go with the C minor pentatonic scale?
Any chord built only from its notes, for example Cm, Cm7, Csus4, E♭, E♭sus2 and Fsus2.
Generated from the step pattern 3-2-2-3-2 and checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.