Scales · Major Pentatonic Key of G

G Major Pentatonic Scale on guitar · notes, intervals & diagram

The G Major Pentatonic scale contains the notes G, A, B, D, E. The major scale with the 4 and 7 removed — five notes that "always work" over a major chord. Sweet, melodic, never dissonant.

Standard tuning · 15 frets

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EADGBE 35791215 E G A B D E G A B D E G A B D E G A B D E G A B D E G A B D E G A B D E G A B D E G Root Scale note

Notes & intervals.

# Degree Note
1 1 G root
2 2 A
3 3 B
4 5 D
5 6 E

Sound & use

The major scale with the 4 and 7 removed — five notes that "always work" over a major chord. Sweet, melodic, never dissonant.

Country, gospel, rock leads, folk melodies. The first scale every guitarist should memorise after the basic chord shapes.

Common in: country, gospel, rock, folk, celtic

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Other scales

Other scales in the key of G.

Scale

G Major

Bright, resolved, optimistic — the default sound of Western pop, folk and most children's music.

Scale

G Natural Minor

Melancholy, introspective, serious — but not desperately sad. The classic "minor key" sound.

Scale

G Minor Pentatonic

The scale that built rock and blues. Bluesy, plaintive, and easy to play in five connected positions across the neck.

Scale

G Blues

Minor pentatonic plus the "blue note" (b5). Gritty, vocal, instantly recognisable as the blues.

Scale

G Dorian

Minor with a major 6th — darker than major, warmer than natural minor. Sophisticated, hopeful-melancholy.

Scale

G Phrygian

Minor with a flat 2nd — exotic, Spanish, slightly menacing. The b2 is the defining sound.

Scale

G Lydian

Major with a raised 4th — dreamy, suspended, otherworldly. The sound of film-score wonder.

Scale

G Mixolydian

Major with a flat 7th — bright but bluesy. The "rock major scale".

Scale

G Locrian

The "weird one" — minor with both a flat 2nd and a flat 5th. Restless, dissonant, hard to resolve.

Scale

G Harmonic Minor

Natural minor with a raised 7th — creates the dramatic 1.5-step gap between b6 and 7. Classical, neo-classical, Middle-Eastern flavours.

Scale

G Melodic Minor

Minor scale with a major 6th and 7th going up (jazz/ascending form). Sophisticated, slippery, modern.

Scale

G Phrygian Dominant

Phrygian with a major 3rd — the iconic flamenco/Middle-Eastern sound. Major flavour, minor tension.

Scale

G Hungarian Minor

Two augmented seconds (between b3–#4 and b6–7) give this scale its distinctive Eastern European / Romani drama.

Scale

G Whole Tone

Six equally-spaced notes, no semitones — the symmetrical "dreamlike" scale. No clear tonic; ambiguous and weightless.

Scale

G Hirajoshi

Traditional Japanese pentatonic — austere, contemplative, instantly evocative of koto music.

All keys

Major Pentatonic scale in every key.

C Major Pentatonic

C♯ Major Pentatonic

D Major Pentatonic

D♯ Major Pentatonic

E Major Pentatonic

F Major Pentatonic

F♯ Major Pentatonic

G♯ Major Pentatonic

A Major Pentatonic

A♯ Major Pentatonic

B Major Pentatonic

FAQ

About the G Major Pentatonic scale
on guitar.

What notes are in the G Major Pentatonic scale?

The G Major Pentatonic scale contains the notes G, A, B, D, E. The intervals from the root are 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.

Where does the G Major Pentatonic scale come from?

It's the Major Pentatonic scale rooted on G. The major scale with the 4 and 7 removed — five notes that "always work" over a major chord. Sweet, melodic, never dissonant. Country, gospel, rock leads, folk melodies. The first scale every guitarist should memorise after the basic chord shapes.

How do I practise the G Major Pentatonic scale on guitar?

Start with the diagram on this page — find the root notes (the orange dots) and play through the pattern slowly, alternating picking. Once the shape is in your hands, set a metronome at around 60 BPM and play it ascending and descending in eighth-notes. Use the free metronome to keep yourself honest.

Which genres use the G Major Pentatonic scale?

The Major Pentatonic scale is found across country, gospel, rock, folk, celtic. The character of the key — G — affects how it feels rather than how it works: a G Major Pentatonic solo has the same intervals and the same emotional shape as any other Major Pentatonic solo, just transposed.

Can I print the G Major Pentatonic fretboard diagram?

Yes. Use your browser's print function (Cmd/Ctrl + P) — the diagram on this page is a vector SVG that prints crisply at any size. Or use the interactive scale generator to export the same diagram as a standalone SVG or PNG file.