Pentatonic Scale Chart For Guitar

Use the pentatonic scale chart to get a clear view of the geometry of the guitar’s neck and hear what each note sounds like as soon as you click or tap on dot of the fretboard. Simply tap/click on the fretboard dots and you’ll hear how each note fits into the pattern of the pentatonic scale for that key; if you prefer, play around using your computer keyboard to control things and play sound samples. It’s aimed toward instant hearing confirmation alongside visual pattern display.

Start with a root note. Selecting your root note is as simple as picking any of circular buttons near the top. Doing this sets the main note for the whole chart. There are twelve chromatic notes and each button represent one of these notes. If in a given key it would make more sense to write sharps rather than flats, then the system will adjust accordingly. After selecting your root note, the fretboard update immediately to show where corresponding notes are on fifteen frets over six strings.

How to Use the Pentatonic Scale Chart

The next set of buttons is for scale types. You can select from several scale types. These include major, natural minor, harmonic minor, dorian, mixolydian, minor pentatonic, major pentatonic, and blues scales. This redraws the dots according to the intervals of each scale. This allows you to see how other scales in the same family fit into the same place on the fretboard, or how changing one additional blue note alter the whole form.

The dots has labels that you can switch between the actual note names and their scale degree. So instead of seeing a dot above a note on your instrument as ‘D’, you might see it labeled number 5. This helps with theory understanding because it points out the role of each note in the harmony. If you’re wanting to learn where an A is on the D string, then switching back to note names would of been more helpful.

Simply click on a dot on the fretboard and you’ll hear it. Each of the dots is coloured according to root note. That means that no matter what, you know where your anchor points are. If you want to play through the scale, hit the scale button and the widget will light up each note in turn going from low to high. Hit the same button again and you can pause the playback wherever you like.

Hit the fullscreen button if you’d like a little more space to look at the neck; the board will expand and take up the whole screen, great for small windows or mobile devices. Adjust the master output level with the volume slider so that sounds is pleasant no matter how loud you set your device.

Below is a chart of diatonic triads from seven note scales. Simply tap on a chord name and listen as it plays the three notes through in sequence. It links what you know about the scale you’re learning with how that fit musically. The only ones hiding this section are major and minor pentatonics, as these does not have the complete seventh interval structure to form more traditional diatonic triads.

You can use your keyboard to navigate settings. Pressing Tab switches focus from control to control. Then, press Space or Enter to activate the button (e.g., fullscreen or play). Moving the volume slider with the arrow keys is smooth and it lets you keep your hands near and be prepared for quick mode changes during practice.

Keep the root fixed but try swapping between blues scale and minor pentatonic. Listen for the added flat five note filling out that characteristic gritty sound. Then move your root up to an A major and flip over into a dorian mode. You’ll notice just how closely the fingerings is related on the instrument. It’s this type of little experiment that shows why these shapes is used interchangeably by guitarists from so many different genres.

Try out various scale and root pairings, finding what feels comfortabley to play beneath your fingertips. The instant sound and visual image make theoretical musical concepts feel concrete and easy to understand. Have a go right now and allow the interactive chart to direct your practicing.