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Learn Guitar Secret #10 – Major Pentatonic Scale System C# major

By Mike Hayes | February 16, 2010

You might not think moving a scale one fret higher would make
such a different sound on the guitar but it does. One of the most
common keys for newbie guitarist to play is the key of C
major, when you look at a piano keyboard the key of C major is
the key that uses only the white keys no sharps or flats.

When a guitarist puts a capo on the first fret and plays as if
they were still playing in the key of C major the pitch coming
from the guitar is the pitch of C#.

Here’s how that works:

Guitar chords in the key of C major …

C – Dm – Em – F – G – Am – Bdim – C

Same chord shapes with the capo on the first fret produces these
chords…

C# – D#m – E#m – F# – G# – A#m – B#dim – C#

It’s the same with scales, here’s how the C major scale would
look.

C – D – E- F- G – A – B – C

The same major scale with the capo on the first fret would
contain these notes, the C# major scale.

C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A# – B# – C#

Which brings us to today’s project the major pentatonic scale.

The C major pentatonic scale consists of the following notes …

C – D – E – G – A – [C]

The C# major pentatonic scale

The notes of the C# major pentatonic scale are …

C# – D# – E# – G# – A# – [C#]

Keynotes indicated as [ ]

C# Major pentatonic scale pattern

—————————-
—————————-
—————————-
———————-[11]–
————–11—13——-
-[9]–11–13—————-

The same scale one octave higher could be played like this:

———————————
—————————[14]–
——————13—15——–
–[11]—13—15—————–
———————————
———————————

Application:

Since the major pentatonic scale is a modified version of the
major diatonic scale (the fourth and seventh notes of the major
scale are omitted) it therefore stands to reason that the major
pentatonic scale would work nicely over chords and chord
progression created from the standard major scale.

Triadic (three note chords) created from C# major scale:

C# – D#m – E#m – F# – G# – A#m – B#dim – C#

Scaletone seventh (four note chords) created from C# major scale:

C#Maj7 – D#m7 – E#m7 – F#Maj7 – G#7 – A#m7 – B#m7b5 – C#

Here is a typical major pentatonic type chord progression using
straight major chords.

THe 12 bar blues in C# could look like this:

Ex 1.

C# ///| C# ///| C# ///| C# ///|
F# ///| F# ///| C# ///| C# ///|
G# ///| F# ///| C# ///| C# ///||

another variation of the 12 bar blues in C# would be …

Ex 2.

C# ///| F# ///| C# ///| C# ///|
F# ///| F# ///| C# ///| C# ///|
G# ///| F# ///| C# ///| C# ///||

Ex.3 The 2 – 5 – 1 progression in C# (triadic)

D#m ///| G#7 ///| C# ///| C# ///||

Ex 4 The 2 – 5 – 1 progression in C# (scaletone seventh)

D#m7 ///| G#7 ///| C#Maj7 ///| C#Maj7 ///||

Ex. 5 The 1 – 6 – 4 – 5 progression in C# (triadic)

C# ///| A#m ///|F# ///| G# ///||

Ex. 6 The 1 – 6 – 4 – 5 progression in C# (scaletone seventh)

C#Maj7 ///| A#m7 ///| F#Maj7 ///| G#7 ///||

Ex. 7 The 1 – 6 – 2 – 5 progression in C# (triadic)

C# ///| A#m ///|D#m ///| G# ///||

Ex. 8 The 1 – 6 – 2 – 5 progression in C# (scaletone seventh)

C#Maj7 ///| A#m7 ///| D#m7 ///| G#7 ///||

You can play the C# major pentatonic over any of these
progressions, go back to the original harmonized scale sequence
in the key of C# major and design your own progressions then try
playing the C# major pentatonic scale over your favorite chord
sequence and as always remember to have fun on the guitar.

Topics: Beginner Guitar Lesson, Guitar Tips, guitar scales | No Comments »

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