Guitar UpscaleDominant Pentatonic scale on guitar
The dominant pentatonic swaps the sixth of the major pentatonic for a flat seventh, a five note fit for dominant 7th chords.
| Notes in A | A B C# E G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 2 3 5 b7 |
| Steps | W W W+H W+H W (W whole step, H half step) |
| Note count | 5 |
| Style in the app | Major, scale "Pentatonic Dominant" |
Play A Dominant Pentatonic on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale
About the Dominant Pentatonic scale
Its notes are root, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and flat 7th. Over a dominant 7th chord it holds the chord's own 3rd and 7th, so lines outline the chord.
Some books call it the Mixolydian pentatonic. It fits blues and funk tunes that sit on one dominant chord.
Play it over A7 and the major 3rd and flat 7th define the sound. Mix it with the minor pentatonic for a blues sound.
Intervals from the root
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | In A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A |
| 2 | Major 2nd | 2 | B |
| 3 | Major 3rd | 4 | C# |
| 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | E |
| b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | G |
Dominant Pentatonic in every key
| Key | Notes | Play it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C D E G Bb | Open |
| Db | Db Eb F Ab Cb | Open |
| D | D E F# A C | Open |
| Eb | Eb F G Bb Db | Open |
| E | E F# G# B D | Open |
| F | F G A C Eb | Open |
| F# | F# G# A# C# E | Open |
| G | G A B D F | Open |
| Ab | Ab Bb C Eb Gb | Open |
| A | A B C# E G | Open |
| Bb | Bb C D F Ab | Open |
| B | B C# D# F# A | Open |