C♯ Major Pentatonic Scale (C♯ D♯ F G♯ A♯)
C♯ major pentatonic spends most of its written life spelled D♭ for horn players. C♯ D♯ F G♯ A♯, the same notes as B♭ minor pentatonic. Guitarists mostly meet it under a capo, played as A or G shapes.
Fretboard diagram
Every C♯ major pentatonic note from the open strings to fret 22. At fret 12 the map starts over an octave up.
Notes in this scale
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | C♯ |
| 2 | major second | D♯ |
| 3 | major third | F |
| 5 | perfect fifth | G♯ |
| 6 | major sixth | A♯ |
Where to land
A lead that never touches its root is an exercise. In the first twelve frets C♯ sits on the low E string at fret 9, the A string at fret 4, the D string at fret 11, the G string at fret 6, the B string at fret 2, and the high E string at fret 9. End phrases on one of them until it's automatic, then start aiming for whichever chord tone the band is sitting on instead.
Over a C♯ major chord, C♯, F, and G♯ are chord tones and land clean anywhere in the bar. The A♯ sits close enough to the fifth to resolve down into it, which is the classic country move.
Keep exploring
Same root
Same notes
B♭ minor pentatonic is these five notes with B♭ as home. Same frets, different landing spots.
Chords it fits over
C♯, C♯maj7, and C♯7 when the song is country or major-key blues.
Nearby keys
C♯ major pentatonic FAQ
What notes are in the C♯ major pentatonic scale?
C♯ major pentatonic contains C♯, D♯, F, G♯, and A♯. That's the root, the major second, the major third, the perfect fifth, and the major sixth.
What fret does C♯ major pentatonic start on?
The lowest root is C♯ at fret 9 on the low E string, and most players anchor there. The scale itself covers the whole neck, and everything repeats twelve frets higher.
What is the difference between C♯ major and C♯ minor pentatonic?
C♯ major pentatonic is C♯ D♯ F G♯ A♯. C♯ minor pentatonic is C♯ E F♯ G♯ B. They share only the root and the fifth, and major-key country and minor-key blues split along exactly that line.