E♭ Major Pentatonic Scale (E♭ F G B♭ C)
E♭ major pentatonic belongs to horn charts and to bands tuned a half step down, where it's played as E fingerings. E♭ F G B♭ C, nothing open to help in standard.
Fretboard diagram
Every E♭ 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 | E♭ |
| 2 | major second | F |
| 3 | major third | G |
| 5 | perfect fifth | B♭ |
| 6 | major sixth | C |
Where to land
A lead that never touches its root is an exercise. In the first twelve frets E♭ sits on the low E string at fret 11, the A string at fret 6, the D string at fret 1, the G string at fret 8, the B string at fret 4, and the high E string at fret 11. End phrases on one of them until it's automatic, then start aiming for whichever chord tone the band is sitting on instead.
Over an E♭ major chord, E♭, G, and B♭ are chord tones and land clean anywhere in the bar. The C sits close enough to the fifth to resolve down into it, which is the classic country move.
Keep exploring
Same root
Same notes
C minor pentatonic is these five notes with C as home. Same frets, different landing spots.
Chords it fits over
E♭, E♭maj7, and E♭7 when the song is country or major-key blues.
Nearby keys
E♭ major pentatonic FAQ
What notes are in the E♭ major pentatonic scale?
E♭ major pentatonic contains E♭, F, G, B♭, and C. That's the root, the major second, the major third, the perfect fifth, and the major sixth.
What fret does E♭ major pentatonic start on?
The lowest root is E♭ at fret 11 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 E♭ major and E♭ minor pentatonic?
E♭ major pentatonic is E♭ F G B♭ C. E♭ minor pentatonic is E♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ D♭. They share only the root and the fifth, and major-key country and minor-key blues split along exactly that line.