F Minor Pentatonic at a glance
Minor pentatonic is the workhorse of guitar solos in rock, blues and pop. No dissonance, sits comfortably over both major and minor backings. Built on the root F, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where F is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | F A♭ B♭ C E♭ |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 3m · 4P · 5P · 7m |
| Step pattern | W+H W W W+H W |
F Minor Pentatonic on the piano
Improvisation drone · F
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano F Minor Pentatonic uses three black keys (A♭, B♭ and E♭) and two white.
F · A♭ · B♭ · C · E♭
Play F Minor Pentatonic on the online piano
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F Minor Pentatonic on the guitar
F Minor Pentatonic - fr 0–12
F Minor Pentatonic on the staff
Notes of the F Minor Pentatonic scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | A♭ | minor 3rd3m | 3 | |
| 3 | B♭ | perfect 4th4P | 5 | |
| 4 | C | perfect 5th5P | 7 | |
| 5 | E♭ | minor 7th7m | 10 |
What makes F Minor Pentatonic different
The minor pentatonic keeps five notes of natural minor (1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7) and drops the second and sixth, so it has no half steps. Without a sixth it fits Dorian, Aeolian and Phrygian backings alike, and it sits over a blues in a major key as well. Add the ♭5 and it becomes the blues scale; that single note is the whole difference between the two. It has the same notes as the major pentatonic a minor third above. On F, F Minor Pentatonic is F Natural Minor (F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭) without G and D♭.
How to use the F Minor Pentatonic scale
Because F Minor Pentatonic has fewer or more than seven notes, it doesn't produce a standard set of seven diatonic triads. Instead, build chords by stacking thirds within the scale or use it as a melodic colour over chords drawn from a related diatonic key.
Minor pentatonic is the workhorse of guitar solos in rock, blues and pop. No dissonance, sits comfortably over both major and minor backings.
Practice tips
Drill the box pattern up and down the neck, then connect adjacent boxes. Almost every guitar solo lives somewhere inside minor pentatonic.
Formula & step pattern
The F Minor Pentatonic scale follows five notes drawn from the natural minor scale: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 (skipping the second and sixth). Step pattern: W+H - W - W - W+H - W. Intervals from the root: 1P · 3m · 4P · 5P · 7m. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear F Minor Pentatonic
Start with the music described above: listen for F Minor Pentatonic in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the F Minor Pentatonic scale?
The F Minor Pentatonic scale contains F, A♭, B♭, C and E♭.
What is the formula for the F Minor Pentatonic scale?
F Minor Pentatonic follows five notes drawn from the natural minor scale: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7 (skipping the second and sixth).
Is F Minor Pentatonic a major or minor scale?
F Minor Pentatonic is a minor pentatonic scale. The most common scale for guitar solos in rock, blues and pop.
What chords belong to the F Minor Pentatonic scale?
F Minor Pentatonic doesn't produce a standard seven-chord diatonic set. Use chords from a related diatonic scale instead.
Which genres use F Minor Pentatonic?
Minor pentatonic is the workhorse of guitar solos in rock, blues and pop. No dissonance, sits comfortably over both major and minor backings.
How do you play the F Minor Pentatonic scale on the piano?
On the piano F Minor Pentatonic uses three black keys (A♭, B♭ and E♭) and two white.
What is the difference between F Minor Pentatonic and F Natural Minor?
On F, F Minor Pentatonic is F Natural Minor (F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭) without G and D♭.
What is the relative key of F Minor Pentatonic?
The relative key of F Minor Pentatonic is A♭ Major Pentatonic. It uses the same notes (A♭ B♭ C E♭ F) starting from A♭, so the two share a key signature.
What is the parallel key of F Minor Pentatonic?
The parallel key of F Minor Pentatonic is F Major Pentatonic: the same tonic, F, with the notes F G A C D.
How do I practise the F Minor Pentatonic scale?
Drill the box pattern up and down the neck, then connect adjacent boxes. Almost every guitar solo lives somewhere inside minor pentatonic.