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F minor pentatonic scale

The F minor pentatonic scale is made of the notes F, A♭, B♭, C, E♭. It has 5 notes; compared with the major scale its formula is 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.

Pentatonic · 5 notes

Note names
  1. 1F
  2. ♭3A♭
  3. 4B♭
  4. 5C
  5. ♭7E♭

PatternW+H – W – W – W+H – W(W = whole step, H = half step)

Five notes with no half steps: easy to use and found in every genre. Degrees are shown relative to the major scale: ♭3 is the third lowered by a half step, ♯4 the fourth raised.

Mode and chords

Five notes: tonic, minor 3rd, 4th, 5th and minor 7th. It is the scale of the first guitar solos in blues and rock, with the same notes as the major pentatonic a minor third above.

Used overFm7FmFsus4

Put it into practice

The scale played in thirds over one octave: one of the exercises MEG generates from this scale.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the F minor pentatonic scale?
The notes are F, A♭, B♭, C, E♭.
What is the pattern of the F minor pentatonic scale?
The sequence of steps is W+H – W – W – W+H – W (W = whole step, H = half step); compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7.
Which chords is the F minor pentatonic scale used over?
It is used over Fm7, Fm, Fsus4: the chords on the tonic made of the notes of the scale.