About the E 9b5 Pentatonic scale
E 9b5 Pentatonic is used for jazz solos over altered and half-diminished chords. Think of it as a five-note scale with a minor third and a flat fifth.
Its notes are E, F♯, G, B♭, and D. The formula is W H 1½ 4 semitones W.
An unfretted guitar already sounds E, D, and G from the scale. The open low E string is the lowest E on the neck. A full root-to-root octave of E 9b5 Pentatonic fits within the first three frets, so it has a real open-position box.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
Pentatonic boxes
The five shapes blues and rock are built on, the first scale most guitarists ever solo with, one box per note up the neck.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | EE | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | F#F♯ | Major 2nd |
| 3 | GG | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | BbB♭ | Diminished 5th |
| 5 | DD | Minor 7th |
| Steps | W H 1½ 4 semitones W |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 2-1-3-4-2 |
| Degrees | 1 2 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
9b5 Pentatonic in other keys
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