E Major Pentatonic Scale

Notes in the E Major Pentatonic Scale

Degree	Name	Note	Frequency (A=440)
1	Tonic	E	329.628 Hz
2	Supertonic	F#	369.994 Hz
3	Mediant	G#	415.305 Hz
5	Dominant	B	493.883 Hz
6	Submediant	C#	277.183 Hz

Interval Pattern

Formula: W-W-W+H-W-W+H

Step	Interval	Semitones	From Note	To Note
1	Whole Step (W)	2	E	F#
2	Whole Step (W)	2	F#	G#
3	Aug 2nd (WH)	3	G#	B
4	Whole Step (W)	2	B	C#
5	Aug 2nd (WH)	3	C#	E

Chords Built on Scale Degrees

Degree	Note	Chord	Quality
1	E	E (complex)	other
2	F#	F# (complex)	other
3	G#	G# (complex)	other
5	B	B (complex)	other
6	C#	C# (complex)	other

Key Signature

4 ♯ — The E key signature uses F#, C#, G#, D#.

E Major Pentatonic Scale in Practice

The E Major Pentatonic Scale uses the key signature of 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#). E major has four sharps and a powerful, resonant sound particularly suited to guitar. It is one of the most common keys in rock and blues music. On guitar, E positions offer open-string resonance for fingering positions for this scale.

The major pentatonic scale uses five notes from the major scale, omitting the 4th and 7th degrees. It has a bright, open sound widely used in folk, country, and pop music.

Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments

Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.

Note	Equal Temp.	Pythagorean	Just Intonation
E	329.628 Hz	330.001 Hz	327.032 Hz
F#	369.994 Hz	371.251 Hz	367.911 Hz
G#	415.305 Hz	417.657 Hz	418.601 Hz
B	493.883 Hz	495.000 Hz	490.548 Hz
C#	277.183 Hz	278.437 Hz	279.067 Hz

Guitar: E Major Pentatonic Scale Positions

The E key offers 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#) on guitar. Sharp-side keys like E are idiomatic guitar keys because open strings (E, A, D, G, B, E) align with the scale's natural resonance points.

Guitar range & tuning