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Eb Major vs Eb Major Pentatonic

Eb major and major pentatonic drawn on one neck. They differ by 2 notes.

Eb Major and Eb Major Pentatonic on one guitar fretboard, the shared notes and the differences marked13578910121415eBGDAEFGAbBbCDEbFGCDEbFGAbBbCDGAbBbCDEbFGAbBbDEbFGAbBbCDEbFBbCDEbFGAbBbCFGAbBbCDEbFG

Tap any note on the neck.

Swipe the neck sideways to see the higher frets.

Eb major is Eb major pentatonic with the 4 and 7 added — Ab and D.

Eb major vs Eb major pentatonic: what is different

Eb major pentatonic is Eb major with 2 notes left out. Every note of major pentatonic is also in major; major adds:

Shared by both: Eb F G Bb C.

When to use which

The bigger scale has more colour and more ways to go wrong; the smaller one is safer and plainer. Start solos in the smaller scale and add the extra notes as a passing tone, on the way to a note that belongs to the chord. Live on the extra note and it stops sounding like colour and starts sounding like a mistake.

Hear the difference

Eb Major
Eb   F   G   Ab   Bb   C   D
Eb Major Pentatonic
Eb   F   G   Bb   C
Shared notes
Eb   F   G   Bb   C
Only in Major
Ab (4)   D (7)
Only in Major Pentatonic
Nothing — every note is also in major
Compare these two on the interactive neck →

Free, no account needed. Change the key and both scales follow.

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