The dominant pentatonic scale on bass:
notes, formula and position

The dominant pentatonic scale has 5 notes: 1 2 3 5 ♭7. In A, that gives A, B, C♯, E and G. The major pentatonic with the minor seventh instead of the sixth: the five most useful notes over a seventh chord, in blues as in funk.

Also called: Mixolydian pentatonic.

Formula and notes

1 2 3 5 ♭7

The steps between the notes, from the root to the octave: whole step – whole step – step and a half – step and a half – whole step. In A:

One position on the neck

The dominant pentatonic scale in A, in the 5th-fret position: one finger per fret, from the 4th to the 8th fret, on all four strings. The numbers are the degrees; the root is in gold.

The same position as bass tab (fret by fret, from the low E string to the G string):

G|-4--6-|
D|-5--7-|
A|-4--7-|
E|-5--7-|

For another key, move the whole shape: the root on the E string sets the key (3rd fret for G, 8th fret for C).

The sound of the dominant pentatonic scale

Major pentatonic with the ♭7 in place of the 6. For dominant chords. Perfect over 7 (dominant) chords.

You mostly hear it in blues, funk and rock.

Which chords to play it over

In A, the dominant pentatonic scale fits A7, A9 and A13. On bass, keep the root on the strong beats and use the other notes to connect the chords.

Neighbouring scales

These scales differ from the dominant pentatonic scale by a single note. Comparing them lets you hear exactly what that note brings.

• The major pentatonic scale: 6 instead of ♭7.
• The Egyptian pentatonic scale: 4 instead of 3.

Practice it with UnitBasse

This diagram shows a single position, in a single key. In UnitBasse, this scale is shown across the whole neck and in all twelve keys, as note names, intervals or degrees, with one color per degree. You can listen to it, see the chords that go with it, switch keys in one click, and play it over a chord chart with BackTrack, the app’s backing band. The app has 69 scales in 12 families.

Frequently asked questions