A Minor Six Pentatonic Guitar Scale

Guitar scale — fretboard diagramIntermediate

A minor six pentatonic scale — 6-string guitar fretboard diagramInteractive fretboard diagram showing the A minor six pentatonic scale on 6-string guitar with 22 frets. Notes: E, F#, A, C, D.EF#ACDEF#ACDCDEF#ACDEF#AACDEF#ACDEDEF#ACDEF#ACACDEF#ACDEF#EF#ACDEF#ACD1357911121315171921

What chords fit over A Minor Six Pentatonic?

Open A Minor Six Pentatonic Harmonizer

A Minor Six Pentatonic Scale — Notes and Intervals

The A Minor Six Pentatonic scale is a variation of the minor pentatonic that introduces a major sixth, giving it a Dorian flavor. On Guitar, the notes are A, C, D, E, F#. It is more sophisticated and soulful than the standard minor pentatonic and is frequently used in jazz and fusion to outline minor chords with a brighter edge. Commonly used in Jazz, Fusion, Neo-Soul, R&B. Notable players include Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Erykah Badu. Use over m6, m7, mMaj7 chords. Adds a jazz sophistication to minor chord soloing without fully committing to a 7-note scale.

Notes: A, C, D, E, F#

Intervals: 1P, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6M

Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 5

Formula: WH-W-W-W-WH

Number of notes: 5

Musical Character

SoulfulSophisticatedWarmJazzy

By replacing the b7 of the minor pentatonic with a natural 6th, this scale gains a Dorian flavor — brighter and more sophisticated than standard minor pentatonic.

Genres & Notable Artists

Genres: Jazz, Fusion, Neo-Soul, R&B

Notable players: Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Erykah Badu

How to Use the A Minor Six Pentatonic Scale

Use over m6, m7, mMaj7 chords. Adds a jazz sophistication to minor chord soloing without fully committing to a 7-note scale.

Origin & Background

A jazz pentatonic derived from the Dorian mode, emphasizing the characteristic natural 6th.

How to Play A Minor Six Pentatonic on Guitar

Place your index finger at fret 5 on the 6th (low E) to find your A root note. With only 5 notes, this scale fits comfortably in a two-notes-per-string pattern across all six strings. Focus on learning a single box shape first before connecting positions.

The A Minor Six Pentatonic scale contains 1 sharp (F#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.

Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing

Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the A Minor Six Pentatonic scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.

This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in A. Try a A5 - E5 - F#5 progression. This scale is especially effective in fusion contexts.

Guitar Tips

On guitar, practice the A Minor Six Pentatonic scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications. Aim for a soulful quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.

Related Scales

Minor Six Pentatonic is the Dorian-flavored pentatonic subset. View A Dorian scale

The A Minor Six Pentatonic scale contains 5 notes (A, C, D, E, F#). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each shape and pattern on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges. Practice ascending and descending from the root note to learn the sound of this scale.

CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Minor Six Pentatonic

The A Minor Six Pentatonic scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.

Explore A Minor Six Pentatonic Further

Explore A Minor Six Pentatonic in Other Tunings

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