Major Pentatonic and Minor Pentatonic comparison

The Major Pentatonic scale compared to the Minor Pentatonic scale with diagrams and explanation.
Both the Major and Minor Pentatonic scales are five-note scales, but the scale degrees and thus the notes differ (as seen in the comparing tables below). The difference is that the Major Pentatonic doesn't include a fourth or a seventh whereas the Minor counterpart doesn't include a second or a fourth. The characteristic major sound is given by the major third degree. And, vice versa, the characteristic minor sound is given by the minor third and minor seventh degrees.

A Major Pentatonic scale degrees and notes.

1	2	3	5	6
A	B	C#	E	F#

A Minor Pentatonic scale degrees and notes.

1	3	4	5	7
A	C	D	E	G

Scale diagrams

The scale diagrams show A Major Pentatonic and A Minor Pentatonic (shape 1) in two octaves.

A Major Pentatonic

A Minor Pentatonic

Notice that the scales can be played with identical shapes, but in different positions on the fingerboard:

A Major Pentatonic

A Minor Pentatonic

The only difference besides the fret positions is that the relationship between root notes and the rest of the scale notes changes.

Scale box relationships

A Major Pentatonic shape 5 is identical (besides the root notes) with F# Minor Pentatonic shape 1.

A Pentatonic (shape 5)

F#m Pentatonic (shape 1)

Backing tracks

Far from a rule, but fairly common is to use Pentatonic Major when soloing in the country genre and to use Pentatonic Minor when soloing in the blues genre. These two backing tracks illustrate this, the first is in country style and the second in blues style. Try this by playing over the "A Major" jam track with the Major Pentatonic and over the "A Minor" jam track with the Minor Pentatonic.

Jam Track in A Major

Tempo (100 BPM)

Jam Track in A Minor

Tempo (120 BPM)

Merge

The scale diagram shows Major Pentatonic and Minor Pentatonic merged (sometimes referred to as Pentatonic Hybrid Scale).

A Pentatonic Hybrid Scale