If you want to learn how to solo and improvise in blues and rock you must know the 5 pentatonic scale shapes . Guitarists usually start with one of the patterns of the pentatonics and then don't go further . I recommend to thorough 5 patterns in your mind and practice them over and over building speed .
Major and Minor Pentatonic Scale
There may be two types of the pentatonic scale but you just have to learn the same pattern to learn them , they're just played in different locations on the fretboard. This can be tricky to understand at first, but will become clear with practice.
One string Pentatonic ( Major & Minor )
To learn the whole pattern you first have to understand the pentatonic scale on one string .
Here is the example of Minor Pentatonic Scale on one string :
This is just a pattern you have to follow suppose you want to play A minor pentatonic then just take the A note on the fret board at 5th fret low E string and follow above pattern .
Here is an example of A minor pentatonic on one string :
e:-----------------------------|
B:-----------------------------|
G:-----------------------------|
D:-----------------------------|
A:-----------------------------|
E:-5--8--10--12--15--17--------|
The same thing is with the major pentatonic scale but the only difference is that the major pentatonic scale starts from the second note of minor pentatonic and then follows same pattern .
Here is the example of Major Pentatonic Scale on one string :
So for playing A major pentatonic the pattern is as above starting from 5th fret .
Here is the example of A major pentatonic on one string :
e:-----------------------------|
B:-----------------------------|
G:-----------------------------|
D:-----------------------------|
A:-----------------------------|
E:-5--7--9--12--14--17---------|
The 5 Pentatonic Scale Shapes (with roots) :
Now that we have learned major and minor pentatonic one string here are the five pentatonic patterns :
Here is an example in the key of A to help you practice :
PENTATONIC SCALE SHAPE #1:
e:------------------------5-8-5-----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------5-8-------8-5-------------------------------------|
G:---------------5-7----------------7-5---------------------------------|
D:----------5-7-------------------------7-5-----------------------------|
A:-----5-7----------------------------------7-5-------------------------|
E:-5-8------------------------------------------8-5---------------------|
e:----------------------------8-10-8------------------------------------|
B:----------------------8-10----------10-8------------------------------|
G:-----------------7-9---------------------9-7--------------------------|
D:------------7-10------------------------------10-7--------------------|
A:------7-10-----------------------------------------10-7---------------|
E:-8-10----------------------------------------------------10-8---------|
e:------------------------------10-12-10--------------------------------|
B:------------------------10-13----------13-10--------------------------|
G:-------------------9-12----------------------12-9---------------------|
D:-------------10-12--------------------------------12-10---------------|
A:-------10-12--------------------------------------------12-10---------|
E:-10-12--------------------------------------------------------12-10---|
e:-------------------------------12-15-12-------------------------------|
B:-------------------------13-15----------15-13-------------------------|
G:-------------------12-14----------------------14-12-------------------|
D:-------------12-14----------------------------------14-12-------------|
A:-------12-15----------------------------------------------15-12-------|
E:-12-15----------------------------------------------------------15-12-|
e:-------------------------------15-17-15-------------------------------|
B:-------------------------15-17----------17-15-------------------------|
G:-------------------14-17----------------------17-14-------------------|
D:-------------14-17----------------------------------17-14-------------|
A:-------15-17----------------------------------------------17-15-------|
E:-15-17----------------------------------------------------------17-15-|
e:------------------------3-5-3-----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------3-5-------5-3-------------------------------------|
G:---------------2-5----------------5-2---------------------------------|
D:----------2-5-------------------------5-2-----------------------------|
A:-----3-5----------------------------------5-3-------------------------|
E:-3-5------------------------------------------5-3---------------------|
Few Tips for Understanding :
The major and minor follow same pattern as i said earlier so if you are learning the first pattern above and playing in the key of A , then the the pentatonic scale is A minor . To play A major pentatonic with the same pattern move the whole pattern up two frets making the first note of the A minor second note of A major .
Here's an example to understand this clearly :
A minor pentatonic :
e:------------------------5-8-5-----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------5-8-------8-5-------------------------------------|
G:---------------5-7----------------7-5---------------------------------|
D:----------5-7-------------------------7-5-----------------------------|
A:-----5-7----------------------------------7-5-------------------------|
E:-5-8------------------------------------------8-5---------------------|
A major pentatonic :
e:------------------------2-5-2-----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------2-5-------5-2-------------------------------------|
G:---------------2-4----------------4-2---------------------------------|
D:----------2-4-------------------------4-2-----------------------------|
A:-----2-4----------------------------------4-2-------------------------|
E:-2-5-----------------------------------------5-2----------------------|
Thats all for this post . Feel free to comment if you have any query or suggestion's .
Thanks
Amit Kothiyal
Categories:
advanced guitaring,
Guitar Basics,
guitar scales,
how to,
music theory
