The red dots indicate a root note and the black dots indicate a note in the scale. In this lesson were going to be focusing on one of the most popular guitar scales, the a minor pentatonic scale. How to use the pentatonic scale as major and minor on the. How to play the pentatonic scale on guitar dummies. Often they are the first scales students learn on their lead guitar journey. The 5 natural minor scale positions you must know guitarhabits. Clicking on the graphics will start playback of the integrated sound. Welcome to video five in the lead guitar quickstart series.
Beginner guitar 5 pentatonic scales the ultimate guide. Minor pentatonic scales to introduce a novice guitar player to the world of rock music requires that he learn a series of scales, which we can call the tools of the trade. This, and every, scale can be thought of in terms of a formula that shows how the scale can be derived from the notes of the major scale which is the reference point for most things music theory related. Pentatonic scales pdf and instructional video guitar alliance. The guitar neck diagram shows you the big picture for the b minor pentatonic scale. G major e minor pentatonic scale guitar scales the pentatonic scale is a favorite of many guitarists and its easy to see why. Minor pentatonics and how it relates to the blues scale for guitar sheet music sample pdf to be used with audio above and the video lesson below. The major and minor pentatonic scales are some of the most common scales in pop, rock and blues music. How to play the pentatonic scale beginner guitar hq. The key to understanding the minor pentatonic scale.
The lessons on this page are geared towards helping you build a strong understanding of each of the various pentatonic scales, how they are built, how they are related and how they relate to chords and arpeggios when. A pentatonic scale is a 5 note scale which can be used to create solos and melodies. The minor pentatonic scale for guitar jazz guitar online. The e minor pentatonic scale can be divided into patterns. Mastering pentatonic scale theory welcome to the learning pentatonic scales page at gmc run by yours truly, the professor. The pentatonic super highway global guitar network. Jun 28, 2016 this is a g minor pentatonic scale because the first note we play sixth string, third fret is a g note. In this lesson, were going to switch it up from major scales and learn the minor pentatonic scale next. The root notes a in these examples are circled so that you can learn their locations. For an in depth lesson on the theory behind the minor pentatonic scale, read the post on pentatonic scales. You can use it to make good sounding bass lines or shred things up on a solo. In these bass scales pdf we leave you the three most common fingering to play well this pentatonic minor scale. With the combination of the key, tempo, chord progressions and scales suggestions to use, you will be making solos in no time. The major pentatonic bass scale, as its name indicates, pentafive has 5 notes and is major.
You can use the major pentatonic built on the 1st of a major chord to solo over any of the chords. The major and minor scales may be musiceducation stalwarts, but they sound a bit academic when used over chord progressions. The basics of the minor pentatonic scale for guitar soundfly. Minor pentatonic the basic box shape free guitar lessons. All of the root notes are e because this is the e minor pentatonic scale. Although the pentatonic scale is not the only scale available for playing rock lead, it is. Here is an overview of all the charts and other resources that are available on this site to view and also to download. Apr, 2018 the minor pentatonic scale is quite possibly the most used and, suffice it to say, overused scale on the guitar. Remember its the process, not always the end result that you want. For a quick summary to this topic, have a look at pentatonic scale. Still, this scale s importance cannot be underestimated, as it is used in so many genres of music, from rock and blues to country and bluegrass.
If you were to play a c major pentatonic scale you would play the notes c, d, e, g, a. The open strings themselves even make up the notes of the e minor pentatonic scale. A minor pentatonicblues scale weeping willow guitar. This entry was posted in resource and tagged 3 notes per string, arpeggio, chord, download, fingering, maj7, major 7th, minor pentatonic, pdf, pentatonic scale, positions, scale on october 12, 2014 by jens. There are major and minor pentatonic scales that share the same notes. The pentatonic scale chose 5 from these notes and created another scale, this is why it is called penta. Here you will find scale diagrams for the five patterns of the minor pentatonic scale and tips on the fingerings for each however, i repeat, you will be best learning these patterns in context over the first two blues lead guitar modules essential blues lead guitar and all over blues lead guitar which is all about using all five patterns all over the neck. The natural minor is the aeolian mode of the relative major scale. A minor pentatonic scale guitar chords diagrams scales. You can build a minor triad, m7 and m11 chord with those scale degrees and you use the minor pentatonic built off the 1st of a minor chord to solo over those chords. Now lets play the g minor pentatonic scale in the second position. It tabs out the pentatonic scales in all 12 major and minor keys.
You can also download the chart as a pdf by entering your. E g a b d the relative major of e minor is g major. How to tell when you can use the e minor pentatonic scale in a way that musically works and. This is the foundation to becoming a learned musician, rather than merely a recreational player. In this lesson youll learn the one scale that is responsible for about 95% of all the blues licks you hear the minor pentatonic and minor blues scale. Scale pentatonic minor 1,b3,4,5,b7 fullth pattern root note a guitar tuning. Whatever method you have to use to find it is worth the time. Clicking here and on the image below will open a pdf file of the guitar major scale chart that prints nicely. Jguitars scale calculator will draw scale diagrams showing the fretboard with notes in the selected scale highlighted. The two notes removed are the 2nd and 6th intervals. This means the formula for the minor pentatonic scale is made up of the 1st root, 3rd. The name pentatonic indicates that there are only five notes in this scale penta means five, unlike most other scales which have six, seven or more notes.
The pentatonic scale is use primarily used for soloing. Its arguably the most popular guitar scale, and no matter what type of music you play, this will add valuable skills for you as a lead guitarist. Learn the pentatonic scale guitar secrets, free online. Guitar pentatonic scales the 3 types of pentatonic scales, easy to. This is one of the most common scales in all of rock and pop music. Maybe your wondering what the beginner guitar 5 pentatonic scales are. In this lesson i am going to demonstrate how you can make a variation on the trusted minor pentatonic scale that has a lot of advantages when dealing with tonic minor, half diminished chords and altered dominants. One of the best ways to start becoming comfortable with a new scale or pattern is to try and create a few interesting riffs with that scale. The guitar major scale is happy upbeat and useful in a variety of styles of music. Link to pdf file of all 5 positions of the minor pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic scale of a key can be found and played in the same pattern 3 frets below the major scale. Jan 27, 2015 the pentatonic scale, essential for lead guitar the pentatonic scale is, to the vast majority of guitarists, the home court of the fretboard.
Lesson 8 the e minor blues scales dvd 3 in this lesson. The first lick is based on the a minor pentatonic scale linked to a drop 3 min7 chord. The pdf is for members only, so youll need to login to download it. Adjust the start fret option to further highlight a finger pattern for playing the selected scale in a different position on the fretboard. This pdf contains the diagrams for all the major and minor pentatonic scales in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. Guitar lovers manual chord, arpeggio and scale pdf with. You can start with e minor pentatonic, but the same notes and patterns can also produce g major pentatonic. Strum a g minor chord, then play with the notes in the pattern. Its up there with the major and minor as one of the primary scales which will form your basic understanding of the fretboard.
Minor pentatonic scales home page of guitarist andy drudy. Several of the requests mentioned the a minor pentatonic scale specifically. How to play the minor pentatonic scale on bass guitar dummies. D minor pentatonic scale diagrams d minor pentatonic fretboard diagram. However, the minor pentatonic scale has five different notes. How to superimpose the pentatonic minor scale over chord progressions in a number of different scenarios. Still, this scales importance cannot be underestimated, as it is used in so many genres of music, from rock and blues to country and bluegrass. Difference between major and minor pentatonic guitar players often ask me what makes pentatonic scale patterns major or minor. However, the scales we are concerned with here are the most commonly used for guitar, the major and minor. As the name would suggest, the minor pentatonic scale contains 5 notes. The scales and arpeggios are split up into 3 main categories.
Bonus pdf chart youtube how to connect the pentatonic scale across the. Pentatonic scales with images pentatonic scale, guitar scales. Below is a download link for the pentatonic scale pdf. Here are the 5 standard 2 notes per string positions for the a minor pentatonic scale. The structure of the minor pentatonic scale is very similar to the blues scale. The minor pentatonic expanded scale 2written by david taub now that you are familiar with the minor pentatonic scale in the box position and in an expanded 1 scale, lets learn the minor pentatonic expanded 2 scale. To know how to play the major pentatonic we leave the three most common fingerings for this scale in the bass.
If you are stuck in the pentatonic box then this is the way. The minor pentatonic scale is probably the most commonly learned, practiced and used scale by guitarists of all genres. The key to understanding the minor pentatonic scale guitar. Printable downloadable major pentatonic scale guitar chart.
The beginner guitar 5 pentatonic scales are 5 individual scales. The guitar neck diagram shows you the big picture for the e minor pentatonic scale. The solution below shows the d minor pentatonic scale, on the piano, bass and treble clef. Both the pentatonic major scale and minor scale have the same patterns. Basically, minor pentatonic scale are played over minor chord types as. Notice how both an e minor em chord and a g major chord fit into pentatonic pattern 1 in the open position. Many intermediate guitarists get stuck playing only this scale over a dominant blues. So, for example, try creating a few guitar riffs using the g minor pentatonic scale in the third position beginning on the 8th fret. A minor pentatonic contains scale degrees 1, b3, 4, 5, and b7. For this chapter we will be considering minor pentatonic.
The 14 most common and usable guitar scales printable and ready to use 1. Pentatonic scale has notes that when played generate a pleasant melody, even if it is just the. The easy way to learn the pentatonic scales is with the 5 box. For rock guitar, youll want to learn to play the pentatonic scale, which supplies you with better melodic fodder. All of the root notes are b because this is the b minor pentatonic scale. All of the root notes are a because this is the a minor pentatonic scale. From the basic pentatonic scale guitar fretboard pattern to improvising using minor pentatonic scales all over the guitar neck. The minor pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly scales used in rock. Jan 06, 2017 in this lesson we look at the minor pentatonic scale. How to learn the pentatonic scales with 5 box patterns.
Learning how to play the minor pentatonic scale on bass guitar will add a lot of flavor to your playing because its one the most versatile scales. The am pentatonic scale is a basic scale, but really the building block to playing and understanding other scales and playing lead guitar. The pentatonic scale can function as both major and minor on the guitar. D minor pentatonic scale guitar chords diagrams scales. This is under construction but will be done in the coming weeks. The major pentatonic scale is one of the most used of the pentatonic scales family. We look at how to play a basic, common fingering of the scale, move it. A pentatonic minor guitar scales all guitar chords. The e minor pentatonic scale is a useful and fun guitar scale to know.
You can get more diagrams in the tuning of your choice by using my interactive web app here. Page 1 hi, and welcome to pentatonic scales for guitar a pentatonic scale has just 5 notes. A minor pentatonic is a reasonable starting place with the minor pentatonic scale and has the 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, and 14th fret respectively as the first fret on the different positions. Guitar lovers manual is a digital book with sound in pdf format for printing purposes. These scales are related and typically refereed to as the relative major minor. Major pentatonic scales in open position closed mobile major pentatonic scales forms horizontal. Beginner acoustic guitar lesson tom petty i wont back down. Since pentatonic scales contain 5 notes, we need to remove two from the minor scale in order to get the minor pentatonic. This printable guitar method in pdf format contains 40 easy minor jazz guitar lines based on the dorian mode.
A minor pentatonic scale diagrams a minor pentatonic fretboard diagram. The major pentatonic scale guitar shapes and theory. The only difference is where the root note is located and the name of each position. It is now time to learn how to use the minor pentatonic scale, which is a must if you want to learn to play lead guitar and improvise. This practical guide to using the minor pentatonic. Wikipedia has a nice article on these scales including the others here. Guitar scales printable charts of the most commonly used. Fingering of the major pentatonic scale for electric bass. R 11 5 b7 b3 b3 1f 5 r 11 11 b7 b3 3f r 11 5 5 b7 5f b3 r 5 7f 11 b7 b7 b3 9f r r 11 5 b7 b3 r 11 5 12f b7 b3 b3 5 r 11 11 b7 b3 15f r 11 5 5 b7 17f b3 r 5 19f 11 b7. Pentatonic scales for guitar a pentatonic scale has just 5 notes. Cs relative minor pentatonic scale, a minor pentatonic, begins on the 6 th scale degree of the major pentatonic scale shown above. The pentatonic scale is a very powerful tool on guitar. I have also included the 5 box patterns you need to learn in order to memorize the scales in all keys.
Why the minor pentatonic scale is not the best option to use am pentatonic scale box position lets start with questioning the good old minor pentatonic scale. If you were playing the c minor pentatonic you would play the notes c, eb, f, g, bb. High graphic resolution enables printing of best quality large format printouts. Playing the scale in this way removes the large stretches and organizes the notes in a way that is easy to grip, slide and bend. It is actually a major arpeggio with the 2nd and 6th added. Comping with pentatonic scales now there is a ocean of online, magazine, and video lessons about how to comp with pentatonic scales. A brief lesson on how to extend the minor pentatonic scales to diversify your soloing technique. Aug 18, 2014 the natural minor scale also known as aeolian mode is derived from the major scale. Various positions of the major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitars with fingerings on the guitar neck. As you will learn, these patterns can be transferred to all keys. For this chapter we will be considering minor pentatonic only. Learn these 5 fingerings, one at a time, up the neck.
One of the most important bass scales to learn is the minor pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic scale is quite possibly the most used and, suffice it to say, overused scale on the guitar. So if you already know how to play the 5 positions shapes of the major scale you will automatically know how to play the positions of the natural minor scale. It contains the sections chord, scale and arpeggio. Once learned, the player can immediately start improvising rock guitar.
If you are near a computer while tuning, please visit and try out our. The pentatonic super highway okay, its not so much a road as it is a pathway through a scale you probably already know, the major minor pentatonic scale. Not only does it sound great, pentatonic scales are also easy to learn. The answer is that the pentatonic scale is either major or minor depending on which note is functioning as the tonic, which means. The a minor pentatonic comes from the natural minor scale. Com the 5 patterns of the major pentatonic scale for guitar. Having read the theory behind the pentatonic scales, you should already be familiar with the basic intervals and use of the major and minor pentatonic scale. The difference between major and minor pentatonic scales. The progression is a ii v i in em with a b7 altered dominant.
The parallel lines of the frets and string work in. Strum a g minor chord, then play the notes of the g minor pentatonic scale. The most important of these are both major and minor pentatonic. The lesson steps then explain how to construct the scale using the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th minor scale notes. This scale is a mustknow melodic device for guitarists exploring the world of improvised music, be it in the jazz genre or otherwise. Souch as native american, far eastern, african, and 20th century compositions. Guitar major pentatonic scale chart printable pdf subject. The b minor pentatonic scale can be divided into patterns.
You may not be able to find what youre looking for right away this time, but youve spent time streamlining the process for later. The pentatonic scale and major scale modes every guitar. There are three ways youll want to learn your major pentatonic scale forms. Each one connects to the next and continues down and up the fretboard. It is a must know for any jazz guitar student who wants to improvise over major chords. Also, once you learn to play this scale, playing guitar modes in the key of c major or any other key, will be that much easier. Master the minor pentatonic scale using the whole fretboard. Guitar scales guitar scales regardless what instrument you play, learning to play scales is a rite of passage. Major and minor pentatonic scales avoid significant harmonic dissonance by adverting this tritone. The minor pentatonic scale by paul tauterouff the minor pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly scales used in rock, blues, country and jazz music. The minor pentatonic scale for bass guitar youtube.
We are going to take as tonic the 4th string in the fifth fret, in the pitch note a the numbers are the fingers of the left hand, so, we have to master 3 ways to start the scale, with fingers 1, 3 and 4. Here are five examples that show how to mix the minor pentatonic scale with minor seventh chords. This guitar lesson provides some fretboard diagrams, charts and licks to expand your improvisation skills. Mastering pentatonic scale theory 3831 guitar lessons. Guitar scales printable charts of the most commonly used scales. This is a g minor pentatonic scale because the first note we play sixth string, third fret is a g note. To understand how this works, look at this example. The guitar neck diagram shows you the big picture for the a minor pentatonic scale. Here is a video that shows how to play the pentatonic scale in its 1st position across the guitar neck and how to use it. A short lesson on learning the 5 shapes of the minor pentatonic scale and how to use them. Here you will find guitar scales printable charts, easy to read and use, ready to.
319 1176 1112 752 34 1159 1613 947 830 1280 806 658 939 1312 1338 1238 1361 3 614 316 211 1123 1469 14 440 436 293 44