Major and minor pentatonic scales avoid significant harmonic dissonance by adverting this tritone. Scale pentatonic minor 1,b3,4,5,b7 5th pattern root note a guitar tuning. Therefore a minor pentatonic scale has the formula 1 b3 4 5 b7. The minor pentatonic scale is a much used scale by musicians in many genres, from blues to rock, and if you are just starting to learn soloing and how to improvise, learning the 5 positions of the minor pentatonic scale will be invaluable to your efforts. Jguitars scale calculator will draw scale diagrams showing the fretboard with notes in the selected scale highlighted. After receiving his first guitar at the age of 8, bob began his now 42 pdf pazartesi evrad year quest. Author david haq is the owner of anvil guitar instruction, founded in january of 2003 in santa barbara. Beginner acoustic guitar lesson tom petty i wont back down. Move the shapes to different places over the neck of the guitar, just to get a feel for the sound of the scale in different keys. Below is a download link for the pentatonic scale pdf. Guitar scales printable charts of the most commonly used scales. When you reach the second string, youll need to shift your hand up one fret. Lets start with the minor pentatonic, as thats used more in rock and metal playing.
Were going to show you everything you need to know about the a minor pentatonic scale. For your convenience, i have included a pdf of all the pentatonics. Jan 06, 2017 5 pentatonic licks that help learn pentatonic positions david wallimann. A minor pentatonicblues scale weeping willow guitar. The key to understanding the minor pentatonic scale guitar.
My blues lead guitar series will teach you all about using the minor pentatonic, the blues scale, the major pentatonic, dorian and mixolydian modes. The first position of the pentatonic minor scale that well learn, will be the a minor pentatonic scale at the root. The root notes a in these examples are circled so that you can learn their locations. From the basic pentatonic scale guitar fretboard pattern to improvising using minor pentatonic scales all over the guitar neck. It was the biggest breakthrough for me in terms of being able to improvise. I recommend that you learn scales in a practical environment. The minor pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly scales used in rock. But there are many different pentatonic scales you can learn to harmonise with more specific chord types.
C d eb f g ab bb c c minor scale 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1 scale functions. Interestingly, the name originates from the greek word penta which stands for five. The most common pentatonic scales are the minor pentatonic and major pentatonic. C major pentatonic scales can also be viewed as a minor pentatonic scales. The key to understanding the minor pentatonic scale. G minor pentatonic guitar scales guitar scales chart. Apr, 2018 the minor pentatonic scale is quite possibly the most used and, suffice it to say, overused scale on the guitar. Here are three exercises showing how the minor pentatonic scale can be used in a major 2 5 1 progression. This is the only pentatonic scale pattern that requires a position shift. Various positions of the major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar with the fingering on the guitar neck. Jun 29, 2018 learning how to play the minor pentatonic scale on guitar was one of the best things i ever did on guitar. Adjust the start fret option to further highlight a finger pattern for playing the selected scale in a different position on the fretboard. In the introduction to scales we went over a few reasons that you might want to learn scales and how important they are to you as a musician.
They cover all genres of guitar styles and have exhaustive content for guitar players of any skill levels. The natural minor is the aeolian mode of the relative major scale. Learning how to play the minor pentatonic scale on guitar was one of the best things i ever did on guitar. There are three ways youll want to learn your major pentatonic scale forms. In this lesson we are going to look at our first scale, the minor pentatonic scale more on the blues part later.
Jul 25, 2019 learn each shape separately at first here. Intro to the minor pentatonic scale, the caged system. So if this concept is not making sense to you, please watch both videos. A little bit of theory as the name would suggest, the minor pentatonic scale contains 5 notes. Pentatonic scales are very common and are found in musical cultures all over the world.
Pentatonic scales pdf and instructional video guitar alliance. The pdf is for members only, so youll need to login to download it. A number one in a circle refers to the first index the fret finger. The awesome part is that they contain the same note intervals with. 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. Dont let the word pentatonic scare you off, it just means a five note scale.
The a minor pentatonic comes from the natural minor scale. Learn the major and minor pentatonic scales, their patterns, when to use them, and why theyre the scale shortcut. The major and minor pentatonic scales are some of the most common scales in pop, rock and blues music. On this page youll find a complete guide to learning and using pentatonic scales on guitar. Minor pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar fingering. These scales have only five notes in each octave, and there is one for major and one for minor. Nick kellie discusses how santana uses the minor pentatonic and harmonic minor scales over progressions in minor keys. Major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar fingering.
The pentatonic scales are a staple of modern rock, blues and pop music. The most important of these are both major and minor pentatonic. The guitar major scale is happy upbeat and useful in a variety of styles of. This will help you learn how to play melodies and chords on a guitar and bass within the key of a pentatonic. Introduction to the major pentatonic scale zombie guitar.
In this series of lessons im going to look at a bit of the theory behind the scale, show you the most common ways to play it on the guitar. It tabs out the pentatonic scales in all 12 major and minor keys. Pentatonic scales for guitar a pentatonic scale has just 5 notes. Minor pentatonic scale patterns guitar player world. To play the g minor pentatonic scale in the third position, begin with your middle finger on the sixth string, eighth fret and play through the pattern as noted. The minor pentatonic scale is quite possibly the most used and, suffice it to say, overused scale on the guitar. A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per octave, in contrast to a heptatonic sevennote scale such as the major and minor scales. Various positions of the minor pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar with the fingering on the guitar neck.
A must know if you ever want to have a good jam session. Learn how to mix the major and minor pentatonic scales guitar. A minor pentatonic guitar scales guitar scales chart. Cs relative minor pentatonic scale, a minor pentatonic, begins on the 6 th scale degree of the major pentatonic scale shown above. Learn how to play the g minor pentatonic scale on bass guitar with our free tab, sheet music, neck diagrams, and more. Here you will find guitar scales printable charts, easy to read and use, ready to go. Charts for d minor pentatonic on guitar and piano all scales not normal were excluded from the results, please use the options below to see d minor pentatonic again with all the other scales compared to it.
Pentatonic scales pdf and instructional video guitar. The open strings themselves even make up the notes of the e minor pentatonic scale. Many guitarists get stuck in a rut playing the minor pentatonic scale. This is something that is very unique about the guitar you can play the exact same notes and scale pattern, yet be playing 2 different scales. All scales not normal were excluded from the results, please use the options below to see d minor pentatonic again with all the other scales compared to it options. The pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly used in all styles of music.
Free guitar and music theory lesson covering pentatonic scales. In a major key, play the major pentatonic scale and its relative minor interchangably. The best known are the major and the minor pentatonic scales but. Pdf total guitar the ultimate scale book guilherme mauricio. Free guitar lessons from nick kellie with tabs and high definition video. Minor pentatonic scales are the lifeblood of rock musicians. Some think of them as being the major scale with the tricky notes taken out which is not far from the truth. The 5 minor pentatonic positions deft digits guitar lessons. This article serves as a reference for navigating minor pentatonic scales all over the guitar fretboard. The name pentatonic indicates that there are only five notes in this scale penta means five, unlike most other scales which have. Major pentatonic scales in open position closed mobile major pentatonic scales forms horizontal. For this chapter we will be considering minor pentatonic only. Something that cannot be said of the two notes of the major scale that are not included in the major pentatonic scale the 4th and 7th.
Minor pentatonic scale patterns one of the most commonly used scales in popular music today is the pentatonic scale which is a scale made up of 5 notes. The illustration below, shows all of the a minor pentatonic scale notes on guitar the fretboard. As you will learn, these patterns can be transferred to all keys. Ive started writing up all the notes i give to guitar students so rather than getting a photocopy of something i wrote in the back of an envelope when i was 19 and figuring all this stuff out myself i can just print off or hyperlink to resources when i need to give stuff out.
Home scales pentatonic scales different pentatonic scales for guitar most guitarists quickly become familiar with the elementary major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales. These five shapes repeat in a consistent and predictable order. Learn how the theory is applied to the neck of the guitar. A pentatonic scale is like any other scale notes separated by intervals, but it contains just 5 tones, hence the greek word pentatonic, which simply means five. Constructing major scales this is the starting point for understanding all music theory natural minor scales minor scale construction, and the relationship between major and minor. Well particularly for guitar, the pentatonic is a great scale to learn. Both scales consist of the same notes c, d, e, g, and a.
Minor pentatonic scales can just be thought of as a minor scale, minus scale degrees 2 and b6. A minor pentatonic root note 5th am pentatonic c note am at d am at e am at g am root 17 am open am at the g a minor pentatonic scale. Neck diagram with pitches neck diagram with scale degrees. On this page there are easy to follow tabs along with audio at three different.
Make sure you concentrate on remembering the root notes in all of the shapes. A better way to learn major pentatonic on guitar duration. Besides awesome sounding solos and riffs, the minor pentatonic is also used in other genres. Minor pentatonic and blues scales 3618 guitar lessons. They are usually the first scales beginner guitarists learn to play. The first scales that you should be familiar with are the pentatonic scales. Recall that most scales in western music contain 7 notes e. 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. Language sitemap guitar scale major pentatonic pattern 15 fingering. You will be learning two types of pentatonic scales, one is the minor pentatonic scale and the other will be the major pentatonic scale. To play the minor pentatonic scale in a certain key first locate the note on the. This article and interactive web app help you learn all of the pentatonic scale diagrams.
There is a major pentatonic scale and a minor pentatonic scale. Pentatonic scales including pentatonic minor scales and pentatonic major. The basics of the minor pentatonic scale for guitar soundfly. The guitar neck diagram shows you the big picture for the a minor pentatonic scale. 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. Your starting and emphasis notes determine which scale will sound. The secret to why minor pentatonic scales are so useful. The pentatonic scale is use primarily used for soloing. Illustrated below is the basic box shape c major pentatonic and its relative minor, a minor pentatonic. Im going to show you each position of this scale and break it up a little so it will be easier to visualize. You can get more diagrams in the tuning of your choice by using my interactive web app here. Oct 21, 2018 this feature is not available right now. These charts highlight the notes and chords of a pentatonic scale on guitar and bass fretboard. The blues scale minor pentatonic and the major pentatonic scales on the guitar duration.
Pentatonic scales contain five notes, which is how it gets its name penta5, tonic tones. In this lead guitar lesson, well go over the five pentatonic scale shapes. 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. Learn how to play the e minor pentatonic scale on bass guitar with our free tab, sheet music, neck diagrams, and more. Scale pentatonic minor 1,b3,4,5,b7 fullth pattern root note e guitar tuning. G major e minor pentatonic scale guitar scales the pentatonic scale is a favorite of many guitarists and its easy to see why.
Bass lessons pentatonic scales bass tab here are some basic pentatonic scales for bass. Different pentatonic scales for guitar altered pentatonics. This pdf contains the diagrams for all the major and minor pentatonic scales in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. To view the part 2 video, download the tablature, access the onscreen tab viewer, download the mp3 jam track, and the pdf files for this guitar. A minor pentatonic contains scale degrees 1, b3, 4, 5, and b7.