The pentatonic scale pentatonic scales have only five notes penta means five. The easy way to learn the pentatonic scales is with the 5 box pattern method. Also, the pentatonic scale can be easily turned into the blues scale by adding the blues notes. Scale compendium, often referred to as the major 326 or minor 330 pentatonic scale 4, play the shapes found in the exercises, but replace the written notes with the notes of your chos en scale. The only difference is which root notes you choose to target. Differences between minor and major pentatonic scales. Major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitars fingerings. This book maps out various pentatonic and blues scales including. This pdf method for guitar contains 40 ii v i jazz guitar lines with tab, standard notation, analysis, scale charts and audio files.
Much like moveable bar chords this scale can be moved up and down the guitar. For this chapter we will be considering minor pentatonic only. Beginner acoustic guitar lesson tom petty i wont back down. It is a warm contrast to the minor pentatonicblues scale and is often used right next to the minor pentatonic to suddenly lift a solo into a happier, major territory. With its clean, folky sound, the major pentatonic scale is a common scale in folk, blues, country and pop music. The word pentatonic implies that there are five notes in these scales, and that is correct. If you are playing in a minor key, use that minor pentatonic. The a minor pentatonic comes from the natural minor scale. So basically, as with major scales, the minor pentatonic scale is the relative 6th minor of the major pentatonic scale.
There are three ways youll want to learn your major. A major pentatonic guitar scales chart scott van zen guitar. Ive written them out in the key of a but they of course work in any key. In this lesson you will be learning some ways to use the pentatonic scale in a solo. With each of the shapes we learn, there will be a chord. There are a few reasons that the penatonic scales are the short cut for the scales. If you were to play this scale starting on the 8th fret, it would be a c minor pentatonic scale consisting of notes c, eb, f, g, and bb. Major and minor pentatonic scales avoid significant harmonic dissonance by adverting this tritone.
Lets take a look at what makes up this scale and how its applied to the guitar fretboard. Major pentatonic scales in open position closed mobile major pentatonic scales forms horizontal scale forms although the scale forms above make it relatively easy to see how the scale relates to the underlying chord, they do not always o. The major pentatonic scale is similar to major diatonic scale 7 notes per octave, but without the fourth and the seventh note. Several typical pentatonic blues licks will be used as a starting point to develop your knowledge of the pentatonic scale. This lesson is a complete breakdown of all the major pentatonic scale forms. Various positions of the major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar with the fingering on the guitar neck. In the diagram below the first pentatonic scale pattern is shown together with four more patterns. How to connect the pentatonic patterns on the guitar dummies. The major pentatonic scale next level guitar lessons. Mar 17, 2018 the major pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used scales on the guitar. This guitar lesson provides some fretboard diagrams, charts and licks to expand your improvisation skills. Finger one is the key of the major pentatonic say g and the 3rd finger is em.
Clicking here and on the image below will open a pdf file of the guitar major scale chart that prints nicely. When the player wants to lighten things up, the major pentatonic is the scale of choice. Guitar scales printable charts of the most commonly used. Its just like a major scale, minus the 4th and 7th degrees, making it pentatonic five notes. The major pentatonic scale for bass or any other instrument is an important scale to know. If you are near a computer while tuning, please visit and try out our. A free pdf of the entire lessons material is available at.
Pentatonic scale has notes that when played generate a pleasant melody, even if it is just the. You can play the major pentatonic scale over almost any major or dominant chord without clashing with the chord. The minor pentatonic scale, the major pentatonic scale, the minor blues scale, the major blues scale, the voodoo blues scale, the indian pentatonic scale, the dominant pentatonic scale, and the dorian pentatonic scale for you on left handed 6 string guitar in standard tuning. The major pentatonic scale is a wonderful, simple way to add colour to your blues playing. Which you can find by taking the major pentatonic scale, for example the c major pentatonic scale, and playing the same notes but starting from the 5th note of the scale, in this case the a. If you are playing in a major key, then use the relative minor pentatonic scale. Each one connects to the next and continues down and up the fretboard. The natural minor is the aeolian mode of the relative major scale. Illustration courtesy of desi serna this new pattern 1 is identical to. The major pentatonic is easy to learn if you already know the minor pentatonic scale. Once learned, the player can immediately start improvising rock guitar.
This pdf contains the diagrams for all the major and minor pentatonic scales in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. Guitar scales printable charts of the most commonly used scales. Major pentatonic scale the major pentatonic scale shares five notes with the major scale. Major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar fingering. The musical styles that use the major pentatonic are country, blues, fusion, jazz and rock. To do so, simply connect pattern 5 to another pattern 1, as shown here.
Clicking here and on the image below will open a pdf file of the guitar major pentatonic scale chart that prints. The white keys with a black key in between are a whole step apart and the ones without a black key in between are a half step. Look at the scale diagram below and notice the position of the root note the notes which are circled. The major scale is easiest to see by looking at the white keys on the piano. Heres a lesson that walks guitarists through learning to play the major and minor pentatonic scale in five positions, all over the guitar fretboard. 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. 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. How to learn the pentatonic scales with 5 box patterns. A pentatonic scale is made up of five notes per octave penta five. Welcome to lesson 3 of the pentatonic scale, pentatonic blues licks.
The major pentatonic scale guitar shapes and theory. G major e minor pentatonic scale guitar scales the pentatonic scale is a favorite of many guitarists and its easy to see why. The pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly used in all styles of music. The most important of these are both major and minor pentatonic. I have also included the 5 box patterns you need to learn in order to memorize the scales in all keys.
Be sure to change scales as the chords change and listen for the sound differences between the major and minor, get lost in the fun. Sep 26, 2018 the pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly used in all styles of music. However, the scales we are concerned with here are the most commonly used for guitar, the major and minor. The major pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used scales on the guitar. Wikipedia has a nice article on these scales including the others here. Now youll want to get these 2 shapes under your fingers right away. The major pentatonic scale shares the same notes as its relative minor counterpart so although the diagrams might seem familiar its important to take note of where the root notes differ for the major pentatonic positions as opposed to minor pentatonic. A tab example has been provided for each of the new patterns. I didnt get on with the major pentatonic until quite late and many find it considerably harder to use than its minor. You just need to know how the root note changes in the pattern. Major pentatonic licks for guitar fundamental changes music. And you can find the relative major pentatonic scale of a minor. Each major pentatonic scale has a relative minor pentatonic scale attached to it.
Much like moveable bar chords this scale can be moved up and down the guitar neck and the root note will determine the key you are playing. Click here for a free printable pdf file of this scale. Well take a closer look at each of the new patterns below. Various positions of the major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitars with fingerings on the guitar neck. Look at the scale diagram below and notice the position of. Bonus pdf chart youtube how to use the caged system to play a solo duration.
Try playing minor pentatonic over minor chords and major pentatonic over major chords within the same jam track. Major pentatonic guitar scale learn all five positions. If playing in c major use a minor pentatonic also know as c major pentatonic. This is normal, because the notes are positioned differently in the minor pentatonic scale then in the major pentatonic scale. D major pentatonic scale guitar exercises and beginner lesson. Once you know the five major pentatonic scale shapes, you automatically know the five minor pentatonic scale shapes. Major, minor, pentatonic, and blues its important to memorize at least one simple major scale shape on the guitar to be able to improvise. You can get more diagrams in the tuning of your choice by using my interactive web app here. The major pentatonic scale d major pentatonic box shape.
A beginner guitar lesson on how to use the d major pentatonic scale to build guitar exercises, basic scale runs and improvised melody. Pdf total guitar the ultimate scale book guilherme. The aeolian mode natural minor is the 6th mode of the major scale. Dec 04, 2009 this lesson is a complete breakdown of all the major pentatonic scale forms. The major pentatonic is formed with 5 notes and its origin would come from the major scale which has seven notes. So the best way to practice is to choose a root, a string, a direction left or right, and major or minor. Both the pentatonic major scale and minor scale have the same patterns. So even if you hit a nonchord tone at a lessthanoptimal moment these notes will be relatively forgiving. Minor pentatonic the basic box shape free guitar lessons.
In order to form the pentatonic it is necessary to remove two notes from the major scale, these are the 4th and 7th of the scale. When you feel comfortable playing through all five pentatonic scale patterns on the guitar, the next step is to connect them to cover the rest of the fretboard. It is a must know for any jazz guitar student who wants to improvise over major chords. There are numerous ways of playing a g major pentatonic scale on guitar. No doubt about it, this fivenote scale packs a punch. The guitar major scale is happy upbeat and useful in a variety of styles of music. The major pentatonic is confusing for some because visually the scale patterns looks the same as the minor pentatonic but the notes function in a very different way so youre best thinking of it as a completely different scale. Pentatonic scales for guitar a pentatonic scale has just 5 notes. Oct 26, 2009 free downloadable pentatonic scale diagrams.
The major pentatonic scale is one of the most used of the pentatonic scales family. Whatever method you have to use to find it is worth the time. Click on the required key for scale notes and fret position diagrams in each key. Pdf guitar scales major pentatonic download full pdf book. The versatility and playability of the scale makes it a popular choice for use in guitar soloing and melodies. The last scale shape begins with your fourth finger on the 15th fret.
Youll also be able to solo over a backing track using pentatonic scales. Scale pentatonic major 1,2,3,5,6 fullth pattern root note a guitar tuning. The first major pentatonic scale shape starts with our g root note on the 3rd fret of the 6th string. You may not be able to find what youre looking for right. Remember its the process, not always the end result that you want.
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