The first scale most guitarists learn is the minor pentatonic scale. Pentatonic may sound scary but it really isn't, it simply means 5 notes. So a pentatonic scale is just a 5 note scale.
The pentatonic scale is extremely useful for guitarists. This is for a few good reasons.
- Music that is commonly played on the guitar (rock, blues, country, pop, ect...) use the pentatonic scale in its melodies and improvisation.
- The pentatonic scale is easily playable on the guitar with pentatonic 'boxes'.
- The licks and riffs from the pentatonic scale sound amazing.
With that said, lets get into the minor pentatonic scale. The following is a tab file and a scale diagram of the minor pentatonic scale in the Key of A.
Didn't I say a pentatonic scale was only 5 notes. The above tab file and scale diagram feature alot more then 5 notes. Take a look at the red dots on the scale diagram, for example the 5th fret on the Low E string and High E string and the 7th fret on the D string. Study these notes, play them one after the other. You should notice they are all the same note (the note 'A' by the way), but each one is an octave higher or lower then another.
If we start at the first red dot (the root of the scale) and play the first 5 notes, we play the first octave of the scale. You should notice that after the first 5 notes is the next red dot (the next root, just one octave higher). If you play the next 5 notes beginning at the second dot, you play the exact same notes as you did before, but each note is one octave higher. Thus while it appears there are many notes, you are just repeating the same 5 notes in the scale. The following scale diagrams should illustrate this repetition.
The scale starts to repeat again on the high E string for the third octave but we only have room for one more note in the same position. So instead of moving out of position, we should stop ascending there.
When practicing scales its common to start with the lowest note and ascend towards the highest, once reaching that you should descend back down to the lowest note, thus your practicing the scale in both an ascending and descending manner. Here is a tab of the pentatonic scale played ascending then descending. Because of the scale being two notes on every string, it is recommended to be played with alternate picking.
D U D U ---> etc
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-|
After playing the scale over a few times you have learnt the first pentatonic 'box'. Take a look at the scale diagram again. The 2 note per string pattern somewhat resembles a box. There are 4 other pentatonic boxes on the guitar fretboard. By dividing the pentatonic scale into these boxes, its makes remembering the scales, as well as playing those scales easier.
How To Read Guitar Scale Diagrams
The pentatonic scale is extremely useful for guitarists. This is for a few good reasons.
- Music that is commonly played on the guitar (rock, blues, country, pop, ect...) use the pentatonic scale in its melodies and improvisation.
- The pentatonic scale is easily playable on the guitar with pentatonic 'boxes'.
- The licks and riffs from the pentatonic scale sound amazing.
With that said, lets get into the minor pentatonic scale. The following is a tab file and a scale diagram of the minor pentatonic scale in the Key of A.
Didn't I say a pentatonic scale was only 5 notes. The above tab file and scale diagram feature alot more then 5 notes. Take a look at the red dots on the scale diagram, for example the 5th fret on the Low E string and High E string and the 7th fret on the D string. Study these notes, play them one after the other. You should notice they are all the same note (the note 'A' by the way), but each one is an octave higher or lower then another.
If we start at the first red dot (the root of the scale) and play the first 5 notes, we play the first octave of the scale. You should notice that after the first 5 notes is the next red dot (the next root, just one octave higher). If you play the next 5 notes beginning at the second dot, you play the exact same notes as you did before, but each note is one octave higher. Thus while it appears there are many notes, you are just repeating the same 5 notes in the scale. The following scale diagrams should illustrate this repetition.
The scale starts to repeat again on the high E string for the third octave but we only have room for one more note in the same position. So instead of moving out of position, we should stop ascending there.
When practicing scales its common to start with the lowest note and ascend towards the highest, once reaching that you should descend back down to the lowest note, thus your practicing the scale in both an ascending and descending manner. Here is a tab of the pentatonic scale played ascending then descending. Because of the scale being two notes on every string, it is recommended to be played with alternate picking.
D U D U ---> etc
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-|
After playing the scale over a few times you have learnt the first pentatonic 'box'. Take a look at the scale diagram again. The 2 note per string pattern somewhat resembles a box. There are 4 other pentatonic boxes on the guitar fretboard. By dividing the pentatonic scale into these boxes, its makes remembering the scales, as well as playing those scales easier.
How To Read Guitar Scale Diagrams
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