The pentatonic scale pentatonic scales have only five notes penta means five. Heres a lesson that walks guitarists through learning to play the major and minor pentatonic scale in five positions, all over the guitar fretboard. For your convenience, i have included a pdf of all the pentatonics. The major pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used scales on the guitar. Pentatonic scales can be broken up into patterns and shown on a guitar neck diagram. May 09, 2014 the major pentatonic scale is mostly used in country, folk country rock, blues and jazz. In the 2nd position, the 2nd fret in the scale box will be the 7th fret on the guitar neck. Compare these scales c major pentatonic and a minor pentatonic with the c major and a. Notice how both an e minor em chord and a g major chord fit. This scale shape will feel more even as you play it because there are two notes on every string. The lesson steps then explain how to construct the scale using the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th minor scale notes. The minor major pentatonic scale is usually the first scale guitarists learn.
Finger one is the key of the major pentatonic say g and the 3rd finger is em. Guitar backing track g pentatonic major scale grade one. Adjust the start fret option to further highlight a finger pattern for playing the selected scale in a different position on the fretboard. Pentatonic scales pdf and instructional video guitar. For example in the g minor pentatonic scale all g notes are root notes. G major pentatonic scale guitar tabs online guitar lessons. Play blues scales in a in multiple fretboard positions. Learn the 5 pentatonic scales on guitar, tab and diagrams available on screen and printable pdf download from etsy. As we jump into this new scale, remember the universal guitar playing tips ive given you in other lessons. Learn the major and minor pentatonic scales, their patterns, when to use them, and why theyre the scale shortcut. Printable downloadable major pentatonic scale guitar chart. How to play the g major pentatonic scale on guitar youtube. Root 2 3 5 6 you can see these notes laid out in tab and notation for an c major pentatonic scale here.
Try to follow the picking indication from the video for now and dont forget the pdf download for the lesson as well. A backing track to help guitarists learn to improvise using the g pentatonic major scale. Lazy guitar students will always stop learning barre cords, when they master the e and a shapes of the decending pentatonic scale. Minor pentatonic pattern 1 major pentatonic pattern 5 playing this pattern from left to right and up across the strings means you will be playing the e minor pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly used in all styles of music. We will be using these scale forms in the coming lessons along with the understanding keys lesson material to form a complete picture of pentatonics in every key all over the guitar neck. Another good thing for you to practice is to open how to play intervals on guitar fretboard lesson and try to understand the intervals used in major pentatonic.
That makes the scale an g minor pentatonic scale with the notes g, bb, c, d, and f. You can also start to mix in the g major scale from the third lesson, and go back and forth between the two scales. There is a major pentatonic scale and a minor pentatonic scale. The solution below shows the g major pentatonic scale on the piano, treble clef and bass clef. Ystem a advanced strumming, riffs, chords and minor keys.
Review all nine major and minor chords weve learned. Check out my free video lessons on my free lessons page. Scales you can use in the real world, created by a human guitarist. The major pentatonic scale is similar to major diatonic scale 7 notes per octave, but without the fourth and the seventh note. This pdf contains the diagrams for all the major and minor pentatonic scales in all keys for guitar in standard tuning. If you are playing in g major, use e minor pentatonic scale also know as g major pentatonic you have probably noticed that the pentatonic scale can be either a major or minor scale. It works best over any chord sequence in the key of g covered in level 6 01. Rocky mountain is an awesome song for teaching melody and rhythm.
You can start with e minor pentatonic, but the same notes and patterns can also produce g major pentatonic. Jguitars scale calculator will draw scale diagrams showing the fretboard with notes in the selected scale highlighted. How to build major pentatonic scales guitar masterclass. You can play the pentatonic scale over a major chord progression but also a minor chord progression, or a classic 12bar blues progression. Learn how to play the g major pentatonic scale on the guitar for better solos without. The diagram below shows the 5 major pentatonic scale patterns spread over the length of the guitar. The major pentatonic guitar scale is usually played over major chords, and is used in rock music as well as country music. Show me chords that sound good with a d major pentatonic scale. C d e g a c formula 2 2 3 2 3 now lets look at the complete, 5position diagram of the pentatonic scale. Show me chords that sound good with a g major pentatonic scale.
Guitar major pentatonic scale chart printable pdf subject. These are not lessons, but supplements to my lessons. Penta stands for five, meaning the pentatonic scale is a fivenote scale. In a previous blog post, play guitar solo in any key without learning notes the 5 major scale patterns, we showed you how its possible to learn the patterns or shapes of any major scale without necessarily memorising the name of the notes being played. For a quick summary of this topic, have a look at pentatonic scale.
Join the guitarhabits facebook page to keep up with the latest posts, guitar lesson videos. But just in case if u havent, or someone who plans to start practicing scales. Guitar scales the 6 most common guitar scales guitar orb. How to connect the pentatonic scale across the entire fretboard. In order to cycle through as many areas of scale practice as possible and not get bored it is important to have a plan. There are three ways youll want to learn your major pentatonic scale forms. Learn how to play the g major pentatonic scale on bass guitar with our free tab, sheet music, neck diagrams, and more. A modal pentatonic scale is created when two notes are removed from a seven note scale. You have to learn to read piano music if you plan to be a serious piano player. You can play a pentatonic scale by walking your fingers across the neck at any one of these positions, playing 2 notes per string. The versatility and playability of the scale makes it a popular choice for use in guitar soloing and melodies.
There are many different ways of playing an a major pentatonic scale on guitar. Pentatonic scales contain five notes, which is how it gets its name penta5, tonic tones. The melodic minor pentatonic is considered a modal pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic scale is typically the first scale guitarists learn to solo with. Minor pentatonic the basic box shape free guitar lessons. In the next lesson well learn the minor pentatonic scale, which is quite possibly the most popular scale among guitar players. Looking at it from the major scale, if you leave out the 4th and the 7th note of the major scale youll also end up with the major pentatonic. Nov 22, 2016 the pentatonic scales are a staple of modern rock, blues and pop music. Check out my example in the video to hear what it will sound like, and then have fun trying it out. Major scale 5 pos system condensed major scale 5 pos system detailed major scale 7 pos system condensed major scale 7pos system detailed major scale 12 pos system condensed major scale 12 pos system detailed.
How to play guitar scales lesson for beginner guitar players. Lets take a look at what makes up this scale and how its applied to. Here are some free pdfs used to supplement my free video lessons. Use these drawings in the tonal and blues contexts. Your plan should cover several days and allow for varied work on each. The major pentatonic scale uses the 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 notes of the major scale. The pentatonic scale is a reduced version of the major and minor modes of the major scale. Com the 5 patterns of the major pentatonic scale for guitar. The 5 major scale caged shapes positions guitarhabits.
Apr 20, 2016 understanding the major scale beginner guitar theory lesson guitarlessons. Play slowly, use alternate picking, and make sure each note rings clearly. Learn the pentatonic scale on the guitar with this online guitar lesson from six string country. As you will learn, these patterns can be transferred to all keys. Using the same approach, here is an even better trick. Learn the em pentatonic, e blues scale, and g major scales. The only difference is which root notes you choose to target. The lesson steps then explain how to construct the scale using the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th major scale notes. 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. Bluegrass guitar scales beginner lesson artistworks.
A major pentatonic scale as a starting point can be found on the 4th, 6th, 9th, 11th, and 14th fret respectively as the first fret on the different positions. As the name would suggest, the minor pentatonic scale contains 5 notes. The root note is the key that the pentatonic scale will be played in. The 5 major pentatonic scale shapes positions guitarhabits. Both the pentatonic major scale and minor scale have the same patterns. The pentatonic scales are a staple of modern rock, blues and pop music. The solution below shows the g minor pentatonic scale, on the piano, bass and treble clef. So basically, as with major scales, the minor pentatonic scale is the relative 6th minor of the major pentatonic scale. Scale pentatonic major 1,2,3,5,6 fullth pattern root note g guitar tuning. They are usually the first scales beginner guitarists learn to play. Ill show you how to use the pentatonic to build modes.
Pentatonic scales pdf and instructional video the pentatonic scale is a 5 note scale that is widely used in rock, blues, country, and other genres. Scale diagrams can also be labeled with either letters or scale degrees. Various positions of the major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitars with fingerings on the guitar neck. Major pentatonic scale the major pentatonic scale shares five notes with the major scale. Pentatonic guitar magic how to use the simple pentatonic scale to solo over chords from blues to rock tojazz. Click the following link for a pdf document containing details of the scale and the chord chart for this. The 5 shapes shown below are all the same scale g major pentatonic scale just played in different positions, so you can learn the scale all over the neck. C major scale guitar pattern, 1 octave, root on the g string. The first chord of each major scale form defines 5 different chord shapes or forms and as you would guess they are. This article explains how to plan an effective practice schedule, and it shows several readymade practice. This lesson is a complete breakdown of all the major pentatonic scale forms. So, the g major pentatonic scale is a set of 5 notes played up or down. G major pentatonic scale for beginner guitarists beginners course. The shapes of the major pentatonic scale are exactly the same as those of the minor pentatonic scale, except the root note is located else where.
This scale is perhaps less familiar to most guitarists than the minor pentatonic, but it is equally useful. How to play the pentatonic scale beginner guitar hq. 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. How to use the pentatonic scale as major and minor on the. Its an old tricked used by solo guitar playersand bass players for that matter. Intermediate guitar lesson major pentatonic scales. You can get more diagrams in the tuning of your choice by using my interactive web app here. No doubt about it, this fivenote scale packs a punch. Both of these scales are played in position, which means that each finger plays all of the notes at a particular fret. Dec 04, 2009 major pentatonic scales guitar lesson. Guitar scales how to play scales on guitar fachords guitar. The major pentatonic is a really cool sounding scale, used a lot in country and country blues.
Free guitar scales pdf 84 scale and arpeggios chart guitar, ebook, pdf. You can also think of the major pentatonic scale as being a fragment of the corresponding major scale. You hear this sound all the time in just about every style of music rock, blues, country, jazz, you name it heres a video taking you through some major pentatonic essentials, and i develop these ideas in a. The scale were about to learn is used loads in country, blues and rock. E d g b e a pentaton c minor scale box 1 glitarsik. Pentatonic scales pentatonic scale, guitar scales, scale. The major pentatonic scale is built from the following interval pattern. How to play the g major pentatonic scale on guitar.
The major pentatonic scale box patterns on guitar fretboard. Some people find it easier to think in minor terms, and some find it easier to think in minor and major terms. The patterns are easy to remember and because they contain no semitones leading to dissonant intervals. Were going to take a look at two very useful scales. For a quick summary to this topic, have a look at pentatonic scale. Its a little strange to get used to at first, because the patterns are the same as for the minor pentatonic, but the root note is different huh. Guitar major scale 5 caged patterns positions duration. Oct 29, 2018 unlike a traditional major or minor scale, a major pentatonic scale has five notes, rather than seven. He demonstrates all 5 patterns and explains how they can be transposed to any key. So they can be named the g form scale, e, c, a and d form scale which is much easier to remember and more practical because chords and scales belong together. With its clean, folky sound, the major pentatonic scale is a common scale in folk, blues, country and pop music. Basically, it is a major scale with some of the trickier notes omitted, making it more difficult to play something that sounds wrong. There are numerous ways of playing a g major pentatonic scale on guitar. It takes five notes to be a pentatonic scale, and it takes five chord shapes and a capo to understand the song here comes the sun by george harrison.
The pentatonic scale can function as both major and minor on the guitar. Play the pentatonic major scale in g in multiple fretboard positions. Also, the pentatonic scale can be easily turned into the blues scale by adding the blues notes. Since there are 5 notes in the pentatonic scale every 5th note, starting from a root note, is a root note. So place finger 2 at the 3rd fret and you will play the g major scale because the note on the 3rd fret. Pentatonic scales are killer scales to play over blues and over iivv changes. This article and interactive web app help you learn all of the pentatonic scale diagrams. The fretboard is shown with the lowest pitch string at the bottom and the highest pitch string at the top unless youve tuned your instrument differently. One is a pentatonic scale, meaning it has five notes, and the other is a major scale, which has 7. Learn rock guitar from brad henecke with an intermediate guitar lesson for g major pentatonic. A pentatonic scale is made up of five notes per octave penta five. If you start at the g on the 3rd fret of the low e string youll get a g major 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. Understanding the major scale beginner guitar theory lesson.