The “Secret” Pentatonic Shapes
The Minor Pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used scales in improvisation in every musical style so it makes sense to know it well all over the guitar neck. When it comes to moving beyond the first pattern learned (see my lesson on 4 Scales You Should Know) the next step is usually to introduce five overlapping patterns, each staying strictly in position on the neck. In reality, most Blues and Rock soloists connect these patterns in very repeatable ways creating just two patterns that cover the entire neck. These are shown below in the key of A:
From the fingering you can see that you play these patterns with just two fingers, sliding every other string. I would recommend practicing these patterns descending as well, usually sliding back with the index finger.
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4 Scales You Should Know
When it comes to guitar soloing, there are four scales that can be applied more often than any others. They are the Minor Pentatonic Scale, the Natural Minor Scale, the Major Scale and the Major Pentatonic Scale. Following are the most common patterns for each type. They include an easy-to-find root note on the heaviest (6th) string. These examples are all in the key of A.
Practice these patterns from the lowest-pitch root note to the highest note. Then descend from the highest note to the original root. This teaches both your ears and your fingers the full range of the pattern. Once you can do this, wander through and explore the sound of each scale. Or try them over appropriate jam tracks.
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