#Minor pentatonic scale how to
How to Use The Pentatonics of Melodic Minor: Major b6 Pentatonic Root Position Referencing The Mixolydian b6 Mode Second Position – E Major b6 Pentatonic Scale Second Position Referencing The Locrian #2 Mode Third Position – E Major b6 Pentatonic Scale Third Position Referencing The Altered Mode Fourth Position – E Major b6 Pentatonic Scale Fourth Position Referencing The Lydian Dorian b2 Mode Fifth Position – E Major b6 Pentatonic Scale Fifth Position Referencing The Lydian Augmented Mode Each modal reference demonstrates the melodic minor mode that the pentatonics are derived from. One showing the standard Pentatonic shape for 7 string guitar (above) and one showing the the additional notes from the corresponding mode reference. Root Position – E Major b6 Pentatonic Scale Mode Referencesįor each position we have demonstrated two diagrams. The major b6 pentatonic is derived from the mixolydian b6 mode of melodic minor. You could consider each new pentatonic shape a ‘mode’ but this is uncommon practice for pentatonics. Since this is a pentatonic scale (meaning 5 notes) there will be 5 different positions and shapes, each starting from the next note of the scale. Here are the five basic two note per string shapes across the neck. What’s a relative minor, you ask? You’ll find the answer here.Pentatonics of Melodic Minor: E Major b6 Pentatonic.ĥ Positions of the Standard Shapes Notes & Interval Formula In a minor key, use the minor pentatonic in a major key, deploy the major pentatonic – or its relative minor equivalent. Applying it isn’t rocket science, either. The pentatonic scale is beautiful because it’s versatile and relatively easy to learn. When moving to the thinner strings, always remember the positions of the root positions notes – you may recall an earlier lesson, in which we used ‘2,2’ and ‘2,3’ coordinates. Similarly, here we have the single-octave pattern for the G major pentatonic scale:Īnd once again, the multiple single-octave boxes combine to form a diagonal pattern. (Again, the white dots denote the root notes.)Īnd the pattern below is simply multiple octave ‘boxes’ that are linked together diagonally – which incidentally forms a pentatonic scale. The image below shows a single-octave pattern for the G minor pentatonic scale. It’ll also make you a more versatile guitarist – one step closer to shredding like Slash. It’s important because, when paired with diagonal scale patterns, it allows you to traverse the fretboard with confidence. The single-octave box pattern is another technique to learn the pentatonic scale. When you know where these roots lie, it’ll be easier to recall the scale shapes. Looking at root positions this way makes it easier to remember the patterns. This pattern differs from that of the minor pentatonic scale, but the root positions still match those in the CAGED images. Below, we have the minor pentatonic shape patterns and their constituent intervals, and, as you can see, their root note positions match those of the CAGED images.
In this image, we’ve retained only the chord roots, giving you a clearer picture of their positions.Īnd here’s where the magic begins.
#Minor pentatonic scale full
Let’s see how the CAGED system comes into play. Here we have the CAGED chord shapes in full (root notes are indicated by the white dots), which should be familiar to you: These patterns can be linked to the CAGED system, and just like it, they also encourage you to explore the entirety of the fretboard. While it’s important to understand the pentatonic formulae, learning the pentatonic box patterns has its merits. It also gives you a deeper understanding of the scale as opposed to simply memorising patterns. Understanding these formulae is crucial as they allow you to quickly identify the notes that go into a pentatonic scale.
The result is an A major scale without the D and G ♯. Simply omit the fourth and seventh notes from the major scale, like so: The major pentatonic scale, on the other hand, is more straightforward. You’ll also notice that we’ve flattened the third and seventh as the formula calls for ♭3 and ♭7. As you can see, we’ve taken only the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh notes from the A major scale.