To learn these scales take each pattern one at a time and practice with a metronome. You can get more diagrams in the tuning of your choice by using my interactive web app here. A major pentatonic guitar scales chart scott van zen. The major pentatonic scale is made from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th notes from the major scale for a given key. To view the part 2 video, download the tablature, access the onscreen tab viewer, download the mp3 jam track, and the pdf files for this guitar. This first file shows you the first licks that i play at the start and the picking. So the best way to practice is to choose a root, a string, a direction left or right, and major or minor. Major, minor, pentatonic, and blues its important to memorize at least one simple major scale shape on the guitar to be able to improvise. A pentatonic scale is a scale consisting of fivenotes, instead of the traditional seven note scale such as the major and minor scales. Click on the image below and click full screen button to expand to high quality minor pentatonic scale tab and notation. Learn how to mix the major and minor pentatonic scales.
When the player wants to lighten things up, the major pentatonic is the scale of choice. Whatever method you have to use to find it is worth the time. Home guitar tabs lessons sheet music lessons pdf contact us guitar lessons. In our previous two lessons, we went over the major scale and the minor pentatonic scale.
The major pentatonic is easy to learn if you already know the minor pentatonic scale. Diagonal pentatonic scale patterns by paul tauterouff. Fingering of the major pentatonic scale for electric bass. How to combine the major and minor pentatonic scales. Playing the scale in this way removes the large stretches and organizes the notes in a way that is easy to grip, slide and bend. But the important difference is the location of the root, which is of course different for major and minor pentatonic scales. 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. The minor pentatonic scale is constructed from five notes of the natural minor scale. The scale illustrated on the right is the most common basic box position. This minor pentatonic scales ebook is a compilation of 9 years of preparation work teaching guitar to a wide range of abilities. 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.
Printable downloadable major pentatonic scale guitar chart. Using minor and major pentatonic together effectively minor and major pentatonic work great together in major keys and can say a lot more than if you were to just use one scale. Taking this idea that contrast is good, we can make it tangible and readily available by choosing to consciously alternate major and minor pentatonic sounds throughout the blues form. The minor pentatonic scale is one that pretty much everyone should learn, regardless of the style. Cs relative minor pentatonic scale, a minor pentatonic, begins on the 6 th scale degree of the major pentatonic scale shown above. Link to pdf file of all 5 positions of the minor pentatonic scale. Build a blues scale from a minor 3rd below the root of the f blues scale, that would be the d minor blues scale, and if we play those notes from f to f we have the basic f major blues scale. The trick here is to practice the patterns lots before you try and move it around. Whenhow to switch in between major and minor pentatonic. The pentatonic scale is a reduced version of the major and minor modes of the major scale. The pentatonic scale can function as both major and minor on the guitar. I have also included the 5 box patterns you need to learn in order to memorize the scales in all keys. Jazz guitar scales basic modal scales ionian major scale play over.
Guitar pentatonic scales the 3 types of pentatonic. There are three ways youll want to learn your major. The file extension pdf and ranks to the documents category. Each one connects to the next and continues down and up the fretboard. Premium learning minor pentatonic scales pdf ebook. Clicking here and on the image below will open a pdf file of the guitar major scale chart that prints nicely. Pentatonic and blues scales there is document pentatonic and blues scales available here for reading and downloading. Pentatonic scales are cleaner as far as diagrams so theyre a little easier to work with. At any point in your improvisation, you can always try jumping back and forth between the major and the minor pentatonic blues scales. For the most part, im going to deal with pentatonic scales, but you can do blues scales instead if you want. A minor pentatonic contains scale degrees 1, b3, 4, 5, and b7. Major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar fingering. There are both pentatonic major and minor the minor is slightly more often used. D minor pentatonic has the same notes as f major pentatonic.
We already said that pentatonic scale major and minor can be used in the same place where you use the major and minor natural scales, respectively. Combining minor and major pentatonic scales guitarhabits. After trying many ways of teaching scales to students and moving them on to improvising and soloing, i have developed this exercise ebook to really get to grips with these 5 scale shapes. Use the download button below or simple online reader. The pentatonic super highway global guitar network. A minor pentatonicblues scale weeping willow guitar. Pentatonic and blues scales are effectively equivalent. The minor pentatonic scale is made from the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th notes from the minor scale for a given key. Theyve learned some of the standard box shapes, derived from the caged system, for the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales. Difference between minor and major pentatonic scale boxes. The pentatonic scale and major scale modes every guitar. You could play these licks over a iivv blues progression where a7 is the i.
This lesson comes with visual diagrams and a total of 6 licks to practice mixing these 2 scales. If you have ever wondered what the major pentatonic scale is, here you will learn how to use it and how to play it on the electric bass. Both the pentatonic major scale and minor scale have the same patterns. There is a lot of discussion about the glory of the caged system. The major pentatonic bass scale, as its name indicates, pentafive has 5 notes and is major. But this scale, besides of the possibility of being used in these contexts, can also be used in other contexts that the major and minor natural scales cannot this is the reason for you to like it. Another way of looking at the major blues is the major pentatonic with a b3. The second shows you all 6 patterns i show you in the lessons. So if you play a minor pentatonic pattern in some key, and you want to use that same pattern in the major pentatonic scale with the same root. Well, sure, i wish i knew or was taught it 40 years ago when i started playing.
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. So basically, as with major scales, the minor pentatonic scale is the relative 6th minor of the major pentatonic scale. Playing over dominant chords you can use both major and minor pentatonic scales, but once again, be cautious of the minor third when playing the minor pentatonic scale. G bb c d f how to play the pentatonic scale if you can play major and natural minor scales, then you can also play major and minor. The pentatonic super highway okay, its not so much a road as it is a pathway through a scale you probably already know, the major minor pentatonic scale. The only difference is which root notes you choose to target. Now lets combine the notes of the minor pentatonic and major pentatonic scale and create some soloing ideas. As a teacher i find that many of the intermediate or advanced level students who come to study with me may already know the 5 pentatonic patterns or boxes, but tend to have difficulty shifting between the patterns or positions when soloing. To understand how this works, look at this example. Com the 5 patterns of the major pentatonic scale for guitar.
In this guitar lesson, youll learn the benefits of mixing the major and minor pentatonic scales. So even if you hit a nonchord tone at a lessthanoptimal moment these notes will be relatively forgiving. Simply, this means that these two scales go together when playing in the key of a. Before we get started, here are the 5 pentatonic boxes in the way i look at them. Link to dedicated page for the minor pentatonic scale. For example, play a minor pentatonic over an a minor chord. This lesson will help you build licks that move smoothly between the two scales, in a. Ive encountered countless intermediate guitar players who find themselves stuck inside the pentatonic box. Chitarra scale pentatoniche pdf learn the major and minor pentatonic scales, their patterns, when to use them, and why theyre the scale shortcut. Major and minor pentatonic scales avoid significant harmonic dissonance by adverting this tritone. The two licks below use notes of both minor and major pentatonic scales.
A minor pentatonic is the relative minor scale of c major pentatonic. The minor pentatonic scale is made from the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th notes from the minor scale for a given key the major pentatonic scale is made from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th notes from the major scale for a given key the 6th and final note in the diagram is the octave note, named the same as the tonic note, and is the note where the scale starts repeating all the way up the. Notice how both an e minor em chord and a g major chord fit into pentatonic pattern 1 in the open position. The major pentatonic scale guitar shapes and theory. You can start with e minor pentatonic, but the same notes and patterns can also produce g major pentatonic. G major e minor pentatonic scale guitar scales the pentatonic scale is a favorite of many guitarists and its easy to see why. As pointed out by tim, it is a common trick to use the major pentatonic scale over the i7 chord, and then switch to the. I didnt get on with the major pentatonic until quite late and many find it considerably harder to use than its minor. Using minor and major pentatonic together effectively. Some people find it easier to think in minor terms, and some find it easier to think in minor and major terms. Major pentatonic guitar scale learn all five positions.
Various positions of the major pentatonic scale pattern 15 for guitar with the fingering on the guitar neck. Combining the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic together. Here you will find guitar scales printable charts, easy to read and use, ready to go. E, which clashes with the b7 of the iv7 chord in c. Guitar major pentatonic scale chart printable pdf subject. Since most players are far more familiar with the minor pentatonic scale shapes, this is an easy cheat for getting the major pentatonic notes under your fingers. Printable pdf ebook method containing 40 major jazz guitar licks with tab, standard notation and audio files for beginners and.
The 6th and final note in the diagram is the octave note, named the same as the tonic note. You, as the the lead guitarist, may want to keep that minor sound going on by playing the a minor pentatonic scale. The solution below shows the cb minor pentatonic scale, on the piano, bass and treble clef the lesson steps then explain how to construct the scale using the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th minor scale notes for a quick summary to this topic, have a look at pentatonic scale. The most common pentatonic scale has three whole steps and two minor thirds within an octave. Simply move the minor pentatonic scale 3 frets down and youll be playing the notes from the major pentatonic scale in the same key. Learn how to mix the major and minor pentatonic scales guitar. Jazz guitar scales minor pentatonic with b5 and 7 major pentatonic with b3. To turn a natural minor scale into a minor pentatonic scale, eliminate the 2nd and 6th scale degrees. Improvise with major, minor, pentatonic, harmonic, diminished. The pentatonic scale is frequently used in lots of popular music styles. Ill show you how to use the pentatonic to build modes. Also, the pentatonic scale can be easily turned into the blues scale by adding the blues notes.
There are many different pentatonic scales found in music around the world. Minor scales cheat sheet harmonic minor raise the 7 th scale degree melodic minor raise the 6 th and 7 th scale degree ascending, revert to. The intervals in minor pentatonic are root or 1, b3rd, 4th, 5th, and b7th. All of the below applies to the major minor scale, but can easily be applied to the pentatonic and blues without issues. Any ability 18 beginners 36 grades 12 54 grades 34 intermediate. Pentatonic scales playing over minor chords use the the minor pentatonic scale over minor chords. Link to guitar pro tab file of the minor pentatonic scale. It is actually a major arpeggio with the 2nd and 6th added. Guitar scales printable charts of the most commonly used scales. The major pentatonic scale has the 5 notes of the major scale. This pdf contains the diagrams for all the major and minor pentatonic scales in all keys for guitar in standard tuning.
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