In terms of semitones, it’s 3 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 2. When going through each scale position, it’s important to note the location of the root notes. The notes for the A minor pentatonic scale are found all over the fretboard, as shown in the diagram below. The essential guide to complete fretboard mastery at Udemy, This website earns advertising commissions. When playing this position, a position shift is unavoidable. The fingering shown in the diagram can be altered by using the middle and pinky fingers when playing the notes on strings 6, 5, 2, and 1. The image below Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. On the 8th fret of string 5, the ♭6 (F note) is played, which is part of the parent A minor scale. Root notes help provide a reference point to quickly identify and navigate between scale positions. The third position of the A minor pentatonic scale connects to the second with the following notes/intervals: The third position again contains two root notes, found on the 2nd and 5th strings. This scale is most commonly broken up into what's known as the five pentatonic positions as shown in the diagrams below. Minor Pentatonic Scale: The minor pentatonic scale is 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 of the natural minor scale. Now see a shape for the A minor pentatonic scale: *Notes played: A, C, D, E, G. This extension is easily one of the most commonly used scale extensions in music. Alternatively, you could use the middle finger in place of the index on the notes played on the 8th fret of the 6th, 2nd, and 1st strings. Sometimes it's easier to think of a major pentatonic scale that starts and ends on degree 6. This would prevent you from having to shift positions to maintain the 1-3 playing pattern. A minor pentatonic contains scale degrees 1, b3, 4, 5, and b7. The first position of the A minor pentatonic starts with the A note on the 5th fret of the 6th string. The fingering for the fourth position is pretty straightforward, though some may prefer to use the middle and pinky fingers for the two notes on the 2nd string. The fingering in this diagram is one option and uses just the index, ring, and pinky fingers. The A minor pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used guitar scales of all, particularly in the blues genre. The first example comes from Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. This helps with targeting chord tones and being able to play over chord progressions, particularly when using a single scale. The formula describes the interval distances between each note of the scale. This scale is most commonly broken up into what's known as the five pentatonic positions as shown in the diagrams below. A shape for the C major pentatonic scale can be: *Notes played: C, D, E, G, A. The only thing that changes is the root note from which the scale is built. The scale formula for the minor pentatonic can be a useful thing to know if you want to work out the notes in any given minor pentatonic scale. This means the formula for the minor pentatonic scale is made up of the 1st (root), 3rd (♭3), 4th (p4), 5th (p5), and 7th (♭7) from the minor scale. Because it’s a minor scale, it follows the following pattern of whole & half-steps: If we apply this formula to the chromatic intervals on the guitar, you can see how the minor scale is built. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It is derived from the natural minor scale. This means the formula for the minor pentatonic scale is made up of the 1st (root), 3rd (♭3), 4th (p4), 5th (p5), and 7th (♭7) from the minor scale. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. This means the formula for the minor pentatonic scale is made up of the 1st (root), 3rd (♭3), 4th (p4), 5th (p5), and 7th (♭7) from the minor scale. You can listen to the lick here: Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven guitar solo. This site contains affiliate links. When you do this, you get 5 different positions of the A minor pentatonic scale, several of which repeat in different locations on the fretboard. Notice the overlap in each scale position where it connects to the positions above and below. Then you choose a scale formula. The minor pentatonic uses the 1st, minor 3rd, 4th, 5th and minor 7th notes of a major scale or 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th of the natural minor scale. This note targets the root chord tone of the F major chord in the backing chord progression. The two notes removed are the 2nd and 6th intervals. The first position contains three root notes, which form a triangular shape on the guitar fretboard: It’s important to note that while this position can be played in both octaves of the fretboard (the same note pattern is found starting on the 15th fret of string 6), the interval locations are always the same relative to each other. The fifth, and last, A minor pentatonic position connects to the fourth via the following: The fifth scale position also connects with the first as the scale positions start over again. Since pentatonic scales contain 5 notes, we need to remove two from the minor scale in order to get the minor pentatonic. By now, you should feel pretty comfortable with the A minor pentatonic scale and be armed with the knowledge to apply it effectively to your guitar playing. Use the minor pentatonic scale over minor chords. Learn how to play up and down the neck with ease and break out of those box patterns, Author: Lee Nichols Creator of www.guitar-chords.or.uk, Like GPS for your guitar! (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[4]='FREQ';ftypes[4]='radio';fnames[3]='FLOCATION';ftypes[3]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Tags: Likewise, if you start in the first position, you can transition to the second position to finish out the scale. However, it’s a good idea to start combining these shapes early on so you don’t just view them as “boxed” patterns that are played independently of each other. To find out more about cookies, privacy and how we use advertising, please read our Advertising Disclaimer, Contact Info - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy, Copyright © 2007 - 2020 www.guitar-chords.org.uk. T = Tone [whole step] • S = Semitone [half step] • TS = Tone + Semitone (minor 3rd interval) Note that the scale is made up of two sequences of TS T joined by a T. This might help you remember it! The easiest place to start when applying the A minor pentatonic scale is to use it over a chord progression in the key of A minor. The part of the solo we’re going to look at uses the fourth position of the A minor pentatonic scale and is played over the Am chord. That is, a natural minor scale without degrees 2 and 6. The chord progression over which the lick is being played is straight from the key of A minor: Am – G – F. This lick is played using position 1 of the A minor pentatonic scale. If you are stuck in the pentatonic box then this is the way out of it. The minor pentatonic scale contains all four notes of the minor seventh chord (1-b3-5-b7). The fingering noted in the diagram requires two position shifts, but it can be reduced to one if you prefer to use the middle finger in place of the index finger on strings 4, 5, and 6. Start and finish on the root notes. This note can clash, but you can bend the minor third up a half step to a major third, which is a common tactic by blues guitarists. Playing Over Minor Chords. Using the circle of fifths as a tool we can see how this works in a sharp direction. The song is written in the key of A minor and follows the typical 1 – 4 – 5 blues chord progression. You may nave noticed this lick contains one note that’s not part of the minor pentatonic scale. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here. The two notes removed are the 2nd and 6th intervals. That is, a natural minor scale without degrees 2 and 6. Click on the required key for scale notes and fret position diagrams in each key, Pentatonic Scale Fluency: Available on Kindle and Paperback, Master the minor pentatonic scale using the whole fretboard, If you are stuck in the pentatonic box then this is the way out of it. The bottom fretboard diagram outlines the suggested fingering for playing position 1 of the scale. In other words, when you move from the fifth position up to the first, position, you can finish out the scale in the first position instead of transitioning to the second position.

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