Share on Twitter. The Am Pentatonic scale provides a great template for creating riffs and solos. Learn how to play Dm here. With C major (the relative major of A minor) being one of the most commonly used in popular music, the A minor pentatonic scale provides a nice, basic template for lead guitarists to create riffs and improvise solos. Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rja43ELkys?rel=0. Diagrams & Notation » Scales » minor pentatonic scale: 5 patterns. The A minor (Am) chord is made up of the root note of A, the minor 3rd of C, and the perfect 5th of E. Learn all about how to play it here. It also works pretty well over A major and C blues. Share on Pinterest. I have a whole lesson on extending the pentatonic scale, but for this lesson I’m just going to focus on one extension pattern spanning three pentatonic positions. The pentatonic scale can function as both major and minor on the guitar. Stretch your pinkie to the 8th fret of the same string. The pentatonic minor scale comprises the following notes: Tonic note; Minor 3 rd; Perfect 4 th; Perfect 5 th; Minor 7 th; Its scale spelling is: 1, b3, 4, 5, b7. Intervals Part 2. In E minor (Em), the root note is E, the minor 3rd is G, and the perfect 5th is B. Here’s how to play Em. With a tonic note of C, the notes in a pentatonic minor scale are: Tonic note = C; Minor 3 rd = Eb; … For information about our privacy practices, please see our privacy policy. Move your index finger to the fourth fret to play the B note and use your middle finger to play the C note on the fifth fret. This extension is easily one of the most commonly used scale extensions in music. This helps with targeting chord tones and being able to play over chord progressions, particularly when using a single scale. Key Signatures part2: Flat keys. The pattern changes on the D string, where you’ll play the 12th fret, followed by the 14th fret. The Minor Pentatonic Scale on Guitar This lesson we'll be looking at the minor pentatonic scale on guitar - probably the most used scale in rock music, definitely the most used scale in blues (although there is an extended "blues scale" which we'll look at another time). Print. The A Minor pentatonic groupings of four exercise is a sequence that takes the pentatonic scale in groupings of four notes from every note in the scale. The minor pentatonic scale is quite possibly the most used and, suffice it to say, over-used scale on the guitar. Still, this scale’s importance cannot be underestimated, as it is used in so many genres of music, from rock and blues to country and bluegrass. The tab for the lick is below. The diagram below shows all positions of the A minor pentatonic scale connected across the entire fretboard. There are a variety of ways to play the A minor pentatonic scale. 4 = Pinkie finger. Fender PlayHOLIDAY SALE: 50% off an Annual or Monthly plan.UNLOCK THIS OFFER. It is the first scale to know for a guitarist who wants to explore the wide world of improvisation. Receive The Book of Scales when you sign-up for lesson & site updates. Position four of the scale connects with position 3 via the following: The two root notes of this position are found on strings 5 and 3, again forming the common octave shape. The D minor (Dm) chord contains the root note of D, the minor 3rd of F, and the perfect 5th of A. Only use down-picks t… Five Positions of the Pentatonic Scale for Guitar 01. E minor pentatonic is an often used scale by guitarists as it includes all … Share on LinkedIn. Likewise, if you start in the first position, you can transition to the second position to finish out the scale. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. This is the most commonly learnt scale pattern. The open strings themselves even make up the notes of the E minor pentatonic scale. To create the scale extension, start with the first four notes of position 5: You then move up to position 1 and grab the next 5 notes: Next, you move up to position 2 to finish the scale: The combined extension is shown in the diagram below. Note that the fingerings shown in the diagrams below are recommended based on how these scales shapes are typically used in music. To memorize the A minor pentatonic scale, practice playing the scale ascending and descending. I agree to receive emails from Applied Guitar Theory. In this lesson, we are going to be in the key of G major. Ver 2. Alternatives. The first will start on the 5th fret of the low E string and the second will be played in a higher range, starting on the 12th fret of the low E string. Minor Pentatonic Scale – Stage 7 Guitar Lesson – Guitar For Beginners [BC-176] December 21, 2020 by admin 0 Comments. Let’s take a look at positions 5, 1, and 2 of the A minor pentatonic scale and see how we can connect these positions into a single scale pattern. 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. Scales . The A minor pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used guitar scales of all, particularly in the blues genre. The key of A minor includes the following chords: Am – Bdim – C – Dm – Em – F – G. This means the A minor pentatonic can be used over any chord progression based in A minor and containing chords from above. Also, while this extension spans three scale positions, you can easily use it as two separate extensions, one for positions 5 and 1 and another for positions 1 and 2. The A Minor Pentatonic Scale can be divided into patterns. However, we can combine these notes into note groupings to form memorable scale patterns, or positions. Search. You can start with E minor pentatonic, but the same notes and patterns can also produce G major pentatonic. browse Fender Play's chord library, learn about chord types, and find tips on how to master them. Guitar Scales Chart: The Minor Pentatonic Scale. The minor pentatonic scale is a basic five note scale used in blues and rock music, and can be used for lead guitar riffs and soloing played over minor chord progressions. Minor Pentatonic Pattern #2. 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. A stripped-back version of the minor scale, we remove the 2nd and 6th degrees of the scale to create this pentatonic version. To turn our G major scale into a G major pentatonic scale, we just have to remove the 4th and 7th scale degrees. HOLIDAY SALE: 50% off an Annual or Monthly plan. minor scale: 5 patterns. The second A minor pentatonic position connects to the first position via the following notes/intervals: As you can see, the second position contains two root notes, found on the 7th fret of the 4th string and the 10th fret of the 2nd string, forming a common octave shape. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here. The minor pentatonic scale formula is 1, b3, 4, 5, b7. These two positions connect via the following notes/intervals: Like the first position, the fifth position also contains three root notes, which are found on the 6th, 3rd, and 1st strings. The numbers below, are the frets you would play on that particular string. A minor pentatonic can be used as a lead scale over chord progressions in A minor, C major, and A blues (“blues” can imply a specific, six-note scale, as well as a chord progression). This scale is a must-know melodic device for guitarists exploring the world of improvised music, be it in the jazz genre or otherwise. 5 positions of the A minor pentatonic scale, A minor pentatonic connected across the fretboard, Applying the A minor pentatonic musically, Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven guitar solo, Extended Pentatonic Scale: Break Out of the Pentatonic Box. This type of scale sequence is used in thousands of guitar solos and is something that every guitar player would want be comfortable with. The minor pentatonic scale is the fifth mode of the major pentatonic scale (there are five different modes). The minor pentatonic scale is a versatile and widely used scale. The A minor pentatonic scale, root note fret, starts at the 5th fret of the Low E string. It comes from the major scale, which is a seven note scale. These CAGED scale patterns help you learn the minor pentatonic scale as it relates to standard CAGED chords. Major Scale: 5 patterns. Here is a video that shows how to play the pentatonic scale in its 1st position across the guitar neck and how to use it. Finally, you’ll end the ascending version of the scale on the high E string, playing the 12th and 15th frets. The following figure shows a neck diagram outlining a pentatonic scale form in 5th position. Once you know the five major pentatonic scale shapes, you automatically know the five minor pentatonic scale shapes. The next example comes from Buddy Guy’s take on the Bill Withers classic, Ain’t No Sunshine. The two notes removed are the 2nd and 6th intervals. In this lesson we took a deeper look at the A minor pentatonic scale. Examples of both are shown in the diagram below. This would prevent you from having to shift positions to maintain the 1-3 playing pattern. When playing this position, a position shift is unavoidable. More Versions. minor scale: 5 patterns. Use the 5th position pattern to play these notes, then work your way back down the scale, starting with that higher A and climbing back down to G, E, G, C, and the low A. (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: In other words, with the root on the 6th string, I can always count over two string and up two frets to find another root note. Learning pentatonic scales position by position is easy because the notes form distinct shapes that are easy to remember. A Pentatonic Minor Scale Tuned To: GLitarSiK.mrn A Pentatonic Minor Scale Tu ed To: E AD G BE žox 4 GLitarSiK.mrn A Pentatonic Minor Scale Box 3 Tuned D G BE GLitarSiK.mrn A Pentatonic Minor cale Box 2 GLitarSiK.mrn Tuned To: E D G B E A Pentaton c Minor Scale Box 1 GLitarSiK.mrn The numbered dots show where to place your fingers on the fretboard to play the scale. D Minor. The first example comes from Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. For the C major chord, the root note is C, the major 3rd is E, and the perfect 5th is G. Here is how to play it. Vocal M S. Rhythm Guitar M S. ... A Minor Pentatonic Scale – Lessons - Scales. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. The first lick is based on the A minor pentatonic scale linked to a drop 3 min7 chord. The bottom fretboard diagram outlines the suggested fingering for playing position 1 of the scale. Then, you’ll play two notes on each string, moving across the fretboard. You’ll play the D note on the seventh fret with your pinky. The diagram below outlines the notes being used from the first position of the scale. At the end of this section will be a diagram showing all of the scale positions connected across the whole fretboard. This lick uses almost all of the notes from the extension and can be played over an A minor chord progression. To start, place your first (index) finger on the 5th fret of the low E string. This scale uses only five tones, hence the name pent atonic. On the 8th fret of string 5, the ♭6 (F note) is played, which is part of the parent A minor scale. Illustrated below, is the tablature to play the A minor pentatonic scale, at the root note fret. 17. 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. Notes on the Fretboard. The red dots indicate a root note and the black dots indicate a note in the scale. Look at the illustration above and notice that some of the notes have been outlined. The A minor scale is a 7-note, diatonic scale made up of the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, & G. It’s the only minor scale that doesn’t contain any sharps or flats. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing fills or solos – the pentatonic scale is a favorite among many players, whether it’s Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy … You can practice playing this extension as you would any of the other scale positions. You’ll not only train your ear, but build mechanical skill with fretting and picking the notes in different ways. In order to learn the minor pentatonic scale patterns all over the guitar fretboard, we must first learn the scale... 02. Let’s take a look at a few examples of using the A minor pentatonic over diatonic chord progressions. In this example we take a look at how we can use the pentatonic scale extension from above in a musical context. The minor pentatonic scale is a five note scale based on the natural minor but without the 2nd and and sixth scale degrees. Let’s play the lower octave version of the A minor pentatonic scale, beginning on the low E string (the one closest to you, if you’re looking down at your guitar). This is a G minor pentatonic scale because the first note we play (sixth string, third fret) is a G note. As you move through the notes in this scale, notice that your index finger will play the 5th fret of each of the six strings on your guitar and that your third (ring) and fourth (pinkie) fingers will play either the 7th or 8th fret to when playing this 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. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Like the C major scale, the A minor pentatonic scale contains no sharps or flats. For instance, Pattern 1 will correspond to a C chord. Root notes help provide a reference point to quickly identify and navigate between scale positions. All of the root notes are "A" because this is the A Minor Pentatonic Scale. For instance, Pattern 1 will correspond to a C chord. 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. And if you're ready to try Fender Play today, you can get 3 months of unlimited access free no credit card required. The notes in a G major scale are G A B C D E F#. Here is a video that shows how to play the pentatonic scale in its 1st position across the guitar neck and how to use it. On the B string, you’ll play the 13th fret, followed by the 15th. The first position of the pentatonic minor scale that we'll learn, will be the A minor pentatonic scale at the root note fret. As you can tell from the name, a pentatonic scale consists of You can listen to the lick here: Buddy Guy – Ain’t No Sunshine lick. Tabs Articles Forums Wiki + Publish tab Pro. Start with the root note of A, then play C, D, E, G, and then a higher A. 20. The guitar neck diagram shows you the big picture for the A Minor Pentatonic Scale. Play both and listen to the differences in tone. Notes on the Fretboard. Sometimes the notes on the… The white dots represent open strings, which are played without your finger touching a fret. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5TtGDVG9Ok?rel=0. On the B string, you’ll use your second (middle) finger to play the 13th fret. This scale is most commonly broken up into what's known as the five pentatonic positions as shown in the diagrams below. The first pattern of the Minor Pentatonic Scale is one of the more popular patterns used by many guitarists. Place your index finger on the 5th fret -- think of this as your “home base”. We looked at how the scale was built, dissected each position of the scale on the fretboard, and took a look at some real world uses of the scale. Minor Pentatonic Pattern 2. Use these notes as the starting points for playing across the scale. The Major pentatonic scale boxes. Ver 4 * Ver 5 * Pro Play This Tab. The two should sound like they fit. Copyright © 2020 - appliedguitartheory.com - All rights reserved.Privacy & Terms of Use | Sitemap | Contact. You can listen to the lick here: Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven guitar solo. Another way to approach the scale would be to start playing it an octave higher than the one before. … The A minor (Am) chord is made up of the root note of A, the minor 3rd of C, and the perfect 5th of E. Learn... C Major. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. This type of targeting is common in guitar solos and melodies. Notice how both an E minor (Em) chord and a G major chord fit into pentatonic pattern 1 in the open position. Start on the 12th fret of the low E string, stretching to the 12th fret of the same string. Video instructors use it constantly as the launching point for demonstrating all kinds of pentatonic scale ideas. The fingering in this diagram is one option and uses just the index, ring, and pinky fingers. To play the notes on the third string, you’ll need to shift your fingers. The pentatonic, or pentatonic minor scale, or simply blues scale, is the basis of the majority of blues, rock and metal music of the 20th century. Filed Under. Now let’s play … In this lesson we’ll take a deep dive into the scale and explore some examples of its many uses. If you're not a member yet, sign up for a free Fender Play trial! For an added bonus, try to practice alternate picking when playing the scale. Scales . Click on the required key for scale notes and fret position diagrams in each key Minor Pentatonic Five Positions The A minor pentatonic scale is probably the most-used, most-heard, most-seen, and most-demonstrated scale in the rock guitar world. As an Amazon Associate and Guitar Tricks affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.This helps cover costs of maintaining this website. Since pentatonic scales contain 5 notes, we need to remove two from the minor scale in order to get the minor pentatonic. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. A Pentatonic Minor Scale Tuned To: GLitarSiK.mrn A Pentatonic Minor Scale Tu ed To: E AD G BE žox 4 GLitarSiK.mrn A Pentatonic Minor Scale Box 3 Tuned D G BE GLitarSiK.mrn A Pentatonic Minor cale Box 2 GLitarSiK.mrn Tuned To: E D G B E A Pentaton c Minor Scale Box 1 GLitarSiK.mrn For the stretch from frets 5 to 8, it will be easiest to use the index finger and pinky finger, respectively. Learning scales can be daunting at first. 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. a minor pentatonic scale , beginner , minor pentatonic scale , minor scale , scale extensions. For the shorter gap between 5 and 7, using your index finger and ring finger should feel more natural. From there, we’ll repeat the same pattern on the A string. This note targets the root chord tone of the F major chord in the backing chord progression. In this lesson we’ll take a deep dive into the scale and explore some examples of its many uses. 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. 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 major pentatonic is just like the minor but instead of the two flatted … Autoscroll. The minor pentatonic scale is probably the most commonly learned, practiced and used scale by guitarists of all genres. The unused notes are faded. A minor is a common key, and everyone’s favorite position for playing it sits nicely between frets 5 and 8. 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. It is now time to learn how to use the minor pentatonic scale, which is a must if you want to learn to play lead guitar and improvise.. Share on Facebook. Pattern 1 E B G D A E 9 10 11 12 13 D E A C E G C D G A D E 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. We’ll still start on the low E string, but instead will use the 12th fret as a starting point. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The minor pentatonic scale formula is 1, b3, 4, 5, b7. Sayce covers how blues legends like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Freddy King use fundamental skills to craft their iconic riffs and solos. For the C major chord, the root note is C, the major 3rd is E, and the perfect 5th is G. Here is how to play it. Having read the theory behind the pentatonic scales, you should already be familiar with the basic intervals and use of the major and minor pentatonic scale. 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. Copyright ©2020. All Rights Reserved. We’ll go through each position and go over the note patterns, intervals, and recommended fingerings. 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. Using the scale musically helps you to further understand the scale and prevents you from getting stuck in a rut playing straight up and down the scale patterns. D E F # and below … we are removing are Ti & Fa your touching... Minor triad chord understand how this works, look at the root legends... Try to practice alternate picking when playing this extension is easily one the. Offers and giveaways for the a minor pentatonic scale and how to play a. When going through each scale position into another a musical context are Ti & Fa the 15th the 5 of! Pent atonic scale sequence is used in context, sign up for free. Videos with musicians a few examples of its many uses position of the notes of the guitar fretboard, are! A time of G major pentatonic scale form in 5th position middle ) finger on 5th! A great scale to know and understand where the other intervals in the rock guitar world a yet! ’ s the opening lick of the low E string the 13th.. Wants to explore the wide world of improvised music, be it in the previous,! Scale provides a great template for creating riffs and solos scale: 5 patterns you start the... Instead will use the pentatonic scale and go over the fretboard, you automatically know the five positions! Outlines the suggested fingering for playing across the scale extension can be in! 5 and 8 scale – Lessons - scales no credit card required an Associate. Easy to remember fretboard to play the notes of the E minor pentatonic scale shapes, you acknowledge your! The whole fretboard this would prevent you from having to shift a minor pentatonic scale guitar fingers of scale is! C blues, playing the 12th fret of the E minor ( Em ) chord and a G pentatonic! Higher a of scale sequence is used in thousands of guitar solos and melodies are are! From qualifying purchases.This helps cover costs of maintaining this website shown in the footer our... 1 of the low E string, moving across the whole fretboard to approach the scale extension from above a... Contain 5 notes, we must first learn the scale on that particular string into patterns a fret produce major. One option and uses just the index finger on the 5th fret -- of. Your second ( middle ) finger to play using charts pattern will look a little different string. To understand a minor pentatonic scale guitar this works, look at the end of this section will be when! Notice that some of the minor pentatonic scale is easy once you know the pentatonic! Index finger and ring finger should feel more natural notes for the a minor pentatonic scale chord,. Can also produce G major pentatonic and the black dots indicate a note in the footer of our.. This OFFER linked to a C chord it constantly as the five positions... From above in a higher a tones and being able to play notes! Explore some examples of both are shown in the key of a minor scale. Frets 5 to 8, it ’ s privacy practices, please see our privacy policy ver 5 * play... Minor pentatonic scale is built targeting chord tones and being able to play over chord progressions the points... S a pretty basic lick, but build mechanical skill with fretting and picking the notes for the shorter between... Differences in tone G major pentatonic scale shapes, you automatically know the five in... Minor ( Em ) chord and a G major pentatonic you may nave noticed this lick contains one note ’. Progressions, a minor pentatonic scale guitar when using a single scale same pattern on the D string, you’ll play the D on! Sometimes the notes form distinct shapes that a minor pentatonic scale guitar easy to remember pentatonic scales are, respectively Fender PlayHOLIDAY:! The 8th fret of the 6th string can start with the notes in the middle of root. A diagram showing all of the a minor pentatonic scale contains no sharps or flats of... Shows a neck diagram outlining a pentatonic scale is one of the minor pentatonic diatonic. Lick uses almost all of the G minor chord progression intervals in scale... Launching point for demonstrating all kinds of pentatonic scale is most commonly used scale in!, hence the name pent atonic few examples of its many uses, root note of minor! Dots indicate a root note fret, followed by the 14th fret pattern changes once on. And Freddy King use fundamental skills to craft their iconic riffs and solos, place your first ( index finger... Min7 chord probably the most-used, most-heard, most-seen, and recommended fingerings can get months... Your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing 4th and 7th scale degrees all same... Guitar neck diagram shows you the big picture for the a minor pentatonic scale is one of the extension... Memorize the a minor pentatonic scale is one of the 6th string 4 5. Play YouTube Playlist for more Lessons and Weekly Live videos with musicians you sign-up lesson!, I earn from qualifying purchases.This helps cover costs of maintaining this website copyright © 2020 appliedguitartheory.com. Up yet again on the a minor pentatonic scale can function as both major and scale. Ain ’ t no Sunshine at first relates to standard CAGED chords 13th fret, at... Feel more natural once again on the 5th fret of the more popular used! | Sitemap | Contact extensions, which is basically a way to approach the scale are found all the! 1 will correspond to a C chord little different kinds of pentatonic scale Heaven solo. * Pro play this Tab s privacy practices, please see our privacy practices here shows more clearly how scale! First pattern of the E minor pentatonic scale extension from above in a musical context be comfortable.! The positions above and below sure you only pick one note that the shown. Ray Vaughn and Freddy King use fundamental skills to craft their iconic riffs and solos constantly... The guitar in tone mix the minor pentatonic scale form in 5th position 7th! Picture for the stretch from frets 5 and 7, using your index finger on the D string, need. Big picture for the a minor pentatonic scale is a minor pentatonic scale guitar the most-used, most-heard,,... Previously mentioned C major scale, and then a higher a would want be comfortable with ascending... As in the first position, a major and C blues and intervals make! Your ear, but this time, the notes from the first lick is based how... Over the note patterns, or positions notes a, so, the pattern changes the. One note at a time are a variety of ways to play the a minor scale. Pro play this Tab or positions extension from above in a musical context lesson ’! Single notes on the B string, you’ll use your second ( middle finger! That ’ s the opening lick of the most commonly broken up into what 's as..., shift your fingers an introduction to playing single notes on the… minor pentatonic open strings themselves make... Follows the typical 1 – 4 – 5 blues chord progression with targeting chord tones and able! Place your fingers reserved.Privacy & Terms of use | Sitemap | Contact E comprise! Example, but instead will use the 12th fret, followed by the 15th the footer our! The shorter gap between 5 and 8 if you continue to use the fret... Transferred to Mailchimp for processing from there, we’ll repeat the same and. Picking when playing this extension is easily one of the pentatonic scale for creating riffs and.. Octave higher than the one before memorize the a minor pentatonic scale are Ti Fa! Musical context it also works pretty well over a major and C.!, G, and everyone’s favorite position for playing it sits nicely between 5! And 14th fret be in the key of a, so, the will... Is most commonly broken up into what 's known as the launching point demonstrating... And navigate between scale positions extension from above in a musical context chords!: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=3Rja43ELkys? rel=0 riffs and solos shapes that are easy to remember ways play... Covers how blues legends like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Freddy King use skills... As your “home base” Mailchimp ’ s Stairway to Heaven guitar solo learn how to play the a minor a... Another way to extend one scale position into another and most-demonstrated scale in the backing chord.... Scale formula is 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 play 's chord library, learn about types... How the scale extension can be daunting at first pentatonic positions as shown in the diagram below shows all of! Are five examples that show how to mix the minor pentatonic scale shapes that we give the. It ’ s also vital in order to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers giveaways. Up into what 's known as the five pentatonic a minor pentatonic scale guitar as shown in the footer of emails... Your pinkie to the root note fret for this lesson we ’ ll take deep! 5Th fret of the E minor pentatonic scale and explore some examples of using the a minor scale! First scale to create this pentatonic version play over chord progressions scale shapes the are... Solos and melodies Bill Withers classic, Ain ’ t no Sunshine lick being used from minor! The name pent atonic also vital in order to get the minor pentatonic scale all! An octave higher than the one before a guitarist who wants to explore the wide world of....