Here is this set of
pentatonic scales and chords with the example
of how to practice them at the end. The
following will be the three chords: major, minor
and half-diminished and the three pentatonic
scales which we will assign to them. The
numbers that name the scales (for example: 4/5)
tells us where the root note to the scale is
located on the guitar. The "4" represent
which finger plays the root note and the "5"
tells us which string. So, "4/5" =
the fourth finger finds the root on the /fifth
string.
|
E
minor chord
|
The
1/5 minor pentatonic scale |
X
X
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| 1 |
| | | 7th fret
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | 2 |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | 3 4 | |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
X X
| |
6th string 1st
string |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | |
| |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
1 1 1 1 |
1 7th fret
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | 2
|
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | 3 3
| |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
|
| | | | |
4 4 | |
4 4
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| |
6th string 1st
string |
| E
major chord |
The
2/5 pentatonic scale |
|
X
X
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| 1 |
| | | 7th fret
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | 3 3
3 |
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
X
X
| |
6th string 1st
string
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | 1 1
| |
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
2 2 |
| 2 2
7th fret
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
4 4 4 4
4 4
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
|
| | | | |
| | | |
| |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| |
6th string 1st
string |
| E
minor 7 b5 chord |
The
1/5 minor flat 5 pentatonic scale
|
X
X
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | | | |
|
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| 1 | 2 |
| 7th fret
| | | |
| |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | 3 | 4
|
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
X
X
| |
6th string 1st
string |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
1s | | | | 1s
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | |
|
| 1 1 1 |
| 7th fret
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | 2 | 2 |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | |
| | | 3
| |
| | | | |
|
+--+--+--+--+--+
|
| | | |
|
4 4 | |
4 4
| | | |
| |
+--+--+--+--+--+
| |
6th string 1st
string |
Now, as in study
number one, you have enough scales to work on
all of the pentatonic scale/chord studies in one
key. Try this. We will still be using
the key of E minor.
In E natural minor
(the Aeolian mode) the chords are E minor, F#
half diminished, G, A minor, B minor, C, and D.
First play the chord
then the corresponding scale.
Em
E:-----------------7-10-7-----------------------------
B:-8-----------8-10-------10-8------------------------
G:-9--------7-9---------------9-7---------------------
D:-9-----7-9---------------------9-7------------------
A:-7-7-10---------------------------10-7-------7------
E:--------------------------------------10-7-10-------
F#m7b5
E:---------------------8-12-8---------------------------
B:-10-------------10-12------12-10----------------------
G:--9---------9-11----------------11-9------------------
D:-10-----9-10------------------------10-9--------------
A:--9-9-12--------------------------------12-9--------9-
E:--------------------------------------------12-8-12---
G
E:----------------------10-12-10-----------------------------
B:-12--------------10-12--------12-10------------------------
G:-12----------9-12------------------12-9--------------------
D:-12------9-12--------------------------12-9----------------
A:-10-10-12----------------------------------12-10--------10-
E:------------------------------------------------12-10-12---
Am
E:-----------------------12-15-12---------------------------------
B:13----------------13-15--------15-13----------------------------
G:14-----------12-14------------------14-12-----------------------
D:14------12-14----------------------------14-12------------------
A:12-12-15--------------------------------------15-12---------12--
E:----------------------------------------------------15-12-15----
Just for the sake of it (I'm never really sure
when to turn around in these lessons since I am
not familiar with your guitar) I'm turning around
now. We'll go down the neck to the B minor
at the 2nd fret before turning around again and
heading back up the neck to where we started,
E minor.
G
E:---------------------10-12-10-------------------------------
B:12--------------10-12--------12-10--------------------------
G:12----------9-12------------------12-9----------------------
D:12------9-12--------------------------12-9------------------
A:10-10-12----------------------------------12-10---------10--
E:-----------------------------------------------12-10-12-----
F#m7b5
E:---------------------8-12-8---------------------------
B:-10-------------10-12------12-10----------------------
G:--9---------9-11----------------11-9------------------
D:-10-----9-10------------------------10-9--------------
A:--9-9-12--------------------------------12-9--------9-
E:--------------------------------------------12-8-12---
Em
E:-----------------7-10-7-----------------------------
B:-8-----------8-10-------10-8------------------------
G:-9--------7-9---------------9-7---------------------
D:-9-----7-9---------------------9-7------------------
A:-7-7-10---------------------------10-7-------7------
E:--------------------------------------10-7-10-------
D
E:---------------5-7-5--------------------------------
B:-7----------5-7-----7-5-----------------------------
G:-7-------4-7-----------7-4--------------------------
D:-7----4-7-----------------7-4-----------------------
A:-5-5-7-----------------------7-5-----5--------------
E:--------------------------------7-5-7---------------
C
E:---------------3-5-3--------------------------------
B:-5----------3-5-----5-3-----------------------------
G:-5-------2-5-----------5-2--------------------------
D:-5----2-5-----------------5-2-----------------------
A:-3-3-5-----------------------5-3------3-------------
E:--------------------------------5-3-5---------------
Bm
E:---------------2-5-2--------------------------------
B:-3----------3-5-----5-3-----------------------------
G:-4-------2-4-----------4-2--------------------------
D:-4----2-4-----------------4-2-----------------------
A:-2-2-5-----------------------5-2------2-------------
E:--------------------------------5-2-5---------------
Now we turn to go back up.
C
E:---------------3-5-3--------------------------------
B:-5----------3-5-----5-3-----------------------------
G:-5-------2-5-----------5-2--------------------------
D:-5----2-5-----------------5-2-----------------------
A:-3-3-5-----------------------5-3------3-------------
E:--------------------------------5-3-5---------------
D
E:---------------5-7-5--------------------------------
B:-7----------5-7-----7-5-----------------------------
G:-7-------4-7-----------7-4--------------------------
D:-7----4-7-----------------7-4-----------------------
A:-5-5-7-----------------------7-5------5-------------
E:--------------------------------7-5-7---------------
and then we end here.
Em
E:-----------------7-10-7-----------------------------
B:-8-----------8-10-------10-8------------------------
G:-9--------7-9---------------9-7---------------------
D:-9-----7-9---------------------9-7------------------
A:-7-7-10---------------------------10-7-------7------
E:--------------------------------------10-7-10-------
You don't have to follow this particular
example. If you can, it's better to play
up the neck as high as you can go and then come
back down. Here, I showed you a typical
example that an acoustic guitar player might use.
In any case, make sure to include only these chords
which are in the key of E minor (G major):
E minor, F# minor b5, G, A minor,
B minor, C and D and then go on to work it out
in other keys.