The Minor Pentatonic Guitar Scale

The minor pentatonic guitar scale is one of the most influential scales guitarists use. It is a scale made up of five notes per octave. To hear some of the many ways it is used just listen to any one of your favorite rock bands. Almost all rock songs use the scale in some form. It is also used heavily in blues. The beauty of the pentatonic scale is that you can't really play a bad note.

This scale is derived form playing only five of the seven notes found in the natural minor scale. If you take out the 2nd and 6th notes of the natural minor scale you are left with intervals 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7. These are the notes that make up the minor pentatonic guitar scale. In the key of E minor the notes are named E, G, A, B, and D for intervals 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7.

Below is the fingering pattern for the minor pentatonic scale. I have written it out in the key of E minor but you can move the pattern up and down the neck to play the same scale in different keys. For example if you played the same pattern starting on The 7th fret of the sixth string you would be playing the B minor pentatonic scale.

E minor pentatonic:

|--X--|-----|------|--X--|
|--X--|-----|------|--X--|
|--X--|-----|--X--|------|
|--X--|-----|--X--|------|
|--X--|-----|--X--|------|
|--X--|-----|------|--X--|
*12th fret

This is one of the truly amazing characteristics of the guitar that set it aside from any other instrument. It is easier to play in different keys because the fingering patterns remain the same. All you have to do is move them up and down the neck to accomadate whatever key your jamming in.

For this reason I suggest that after you memorize the scale patterns I am showing you today try moving them up and down the neck. While doing this take notice of each new tonic note. Say it out loud if it will help you remember. Get this under your belt and when someone your playing with says lets jam in B minor you will know exactly where that is and have a minor pentatonic guitar scale pattern under your fingers to rock out with.

Unleash the Power of the Minor Pentatonic Guitar Scale