Pentatonic Scale Positions and Keys.....

[Joeytpg]

Ok I know all 5 pentatonic scale positions or "boxes" right? I know how to play them in Minor and major (basically the root dictates the key right? otherwise everything else stays the same)

now..... how can I use all these boxes together up and down the fretboard? for example if I'm playing a song in Am

I'll start with this box...

-------5--------8-----
-------5--------8-----
-------5------7-------
-------5------7-------
-------5------7-------
-------R--------8-----


and I want to move to this box:

-------8----------10-----
-------8-----------R-----
-----7-------9-----------
-----R------------10-----
-----7------------10-----
-------8----------10------

I'll STILL be in Am pentatonic as long as I keep the focus around the Root (R) correct?

IF I was for example playing a song in the key of A (Major) how should I be choosing my notes on that box? (which one would be my root?, Bb ?

 

[Fenderoid]

U are right abut the position shift.As for the major and minor stuff.If u play over a major for ex. C major then u can use the C minor penta or the A minor.It is a common use (minor pent over major chords).As for the Am over a C major chord as u may know the Am is the relative minor of C major(they share they same notes).Fr an A major chord progression u can play Am or F#m.

 

[dgaemc2]

Yes, Joeytpg.....if you continue to play the next minor pentatonic pattern of notes...regardless of which block you are still playing minor pentatonics over the chord progression regardless of the sequence of notes you choose. The reason is the am Pentatonic contains A, C, D, E, G regardless of which "block" you are playing on the neck.

A Major Pentatonic on the other hand contains A, B, C#, E, F# regardless of which block you use up and down the neck. The great news is that the minor pentatonic and major pentatonic patterns are identical it is just that you shift the minor pentatonic pattern down 3 frets to achieve the major pentatonic in a given key. In fact, all of the A minor pentatonic patterns are also the C Major pentatonic patterns because A is the relative minor when playin in the key of C.

Fenderoid is also correct in that the F# minor pentatonic patterns is equivalent to A Major Pentatonic because F# is the relative minor when playing in the key of A Major.

Try this....start with your A minor pentatonic block starting on the 5th fret of the low E string.....when you get to the 8th fret of the high E string with your pinky.....shift down 3 frets starting with your pinky on the 5th fret of the high E string and use the exact same pattern throughout the notes from high to low. You will have just played an ascending A minor pentatonic scale up and a descending A Major pentatonic on the way down.

The cool thing is that some chord progressions in a given key work well with soloing using both the minor pentatonic and the major pentatonic. Give it a try and experiment.

Hope this helps.

 

[Joeytpg]

awesome, that was very clear, thanks guys.

If I start my pentatonic box in the low E at the 8th fret I'm playing Cm pentatonic correct? this applies to EVERY note right?

 

[dgaemc2]

By jove.....I think you got it!

Yes, if you move your index finger up to the 8th fret on the low E string and play the "conventional minor pentatonic" pattern.....the same one you started with in your original post that would be C minor pentatonic......and which Major pentatonic??? Drum roll.....

That would be Eb Major pentatonic. Why because C minor is the relative minor of Eb Major. They contain the exact same 5 notes.....and yes, this is always the case with all pentatonic patterns in all keys.

Basically, the "conventional minor/major pentatonic" pattern is the easiest to see this because the index finger on the low and high E strings is the root of the minor pentatonic pattern and your pinky is the root on the low and high E strings of the Major pentatonic scale in the same pattern. This is because they contain the exact same notes.

Glad it makes sense to you.

 

[guitarman967]

Everything here is correct and it's good that you put your time in learning the positions because it is very necessary to be a good improviser but my advice would be don't focus on if you're "playing the scale".
Remember you are a slave to the HARMONY.
If the harmony dictates A minor then you're notes will be a reflection of that whether you like it or not. Make the best of the note groupings that bring out that sound.
By the same token if the harmony dictates c major then your same a minor pentatonic notes will now be heard as c major pentatonic.

Its more important to focus on interesting melodies or interval sequences IMO.
If you have a chord progression instead of a chord vamp, then focus on the root, 3rd , 5th and upper extensions of that chord that belong to the scale when the chord is present. This will give a sound of "nailing the changes".

 

[berklee]

You're definitely on the right track...

A couple humble suggestions:
1. Try and get yourself to the point where you know what you're going to play and what it's going to sound like before you play it - that's how you'll ultimately start to get your own voice on the instrument.
2. Once you finish sorting out pentatonics, move on to the next step and learn the complete major/minor/blues scales. Smashing away in a pentatonic is both fun and safe, but the notes that are available to you outside of the pentatonics are the ones that will make your musical phrases far more interesting and ultimately more... 'you'.
3. Most importantly (as always), do what you want and have a good time doing it.

 

[Bogged]

The two boxes you showed are (1) minor and (2) major pentatonic shapes as seen in the CAGED system. If you start on 5th fret 6th string with the two boxes you showed then you have your (1) Am minor and (2) A major pentatonics.