Pentatonic guitar scales - the 5 pentatonic scale shapes
How to learn to solo fast.

The pentatonic guitar scales.

There are 5 pentatonic scale shapes you need to know.  If there is one piece of wisdom I can give you on learning to play the Blues or Rock guitar is that learning these scales and getting them under your fingers is the quickest way to sound impressive on a guitar.

In this lesson, you will learn to play the pentatonic guitar scales and I will show you how to move around and up and down the guitar neck and put together some great sounding solos.

How to learn the guitar pentatonic scales

The guitar pentatonic scales are pretty easy to learn. There are only 5 patterns of pentatonic scales to memorize. It takes a while to internalize them but once you do your fingers take over and you can jam.

The pentatonic guitar scales - Make the 5 pentatonic scale shapes part of how your brain is wired

How to read this tablature

A C D etc. are the notes starting on the 5Th fret of the fretboard in regular tuning.

1 4 1 etc. suggested fingering, you can use what feels natural to you

A Pentatonic minor Scale Pattern 1 (A C D E G)

A C D E G A C D E G A C
1 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4
-------------------------------5--8---------------
-------------------------5--8---------------------
-------------------5--7---------------------------
-------------5--7---------------------------------
-------5--7---------------------------------------
-5--8---------------------------------------------

They lay neatly under the four fingers of your hand.

The best way to learn these 5 pentatonic scale Shapes is to follow the tab below starting with box number one.

Take two strings at a time starting with the largest string which at the fifth fret is an A Note and get the feel for that. So you're only taking four notes at a time. Then move onto the next two strings and then onto the next two.

When you get the feel for that combine the first four strings, that would be the next 8 notes and when you have that, move over two strings and combine the next four strings. Then finally move over two more strings and combine pattern for the next four strings.

When you have that down move on and play the whole box.

When you are confident that you have the box pattern under your fingers, get out your metronome and start at a very slow speed and work your way up to speed until you are up to about 120 bpm.

The next step would be a drum machine and then onto some backing tracks in the key of A.

This will teach you the second shape of the 5 guitar pentatonic scales.

Keep in mind that the second pattern goes right under the first and the top part of it is the bottom of part 1.

A Pentatonic minor Scale Pattern 2 (C D E G A)

C D E G A C D E G A C D
2 4 1 4 1 4 1 3 2 4 2 4
-----------------------------------8--10----------
----------------------------8--10-----------------
----------------------7--9------------------------
---------------7--10------------------------------
--------7--10-------------------------------------
-8--10--------------------------------------------

The third pattern of the 5 pentatonic guitar scales goes next.
Just concentrate for now getting it under your fingers. When you go back and repeat box 2 and then box 3 after that you will be able to see how they hook together.

A Pentatonic minor Scale Pattern 3 (D E G A C)

D E G A C D E G A C D E
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4 1 3
----------------------------------------10--12----
--------------------------------10--13------------
-------------------------9--12--------------------
-----------------10--12---------------------------
---------10--12-----------------------------------
-10--12-------------------------------------------

This will teach you the fourth box pattern of the 5 pentatonic guitar scales.
Go back to pattern 3 and play this one right afterward and you'll be able to see how they fit together.

A Pentatonic minor Scale Pattern 4 (E G A C D)

E G A C D E G A C D E G
1 4 1 4 1 3 1 3 2 4 1 4
-----------------------------------------12--15---
---------------------------------13--15-----------
-------------------------12--14-------------------
-----------------12--14---------------------------
---------12--15-----------------------------------
-12--15-------------------------------------------

Guitar pentatonic scales pattern number 5.

When you have this one down you have memorized the whole fretboard in the pentatonic scale. Congratulations!

A Pentatonic minor Scale Pattern 5 (G A C D E)

G A C D E G A C D E G A
2 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 2 4 2 4
-----------------------------------------15--17---
---------------------------------15--17-----------
-------------------------14--17-------------------
-----------------14--17---------------------------
---------15--17-----------------------------------
-15--17-------------------------------------------

Use the metronome to make it yours.

Practice the 5 pentatonic shapes frequently to keep them fresh and automatic.

Start slow and gradually increase the speed.

Metronome by BestMetronome.com

So now what? Solo. Fire up a backing track in the key of A and go for it.

Here is a tip on how to sound better when you solo.

Before you go to bed and first thing when you get up in the morning put on the best blues or rock guitarist video that you can find on youtube or somewhere else on the internet. Get it into your head and it will come out your hands.

The guitar is not only learned - it is absorbed. 

Pentatonic Guitar Scales

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