Pentatonics on Guitar

The pentatonic scale is the most popular scale on the guitar. Probably not least because it is simpler and has “only” 5 notes (normal scales have 7 notes each), but still sounds better as certain notes are omitted.

The basic form of the pentatonic scale is the minor pentatonic. We also start from this basic form and then look at all the other “shapes” or “patterns.” The intervals of the minor pentatonic scale are: Root, minor third, fourth, fifth, and minor seventh. So the second and sixth are omitted. (You can look up intervals here: intervals)

To play this scale, we don’t play all the notes simultaneously, but each note individually. We start on the lowest string, the E string at the 5th fret with the index finger. Then, we play with the pinky finger, still on the E string, at the 8th fret. Here, you should keep the index finger (on the 5th fret) in place. Initially, it may be challenging to keep the index finger in place when pressing down with the pinky finger at the 8th fret. However, it will improve with practice after a while.

Play the pentatonic scale up and down, as shown in the example below:

All Shapes

Pentatonic E String Pattern I-V
Pentatonic A String Pattern I-V
Pentatonic D String Pattern I-V

Download the PDF and learn all 5 shapes. Ideally, memorize them. It’s important to know: I’ve adjusted all the root notes (the red dots) to match the root note of the parent scale, the key. So every red dot is an A, regardless of which shape/scale we’re currently in.

You play the first pentatonic, the minor pentatonic, over each 6th degree -> so over Aeolian. There are also variations where you play this pattern over the 2nd degree, Dorian. But we won’t delve into that here.

We play the 2nd pattern over the first degree, Ionian. That’s why this shape is also called “Major Pentatonic.” Intervals: Root, major second, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth.

The 3rd pattern starts from the Dorian scale. Intervals: Root, major second, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, minor seventh. (You can look up all modes in major here: seven modes in major)

We base the 4th pattern on the Phrygian scale. Intervals: Root, minor third, perfect fourth, minor sixth, minor seventh.

For the 5th pattern, we trim down the Mixolydian scale a bit. Intervals: Root, major second, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, major sixth.

Blues Pentatonic

In addition to the “regular” pentatonic scale, there’s also a Blues Pentatonic scale. Here, we add a new note to the pentatonic scale, namely the diminished fifth / augmented fourth (also called the tritone). Because this — essentially wrong note — sounds very bluesy, we call this scale the “Blues Pentatonic.” You can use the tritone at any time, but you shouldn’t linger on it for too long and should move on, or resolve it with the fourth or the fifth.

The Different Boxes

Often, these “shapes” in the pentatonic scale or other scales causes crying faces! :P

• Why can I use a different shape and it still works?
• How are these shapes constructed?

Questions upon questions.

In the example below, I attempt to show that all these shapes belong to the same pentatonic scale; we’re just changing the order:

In the red box, we see our first shape. In the orange one, our second, and so on. As you can see, we start the second shape with the last notes of the first shape. So, we reuse the exact same notes but start from the 2nd tone. In each box, we have “R (Root Note)”, “b3 (minor third)”, “p4 (perfect fourth)”, “p5 (perfect fifth)”, and “b7 (minor seventh)”.

The order remains consistent, always R, b3, p4, p5, b7. However, we start with the R in the first shape, with the b3 in the second shape, with the p4 in the third shape, and so forth.