The minor pentatonic is a scale of only five notes that is often used in Blues, Pop, and Rock solos and riffs. After learning major and minor scales, the pentatonic minor scale is the next scale to explore. It is composed of all the same notes of the minor scale (relative to its major scale), except without the 2nd and 6th notes.
To get to the pentatonic scale for a song in the key of C, as we figured out previously, that would give us an A minor scale:
As mentioned above, the formula of the pentatonic scale see the removal of the notes at position 2 & 6 of the minor scale, now leaving us with just 5 notes, hence the name 'PENTA' tonic, plus the octave in 6th position, as follows:
So now all you need to do now is re-order them chronologically like this, thus giving you the pentatonic scale:
Obviously, there is more than one way to play it as the same 5 notes repeat all over the fretboard, but the tab above is a great starting position. The pentatonic scale is great for making up melody lines, riffs & solos by playing the notes in random orders.
Here is a fretboard map of all the A minor pentatonic notes. Songs and rhymes that use this scale for melodies include, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Amazing Grace, and Auld Lang Syne. Songs that use them for riffs include, Don’t Worry Be Happy, My Girl, Stairway to Heaven and, Sunshine of Your Love amongst many others.
Here is a fretboard map of all the A minor pentatonic notes. Songs and rhymes that use this scale for melodies include, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Amazing Grace, and Auld Lang Syne. Songs that use them for riffs include, Don’t Worry Be Happy, My Girl, Stairway to Heaven and, Sunshine of Your Love amongst many others.
Here is what the A minor Pentatonic notes in first position look like as tablature:
Note that even though the scale contains just 5 notes, some of them are repeated to help you practice right across the strings. This is the first open position way to play.
Take a moment to listen to the sounds of this scale. You may also find these surprisingly familiar.
Take a moment to listen to the sounds of this scale. You may also find these surprisingly familiar.
THE POWER OF THE PENTATONIC SCALE
You may be more familiar with the pentatonic scale than you think as you would have sang tonnes of nursery rhymes as a toddler using these notes. Here's a fantastic demonstration featuring Bobby McFerrin, who utilies the Pentatonic scale in his hit song, Don't Worry, Be Happy.
In the video below, he proves that the entire audience knows this pentatonic scale with just a few jumps to the left and right.
In the video below, he proves that the entire audience knows this pentatonic scale with just a few jumps to the left and right.
Now it's time to find out how to play the C major scale effectively and put it into practice with a sweet song arrangement over in module 6.