In this lesson we took a deeper look at the A minor pentatonic scale. I have a whole lesson on extending the pentatonic scale, but for this lesson I’m just going to focus on one extension pattern spanning three pentatonic positions. What if you wanted to take the five notes in the A minor pentatonic scale and expand them into full chords? Finally, youâll end the ascending version of the scale on the high E string, playing the 12th and 15th frets. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices here. Play both and listen to the differences in tone. You’ll play the D note on the seventh fret with your pinky. There are a variety of ways to play the A minor pentatonic scale. This would prevent you from having to shift positions to maintain the 1-3 playing pattern. Then, youâll play two notes on each string, moving across the fretboard. In its most basic position, itâs played right in the middle of the fretboard. To memorize the A minor pentatonic scale, practice playing the scale ascending and descending. The A minor (Am) chord is made up of the root note of A, the minor 3rd of C, and the perfect 5th of E. Learn all about how to play it here. So instead of playing the scale vertically across the fretboard, you play it horizontally up and down the fretboard. The second A minor pentatonic position connects to the first position via the following notes/intervals: As you can see, the second position contains two root notes, found on the 7th fret of the 4th string and the 10th fret of the 2nd string, forming a common octave shape. Examples of both are shown in the diagram below. The pentatonic minor scale comprises the following notes: Tonic note; Minor 3 rd; Perfect 4 th; Perfect 5 th; Minor 7 th; Its scale spelling is: 1, b3, 4, 5, b7. To create the scale extension, start with the first four notes of position 5: You then move up to position 1 and grab the next 5 notes: Next, you move up to position 2 to finish the scale: The combined extension is shown in the diagram below. The third position of the A minor pentatonic scale connects to the second with the following notes/intervals: The third position again contains two root notes, found on the 2nd and 5th strings. The fingering shown in the diagram can be altered by using the middle and pinky fingers when playing the notes on strings 6, 5, 2, and 1. Using the scale musically helps you to further understand the scale and prevents you from getting stuck in a rut playing straight up and down the scale patterns. Also, while this extension spans three scale positions, you can easily use it as two separate extensions, one for positions 5 and 1 and another for positions 1 and 2. The tab for the lick is below. Similar to the version we just played, youâll use your first (index) finger to play a pattern on most -- but not all -- of your strings. Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5TtGDVG9Ok?rel=0. This extension is easily one of the most commonly used scale extensions in music. In other words, when you move from the fifth position up to the first, position, you can finish out the scale in the first position instead of transitioning to the second position. Learn how to play up and down the neck with ease and break out of those box patterns . We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. To play an A minor pentatonic scale in the fifth position, start at "A" on the fifth fret, then count up three frets to the second note of the scale, then up two frets to the third note of the scale, then up two frets to the fourth note of the scale, then up three frets to the 15th fret, where we'll begin to play the above pattern. You can listen to the lick here: Buddy Guy – Ain’t No Sunshine lick. When playing this position, a position shift is unavoidable. And if you're ready to try Fender Play today, you can get 3 months of unlimited access free no credit card required. Use the 5th position pattern to play these notes, then work your way back down the scale, starting with that higher A and climbing back down to G, E, G, C, and the low A. As this lesson is a bit lengthy, here is a table of contents for what will be covered: Before we hop into the A minor pentatonic, let’s first take a look at its parent scale, the Am scale, to see how the scale is formed. On the B string, youâll use your second (middle) finger to play the 13th fret. Use these notes as the starting points for playing across the scale. These diagrams represent the neck of your guitar. Those five notes are: These five notes can also be found among the seven notes making up the previously mentioned C major scale. The first position of the A minor pentatonic starts with the A note on the 5th fret of the 6th string. The bottom fretboard diagram outlines the suggested fingering for playing position 1 of the scale. The A minor pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used guitar scales of all, particularly in the blues genre. To play the first box of the minor pentatonic scale, start with your first (index) finger on the sixth string, third fret. In this lesson we’ll take a deep dive into the scale and explore some examples of its many uses. If you are stuck in the pentatonic box then this is the way out of it. This means the formula for the minor pentatonic scale is made up of the 1st (root), 3rd (♭3), 4th (p4), 5th (p5), and 7th (♭7) from the minor scale. The A minor pentatonic scale is a versatile scale thatâs a useful asset for beginners looking to expand their arsenal. The A minor pentatonic scale, root note fret, starts at the 5th fret of the Low E string. The fingering for the fourth position is pretty straightforward, though some may prefer to use the middle and pinky fingers for the two notes on the 2nd string. Let’s take a look at a few examples of using the A minor pentatonic over diatonic chord progressions. On the B string, youâll play the 13th fret, followed by the 15th. With a tonic note of C, the notes in a pentatonic minor scale are: Tonic note = C; Minor 3 rd = Eb; Perfect 4 … BLACK FRIDAY SALE: Get 50% off an Annual Plan. For the G major chord, the root note is G, the major 3rd is B, and the perfect 5th is D. Find out how to play it. We looked at how the scale was built, dissected each position of the scale on the fretboard, and took a look at some real world uses of the scale. To start, place your first (index) finger on the 5th fret of the low E string. Minor Pentatonic Pattern #1. 5 positions of the A minor pentatonic scale, A minor pentatonic connected across the fretboard, Applying the A minor pentatonic musically, Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven guitar solo, Extended Pentatonic Scale: Break Out of the Pentatonic Box. Look at the illustration above and notice that some of the notes have been outlined. When you do this, you get 5 different positions of the A minor pentatonic scale, several of which repeat in different locations on the fretboard. Youâll play the D note on the seventh fret with your pinky. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The white dots represent open strings, which are played without your finger touching a fret. The fifth, and last, A minor pentatonic position connects to the fourth via the following: The fifth scale position also connects with the first as the scale positions start over again. Play that note then put your fourth (pinky) finger on the sixth string, sixth fret and play that.