Major Pentatonic can add a special something to your guitar solos and melodies. While more complex than simply changing scales over each chord, using Major Pentatonic will take your playing to new heights.
These patterns all share similar visual shapes to a minor pentatonic scale but sit three frets lower on the fretboard, opening up new possibilities and crossing over ideas for more creative explorations.
G
The major pentatonic scale is an accessible and easy-to-learn scale for guitar. With its simple melodic structure, this scale makes an excellent tool for improvising over chord progressions as well as working well with most major triads and creating various sounds.
When beginning this scale for the first time, it’s wise to start slowly by learning one position at a time. This will allow you to break out of any rigid mindset that many guitarists become trapped into. Also consider practicing each scale shape to a beat or metronome in order to strengthen timing and coordination.
When learning the scale, pay particular attention to its root notes – black circles – within each shape. These correspond with the key of the scale. Also be sure to pay attention to its pattern – should it move up or down the neck, it will still give you access to its same key.
G major pentatonic scale’s first position has its root notes on the fifth and sixth strings, giving its first position its initial root notes at fret 5 of A string and fret 2 on E string respectively. To play it, use your pointer finger to reach down two frets to fret 5 on A string before using pinky finger to skip three frets with pinky to hit fourth note on E string at fret 2. This will give a complete octave of G major pentatonic scale!
A
Mastering major pentatonic requires more thought than its minor equivalent, as there are more options and approaches that need to be taken when soloing over chords. Therefore, it’s wise to approach it slowly but confidently.
First and foremost, recall and refresh your memory on some ‘go-to’ licks that you already use and feel comfortable playing. They should be located where the notes of just minor pentatonic are familiar, helping you identify where crossover points between both scales occur.
Next, examine each of the 5 positions of the major pentatonic scale. These all follow similar shapes as those in minor pentatonic but three frets lower; focus on root notes in each position while noting how each position also shares some notes with those preceding and succeeding it.
Once you’re comfortable with major pentatonic shapes, try playing some licks over a G major chord to experience how this scale ties in with most blues progressions. It will allow you to gain insight into its relationship with this key centre that most blues progressions use as their basis.
B
Keep in mind that playing solos using the major pentatonic scale requires more advanced techniques when applied to blues chord progressions than minor pentatonic. But it opens up many exciting and varied options for your guitar solos!
Playing the major pentatonic scale doesn’t require you to learn any new fingerings – since its positions are identical to those for minor pentatonic, with each position three frets lower than its predecessor.
If you are familiar with the five CAGED shapes for minor pentatonic scale, they should translate seamlessly to major pentatonic. Just take things slowly and be patient as you learn the steps involved.
At first, try to focus on becoming familiar with the major pentatonic scale shape that corresponds to your root note (for instance Box 1 for keys of A). Once comfortable with this, slowly begin adding minor scale notes from our previous lesson into your pentatonic licks and solos for a more melodic sound and to give your blues playing some additional dimension.
C
No matter whether you play Rock, Blues, Country or Jazz guitar music, chances are the major pentatonic scale is something you rely on frequently. It works well with most major chords while providing opportunities for creative improvisations.
In this video, I’ll demonstrate how to build a major pentatonic scale in the key of C. This pattern is one of five often utilized by guitarists and covers a large part of their fretboards – it makes building such an instrument very accessible!
The major pentatonic scale is a collection of notes that removes half steps found in its parent scales (Major and Minor). This limits musicians to only five notes at any one time; creating more possibilities without restricting solo players or improvisers’ freedom.
Blues riffing relies heavily on the major pentatonic scale, an essential tool. Many early blues artists had little or no formal musical training and selected notes purely from their heart and soul – choosing notes predominantly within this scale gave their music an air of familiarity that helped listeners connect more easily with it and understand it.
D
If you have ever witnessed an experienced guitarist expertly moving their fretted instrument up and down its neck while improvising, chances are they were using major pentatonic scale patterns. “Pentatonic” stands for five so there are five comfortable scale patterns available to them to select from.
Once you become comfortable with these shapes, they provide ample opportunity to improvise licks and solos using this sound.
Another wonderful aspect of the major pentatonic scale is that it does not contain any semitones (1/2 steps). This allows it to work well over minor chord progressions without creating harsh dissonance; by comparison, using a minor scale over major chord progressions would clash with their root notes and produce discordant sounds that clash.
As your first goal, practice familiarizing yourself with the first pattern of a major pentatonic scale. Begin on A string and slowly move up and down fretboard until this shape feels comfortable to you. Pay special attention to any notes that repeat – this will help build familiarity.
E
In this example, we’ll look at a major pentatonic scale starting on E. This pattern contains all of the notes from E major chord minus any clashing chromatic tones (notes marked dark blue). It makes an ideal way of learning this scale as it falls nicely under your fingers and can be played across all strings on the fretboard.
This scale offers several advantages over others, including its use with major triads and some other chords like major 6th or major 7th chords. Before moving on to more challenging patterns, take some time getting acquainted with this pattern before progressing further.
Another impressive aspect of this scale is its similarity to minor pentatonic scale; switching between them only requires moving each pattern up by two frets.
As soon as you have the major pentatonic scale mastered, it is wise to experiment with adding intervals from other scale shapes. This will keep your music engaging for listeners without becoming repetitive or predictable – plus taking steps outside the major pentatonic will open up opportunities for soloing over major and dominant chord progressions!
F
The major pentatonic scale may be less familiar to most guitarists than its minor version, but that does not diminish its usefulness. This versatile and straightforward scale is used by artists such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Gary Moore among many others to craft iconic rock and blues guitar riffs and solos.
In this video, we’re starting with Box 1 of the major pentatonic scale based on G major chord. Notice how only two notes per string are being played here – this will give you an initial feel of this scale; but to really master it make sure to practice up and down as well.
Noteworthy is also that, despite their similar shapes, major and minor pentatonic scales are distinct in spite of appearing similar. This is because intervals between notes differ – for instance G major pentatonic does not include note between 3-4 present in minor pentatonic; something many musicians overlook when attempting to utilize these scales.