A Minor Pentatonic Scale for Guitar

A Minor Pentatonic Scale for Guitar

If you are going to play lead guitar in a rock band, you have to know the A minor pentatonic scale. I would go as far as saying, if you only knew one scale, it should be this one!

Notes of the A Minor Pentatonic Scale

Anyone who is up on their Latin understands that penta means five, therefor a pentatonic scale has only five notes.

These notes are: A, C, D, E, G.

Wow, that’s it? Yes, not everything about music is difficult!

The minor pentatonic scale is often confused with the blues scale. Both are often used the same way. The blues scale in the key of A would also include an Eb. Yes, just one additional note makes the minor pentatonic a blues scale.

D Chord Variations

Do you Have to Be In A Minor Key to Play a Minor Pentatonic?

No, not at all. Take a blue in the key of A. The chords are A, D, E. All major chords but the minor pentatonic will sound perfect.

A Minor Pentatonic Scale Guitar Fretboard Diagrams

First Shape

A Minor Pentatonic Scale for Guitar Diagram
A Minor Pentatonic – Red denotes the A note.

Second Shape

A Minor Pentatonic Scale Fretboard Diagram
A Minor Pentatonic – Red denotes the A note.

Third Shape

Minor Pentatonic Scale Guitar Fret Board
A Minor Pentatonic – Red denotes the A note.

Fourth Shape

A Minor Pentatonic – Red denotes the A note.

Fifth Shape

A Minor Pentatonic with Open A

Learn to Play the C Chord

Practicing Scales

Just like chord shapes, scale ‘shapes’ can be moved up and down the neck to play in different keys. I would recommend learning the above shapes in the order they are present. When practicing the scales, start with the lowest tonic note (red), work your way up the scale, back down to the lowest note in that shape and then back to the tonic where your started.

For instance, with the second shape, start at the A note on the seventh fret on the D (4th) string. Play up the scale to the D on the E (1st) string. Not play all the way down to C on the E (6th) string. Finally, go back up to the A note on the D string where you started.

This method will help you memorize the shapes.

Keep on Picking!

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