I just started learning how to play guitar and this is the coolest thing ever!!!
I never imagined I would be able to play solos (not great ones) this soon!!
Thank you so much for posting this !!!!
I am having an absolute blast !!!

@goodkray - Awesome!  I’m glad to hear that you’re figuring it out.  I’m trying to simplify the entire process of learning to play lead.. too often the instructional materials that are out there are totally over complicated, and once you narrow it down and cut out all of the “noise”, you find that it’s really not that difficult, so stay tuned, more lessons are are their way

Great!! Looking forward to viewing your future lessons.  You are a great teacher!

I’ve played guitar for 7 years but never figured out how to play scales.. thanks to you I’m starting and it’s really cool!! Thanks a lot Brian!!

@marylao90 - Awesome!  Glad it’s starting to make sense.  Scales can be very intimidating at first glance but when you break them down you find that they aren’t that difficult to understand.  Keep practicing along with the jam tracks and listening to other artists to see how they approach playing a solo.  Look around for Albert King material on YouTube, he’s a great one to learn from because the guitar licks he uses aren’t terribly complicated.

Thanks for your teaching style.  You are very easy to understand and I “get” what you say.  Very easy to follow and build from.  Can’t thank you enough.  I don’t read music or play from tabs.  Self taught.  I can learn lots from you.  Plus I really like the backing track.  A bonus for sure.

Tim S.

Hi Brian,

Thank you.. I’ve been playing for 15 years and I just can’t build a convincing solo! this helped me a lot.. you see I just grew tired of all the heavy distortion-double humbucker stuff.. and I’ve been saving up for a nice Telecaster and finally learn blues.. I’ve searched around the net, bought scale charts and tried to memorize (blues) scales but I end up staring at notes on paper.. but your videos helped me visualize and make it easy for us to be like our guitar heroes.. Hope you will post more tutorials.. Thank you.

- D

Hi Brian,

I’m a 69 year old returnee to blues/rock after about 45 years playing classical guitar on and off. Your lessons about the pentatonic scales have been a great help to me, as has the other ’ lessons ‘. Keep’em coming.

Many thanks,

Keith

Hi Brian,

Further to my comment on the 22nd, under your guidance I have beem practising solos using the pentatonic scales. Whilst they work well using your backing track E D A, when I try it with a conventional 12 bar blues, let’s say A D E7, using the pentatonic minor is fine, but I can’t seem to integrate the pentatonic major very succesfully. Apart from being a crap guitarist, what am I doing wrong??

Brian,

Excellent theory on sliding from the minor pentatonic scale to the major pentatonic.  I could never figure out how or when to do that and you made so simple….just outstanding!!!

You have a great website and easy to understand material, I will spread the word…love the good sounding free jam tracks.

Do you have any comments on amps, setting, and or pedals to get those great tones??????

Bluesman59

Hi Brian,
I’ve cracked it!! I was trying to change from one to the other, always starting on the root. Why I didn’t see this originally I can’t say, but the penny finally dropped.  I am used to reading the music, and am finding soloing without the music quite a challenge, but one I am enjoying.

Brilliant website. keep it coming.

Hi Brian, i’ve been learning the pentatonic scales for quite awhile but your lesson has really opened it up for me. I’m still a little confused though, wonder if you could help. I’ve been playing with the minor pentatonic but always using the relative minor of the Key of the song to play. For example a song in G, ill use the E minor pentatonic. However i realised from your videos that this is actually the major pentatonic ? And also, does the minor pentatonic scale starting with the key of E work only on songs with the keys E D A ? (doesnt seem to work on songs with 4 chords)

Thanks for all the help Brian ! You rock.

Super! This video has really helped me with my focus on the essentials for getting productive with blues.
Thanks

hello Brian I been playing for a while now but never had the time r just didnt take the time to do it right now I want to just a little problem whats a good chord to use between the major and minor chord if u r going from one to another

This lesson is an AHA! moment in my playing man thanks alot. I always wondered how to do that and why it works and its cuz the relative major/minor is 3 notes apart. Between your lesson and studying a little theory behind Im drueling over how much fun im going to seeing what I come up with as I solo. Im going to practice that and cant wait to internalize it. Thanks again!

Keep it coming Brian great site

Hi Brian Love the site..I am at the “what now ” stage on soloing. I have learnt the 5 pentatonic boxes ,major and minor but all my solo`s sound like scales, I start my solo`s in major then go to minor but still no good,maybe I try and use too many notes but when I start I want to be off.I cant wait for your new course..please keep me informed
                  your a great teacher
                          Jonboy….....

Hi Brian,

I’m 66 and getting back to the guitar.  I admit I’m confused.  I thought if you in key of C and moved down three frets you’re now in relative minor to the key of C which is A.  I’m having trouble getting my head around the major/minor pentatonic of say key by moving down three frets.  Like I said, I’ve a head problem.  Please keep up the good work, really enjoy the lessons and the way you present them.

Harley

Hi brian  

You have just given me a big peice of the puzzle with this lesson I am blown away with what just clicked in my brain.I have surfed the internet for ages looking at all the styles etc.you have just taken my playing up 3 levels..I also am a fan of the kings albert and bb.. I found this site and mate you are the best straight forward easy to understand teacher out there.  thank you very much . ray brewer sydney australia

Hello Brian
Thanks for the good lesson. on switching from the major to the minor scales. I have a question. What if you wanted to play a D minor pen tonic starting on the A string on the fifth fret? What would the shape be?
Ray C

I like the way you teach, you make if very easy to learn. It’s made a big different in the way that I am playing.

I have been playing guitar for 45yrs am I am an awesome rhythm player. I never could grasp the whole ‘lead’ or ‘solo’ schtick until now. Less than a week after joining AM and watching your lessons, I can play with the tracks and really make it sound like it should. You and this site are awesome and I am spreading the word! Many blessings to you and thanks!

Tolly

Brian I am age 67 and have taken lessons for several years and thanks for teaching in a way that makes sense to me about improvising and all the teachers I have had a n watched just complicate it .

  Thanks and I am a true fan of your lessons and look forward to more of them .

Gil

You start on the 1st string on the pentatonic scale I assume that you can start on the 6th string as well??

Gil

I wish i would have found you along time ago. you and me think the same have something to say NOT something to show.Thas the way i play so thanks for a great lesson your a graet teacher. keep up the great work. your the best.

what i dont really understand is that your showing us the E major and E minor pentatonic scales which means we are playing in the key of E. however the chords in the backing track are E D A which are really the key of A how is this working?

Hi Brian,
I’ve been “trying” to play guitar for the past 15 years (I’m 26) and in 30 minutes on your website I’ve learned more than I ever did…
Super cool website!
Thanks a lot!
Matt

Hey Brian, can’t say enough that has already been said. You are keeping me committed to playing the Blues.  Love Albert King and BB, and Buddy Guy isn’t to shabby either.  Watchin Quinn Sullivan on YOU Tube did intimidate me at first but he is a prodigy and playing for 5+ years.  I’ve been playing only 1 month, but can’t get enough of the blues.  Watching your lessons is giving me a ff heads up start.  I’m watching you and gaining ground.  Thanks Brian….

Brian,

    Kudos to you.  I was aware of the pentatonics and the 3 fret drop to major penta, but this lesson has for the first time clearly illustrated this idea.  Your approach to instruction is very clear and the lessons are ideas which form a solid basis for guitar.  Thank you!
Robert

Hi. I’m new to the site, just signed on tonight. Just looked at this lesson and, sure it works. However, an alternative would be to stay where you are at the 12th and play box 2 of the minor pentatonic, this is also the Major and gives students another pattern to learn. You may put it into a video to help explain it. Hope it helps.

Outstanding lesson Brian. You are without a doubt one of the better guitar teachers online. You take your time, you are thorough, and your explanations and demonstrations are very clear and easy to understand. I appreciate you very much. Thanks again.

I gave this a try, simply playing the box through during the jam track. TY that was a lot of fun!

I am blown away by your approch to guitar lessons.  To have this much time and talent brought to me FREE is unbelievable. I kept expecting some kind of catch, but it never happened. In todays economy it’s almost unheard of, without a lot of commercials on selling the real thing on there DVD’S.  Keep it up as long as you can, and good luck. I have enjoyed, and learned more in the last three days than my lessons from a teacher, or my DVD’S.  Thanks again.  Richard (MIKE) Michael

You are a wonderful guitar teacher! This helped me so much in understanding these scales! Now I’ll be able to do a lot of cool blues solos for my Jazz Band class. Thanks! Thanks also for the free tablature too.

Great lesson Brian, mixing the two scales sound really awesome, specially on this backtrack, sound southern rock and bring back some memories
yes ‘ve got the blues !!!!
Thanks a lot
Cheers

Brian,
    Thank you so much for the no-nonsense approach you have of teaching
music…I’ve learned the notes on the fretboard in a couple of days,because
I’ve had five years of piano lessons, but your teaching minor and major
pentatonic scales in ten minutes takes the cake! Thank you so much for your
time and devotion!.................

i just burned all of my complicated guitar books. These lessons are amazing. Thanks, Brian.

Brian
First visit today and what an eye opener. I have been playing just chords forever in a worship band but need to move toward being able to do some simple leads. Bought (almost) new toys - Taylor T5 and a Strat and some confusing boxes! - but no idea where to start. Someone asked same question a while back.I.e. how do I determine where to start with a lead - in which pentatonic scale - when faced with the different keysthat the music comes in? E.g a worship set will have songs in the key of G, F, E, Eb… Welcome any advice (as will the congregation!)!

This is so great, I have had a hunger to learn the guitar for so long and now I am on my way. I just bought a Morrell Acoustic and I’m loving it. I don’t want to be on stage, just to play for myself and at my church. But I wanted to do it well. What you are providing and the skill you have is a wonderful gift for persons such as myself. Thank you soooo much!!!
God bless you,
C D Johnson

Hi Johnb,
Once you learn the pantatonic scale it can be played in any key. E.G. When you learn box 1, you can play over any chord in any key. This is what makes the scale so great. All you need to do then is memorize the notes on string 6 and you are ready to play box one lead in any key. Hope this helps, RLMichael

Brian,I am a new member and am really enjoying your lessons.The pentatonic scales have opened up a whole new world to me. I enjoy country and gospel music. The Chet Atkins lesson was great. I am looking forward to the more comprehensive course on the pentatonic scale coming out in the near future.I can hardly wait to get started.

The backing track seems to be gone. Too bad.

Excellent lesson- I just discovered this site and I’m really happy I did. Your teaching method is clear and thorough. The change from minor to major pentatonic by sliding the pattern three frets is absolutely amazing. I have never seen this presented at any of the many sites or books I have searched for knowledge. I will now study this on my keyboard and guitar to learn why this works. I’m a technical type and need to understand why things work the way they do.

Now, if I could just learn how to create blues phrases, I’d could really enjoy my guitar study.