How do the patterns relate to the pentatonic scale?

[Alex P]

I’ve practicing the blues lead course. I’ve mapped out all 5 patterns on my fretboard using removeable stickers.

However, I just saw EP380 (visualize a triangle and square to play major and minor pentatonic blues), and now I’m a bit confused. That triangle and square doesn’t fit perfectly into any of the 5 patterns I just learned.

So how do the pentatonic scales (the triangle and square) relate to the 5 patterns in the lead course?

[Martin W]

Hi if you look at patterns 4 & 5 of major pentatonic scale the triangle and square are there ,in the key of E root note 5th fret 2nd string .
If you want minor pentatonic out these shapes it’s still the same root note on 5th fret 2nd string but the triangle is reversed so that you go down the fretboard to 4th and 3rd frets then for the square 3rd fret strings 1&2 then same strings open so this will be pattern 1 minor for the square and pattern 2 minor for the triangle. Hope this helps .

Martin

[Alex P]

Martin W wrote:

Hi if you look at patterns 4 & 5 of major pentatonic scale the triangle and square are there ,in the key of E root note 5th fret 2nd string .
If you want minor pentatonic out these shapes it’s still the same root note on 5th fret 2nd string but the triangle is reversed so that you go down the fretboard to 4th and 3rd frets then for the square 3rd fret strings 1&2 then same strings open so this will be pattern 1 minor for the square and pattern 2 minor for the triangle. Hope this helps .

Martin

Well I feel pretty dumb. There it is. Thanks!

Follow-up question: Would you describe the 5 patterns as simply a continuous string of pentatonic scales up the fretboard?

[Martin W]

Yep certainly ,it’s still the same notes but in a different pattern , I would suggest Starting off learning the root notes in each pattern , then the other chord tones ie the 3rd and 5th if major or the flat 3rd and 5th if minor and so on. Enjoy your guitar journey a bit of theory is good for the soul 😀🎸. Cheers martin

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