Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Major Pentatonic Scale Pattern (6 Note Box) and Solo in A – EP025

Description

In this lesson I’ll cover 2 things. First I’ll show you a pattern (or box) in the major pentatonic scale that contains 6 notes (8 notes if you count the 2 bends). This pattern is incredibly powerful and will allow you to create some amazing solos with just a few notes. B.B. King plays a lot of his solos using this pattern. In addition, (for premium members) I’ll show you how to play the entire solo that I play in the intro, and also tablature and jam tracks will be available. Also, if you would like to submit your own solos, just record them and upload them to YouTube, and then send me the link and I’ll start featuring them here on ActiveMelody as well as Facebook and Twitter. This will give you exposure to thousands of other guitar players as well as help other learners. Sometimes the best learning happens that way. Once you upload your video just shoot me an email to brian (at) activemelody (dot) com.

Major Pentatonic Pattern - 6 Notes

Entire Solo Lesson

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Comments

  2. Oldseadog says

    I am finally playing a solo that impresses me, thanks Brian, the lesson is so clear and still allows innovation. Can you tell me which lesson talks about changing keys in the Pentatonic patterns please?

  4. flycatcher says

    Hi Brian, i’m no twitter or facebook follower but i just want you to know that since you have changed your webpage i love it, it was good before but now i just carn’t wait for the next lesson, demmykro said your are the best teacher and i couldn’t agree more, i just wish i had found you sooner, but better late than never. Keep it coming.
    Flycatcher.

  6. dicestone says

    Brian is the best.  I am a member of guitar tricks also but Brian is head and shoulders above any of their teachers. I just wish I would have found him first.

  7. islamujeres says

    Finally sounding like a bluesman! Thank you Brian! I play strictly acoustic fingerstyle and find that all of your compositions work great for that style. I find myself comping in my dreams these days! Great work on the flawless tab too. That must be a lot of work. Heading to Mexico for the winter. Got a little Flemenco in your bag of tricks Brian?

  10. tronus53 says

    Please pardon the language, but DAMN!  I can’t express how much this, and all your lessons, for that matter, enables me to not just play better than I ever have, but to really understand what I’m learning.

    What might be really helpful in learning how to transpose these kind of riffs to other keys (and help us to familiarize ourselves with the pentatonic scales) would be to make the jam tracks available in a few more keys.

    That you respond so positively to our collective feedback demonstrates your gift as a talented teacher…it really heightens my anticipation for your next lesson, each of which is another really useful tool in my growing musical toolkit.

  14. Simon Thorpe says

    Hey Brian, I love this lesson. Has a new sound to it that I’ve not had in my playing before. One question though about the premier lesson where you teach more of the solo. You mention where you catch both the 1st and 2nd strings on the bend on the 10th fret. I’ve got an electric with a pretty low action and find it hard to grab the second string with my ringer finger for that bend. Any tips on how to get the finger tip to grab those strings?

    Simon

  15. Brian says

    Hey Simon - I’d say that the best way to do it is to put your ring finger down on top of both strings - start with the high E string, and then push it up towards you so that you can then grab the B string (still holding on to the E) - then once you have both in your control bend the heck out of them.  Start slow - just trying to grab them at first.  Honestly when I did that it was an accident, but I thought i’d leave it in 🙂

  16. MikeG60 says

    Hey Brian, another great lesson.

    And I can confirm you’re right about BB King playing this ‘box’, and a lot. I found that out purely by accident when jamming to his songs on Last.fm.

    The *funny* thing is now I know there was a ‘method to my madness’ in playing the F#,A,B,D,E notes besides them just ‘sounding right’.

  17. Biker13 says

    Brian, I don’t know how you do it but the lessons just get better and better. You continually surprise me with the breadth and range of styles and genres you offer and somehow you know exactly what I want to play even before I do!! Thanks so much. The Premium Membership is worth every penny! There’s nothing else like it.

  18. Dr Paul UK says

    Brian I love your stuff!! Mean that truly not just buttering you up.
    I am beginning now to add some of the technique i have been learning from you for over 18mths now and yeah, it’s coming along just fine!
    Thank you my cyber teacher!
    Dr Paul UK.

  19. longbow says

    Hello just upgraded to the premium membership and the video for the full lesson is breaking up and the sound is choppy.  The You Tube portion is pretty perfect.  So any ways a little help is appreciated.  thanks

  23. Fendy says

    I was with Marty before and I love the man and the way is doing the job but you know I was practising like a ‘dilettant’ and was not improving a lot. AND I discovered Activemelody : Brian you changed everything, I’m practising much more, playing lttle solos and really thinking that I will succeed one day to play guitar. thanks a lot. I tried a month subscription and I will renew the full year premium member, you earn it.

    Philippe from Paris (France)

  24. Buster89 says

    Hi Brian, as many others stated, I am so impressed by your style of teaching and the variety of the lessons. I was not going anywhere with my guitar learning until I found your website. It gave me new breath and more important , an eagerness to learn and understand. Could you explain a bit more why you include the 10th fret on high E string in your major pentatonic and not the 9th ? You stated that there is more notes in the major but I still cannot figure it out and that is really buggering me. Andre

    • Behrouz F says

      I commented below and I think you can find the answer there. If not let me know, and I’ll elaborate

      Brian’s not playing A major pentatonic. He’s playing a mix of A and D major pentatonic.

      His notes are from the 7-note A major scale which has both A and D major pentatonics

      I think it is better to either not mention scales or be correct and specific, otherwise confusion can arise

  26. randybiggers says

    Really enjoying your site and lessons. This is really a great song. I have to use discipline or I will burn myself out on it listening to it too much. I could play it over and over for hours. Thanks for all the great stuff.

  30. chunkee-monkee says

    Hi Brian, I`ve been playing the guitar now (at home only) for around 2 years, the instrument feels more comfortable in my hands every time I pick it up but I`ve got to say I have been disappointed in my progress, lacking direction and basically all solos sounding like the scales themselves, this makes you feel like you`re hitting a brick wall, knowing this is a common problem didn`t really help. There are so many sites out there (I`ve tried quite a few) it gets so you feel like packing it in, however I played along with a few of your free lessons and had this great feeling of actually making progress, I like your style of teaching, unlike most of the teachers on line you don`t seem to be having your own little ego trip…I`ve made myself a premium member and I`m enjoying feeling like I`m at last moving onward and upwards, feeling motivated again and I can`t wait to pickup my guitar for more. many thanks Brian… Glenn.

  31. GR8TFULL says

    BRIAN
    I JUST BOUGHT A ES 335, AND
    THE STRINGS THAT CAME ON IT SEEM THICKER THAN THE STRINGS ON MY FENDER. WHAT TYPE STRINGS DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR ES 335 (THAT YOU USE IN IN THE LESSONS) I AM HAVING TROUBLE DOING THE BENDS. IT SEEMS LIKE THE STRINGS ARE NOT FLEXIBLE ENOUGH.

  35. Sunjamr says

    Hey Brian - something funny is going on with this lesson access:  I am a premium member (for several months) and I mainly use my iPad to access the lessons.  I login, then can access the premium member assets of all the lessons except for this one.  It shows me as not being a premium member, so I try to login again (just incase my login failed), but it says my password is invalid.  However, if go onto my computer and login, I can access this lesson just fine.  Am I the only person this is happening to?

  36. LLucky says

    Hi Brain - This lesson is great and is actually helping me step up my level of guitar playing.  This solo reminds me of the song ” Need your love so bad”.  Would it be possible one day that you bring out a lesson on this great classic ?

    Thanks for your great work !

  37. copycard says

    Hi Brian

    In this lesson you reference box no 6.You also mention other major pentatonic boxes/tabs
    I am having trouble finding them.
    Can you let me know where to find them? Tabs

    Regards

    Brian

  40. ochomarvo says

    Couldn’t you also do a quarter bend on tenth fret high E string ? I’ve seen other do this and I’ve used, it sounds good in certain situations. Bend it up and back down ..

  41. johnwj67 says

    hi brian,  what a great solo this is,i find it inspiring jiust to listen to it,and now i can play it ,well just about, bit more practice but just a joy to play , hi to everyone aswell, if i can get it a little better i’ll try and post a video ..i’ve commited myself now!
          john   uk

  43. Thomas R says

    Hey Brian.
    Thank you for this great lesson (Ep025)
    Would you please be so kind a tell me the chords the keyboard plays on your backtrack?
    I know it´s n A. But the rest I am not so sure about.
    Thank you.
    Have a good day
    Cheers from Thomas.

  44. Behrouz F says

    the notes you are taking F# A B D E are not from A major pentatonic, they are from D major pentatonic (D E F# A B)

    A major prenta is A B C# E F#

    The notes and the bent hits (F# A B C# D E) are 6 of the notes of A major scale

    so, strictly speaking, you are not playing A major pentatonic because D is not in A major pentatonic. You are playing A major scale

    A major pentatonic is off of 1st degree of A major scale

    D major pentatonic is off of 4th degree of A major scale

    1st and 4th degrees are both major sounding modes

    that’s why what you play works but notes are not from any ONE pentatonic scale, they are mixed from 2 pentatonic scales, A and D, which are two different subsets of A major scale

    so why not saying that you are playing 6 notes of A major scale?

  45. Laura M says

    Brian great work. Best bang for your buck regarding the price for premium lessons. Thank you so very much. Nice that you include a little music theory behind the notes and scales…I have taking lessons for the last month and practice 2 hrs a day, happy to say vast improvement compared to the last 2 yrs I have been playing.

  47. Rich F says

    Hi all,

    Just catching up with this lesson at last, as somebody posted their great rendition in the July 2021 monthly challenge, motivating me to look up this lesson.

    I notice a lot of discussion on which scale Brian is playing with those 6 notes. I think the simplest way to think of it is the “BB Box” in the key of A.. . the genius of BB King! It is a hybrid of A minor pentatonic pattern 3 and A major pentatonic pattern 4, enabling you to mix the two with appropriate slides and bends… I also think of it as easy to find, as it is just the same shape as A minor pattern 2 shifted up 2 frets…

    This link has a useful discussion on this…

    https://happybluesman.com/b-b-king-box-what-how-use/

    Quist provides a useful backing track

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3cmfo2uQ1S0

    And Justin has a great lesson on it…

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AtC2RpVJm2k

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