Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Find both Major & Minor Pentatonic Scales from a SINGLE NOTE! A different approach to the Pentatonics – Lesson ML121

Description

In this weeks’ guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to find both major and minor pentatonic scales by identifying a single note (the note of the key). From that note you can branch into the major OR minor pentatonic scale (using the same shape).

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Comments

    • Edmund B says

      Brian,
      This is the first time that I have left a comment, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been tuning in. I have learned so much since I subscribed. You just have a special way that you open up learning so that I am able to apply concepts immediately. I have a book on the CAGED system that I have had for years. I had it stored away because the lessons were so jammed together and it just didn’t flow well through my brain. But you taught it to me in an understand way, I am learning the see the pentatonic scales within them, and I am building confidence. I am 72 years old, me and my wife are raising five grandkids; so I have to work full time 10 hours a day. It doesn’t leave me with the time I need to practice like I need to. But you give me the material that helps me to play much better. I am so grateful to you.

  2. Mike R says

    This is an incredible lesson Brian. Lots of breakthroughs for me. I can’t believe I never saw this before. Always amazed by the patterns that are available on the guitar. I will have endless hours of fun playing with this. Much easier to see how to blend major vs. minor pentatonics. I will also be looking for which chord from the caged system applies, depending on where I’m playing. Thanks for this!!!

  3. David W says

    This may have been that real breakthrough lesson I know you like to hear from your students. Why? Because I often get confused after position three using the pentatonic scale. Additionally I’ve been working on memorizing every note. Using the caged system helps me find the key and root note while at the same time I now have a simpler patter that goes up and down the fingerboard in both major and minor keys! Amazing lesson Brian, thank you so much for your gifted teaching!

    • Max B says

      Wow! Thanks Brian. A light just came on. A really big one! I`ve been trying to figure out when to do a major scale or a minor scale for years and this really helps. I`ll definitly keep working on this.

  6. JohnStrat says

    Well done with this one Brian. I am sure it will help a lot of folk, me included. This is a great clarification. I have been dancing around this I thinking intervals so this straightens it out so conveniently.. Great lesson.
    JohnStrat.

    • Michael N says

      This is a break through lesson for me, Brian. I’ve found it difficult to understand the scale patterns but this lesson in particular simplifies the major and minor pentatonic scales up and down the fret board. I continue benefitting from your weekly lessons. The slow play through videos are very informative. I offer my continued thanks for you sharing your knowledge, ideas and talents with us, Brian. Thank you!!

  8. Pierre L says

    Very interesting exercise. My a-ha moment is a bit tangential. I just realized that pentatonic pattern 2 is kind of the same as pattern 1 (in a way) if you start with the root note on the fourth (D) string and, of course, always adjust for the B string. I’m going through the other patterns.

  13. David B says

    Hey Brian, that lesson has got some TNT in it! I can jam on that for hours…. really opens up the keyboard for me in ways I didn’t quite understand before. Great lesson. Appreciate it, thx.

  16. Norbert says

    Very, very interesting, dear Brian, how you keep teaching us new paths of fretboard geometry. Then I’ll go down those paths and try to play EP489 with ML121, and maybe I’ll even take the bus from EP471 to visit some old neighbors… 😉
    Have a nice weekend.
    Norbert

  18. David W says

    Great lesson. I partly learnt this as a variation of the three notes per string scale but didn’t focus enough on starting from each root note. Also I tended to move the root note up three frets to go from major to minor and then use the same pattern. Your method of going back two and down a string is easier and more useful. Don’t know why but I never really thought of that.

  19. Don R says

    I shared this with my two grandsons (11 & 16) and told them that their favorite music to play is really rooted in this too! They aren’t quite ready for full CAGED just yet but this is a “fast pass” to that world.

  22. Lyn says

    Brie n,
    A week or so ago, I posted about being frustrated with my playing. Specifically, not being able to play lead. I’m the 56 year old that’s been strumming my whole life. I never understood this idea before. I’ve heard players talked about it like “I,m just playing the pentatonic scales,.” Like it was the easiest most natural thing in the world. The lightbulb just went on! Thank you for how you put this together.

  24. Daniel H says

    Neighborhood? Who needs a neighborhood! Just find your roots!
    This is an awesome perspective Brian. Thank you for shining a light on this.
    You never cease to surprise me and expand my perspective of the fretboard.
    Is there a repetitive pattern hiding in the major scale that centers on the root note?

  25. John H says

    And a very cool addition to this pattern I got from someone else on the INET is that you can use the 3 fret rule to move any of these up on a string – At the end of any 2 or 3 note pattern simply move up 3 frets and start the opposite pattern from there – So if you just ended playing a 3 note pattern, move up 3 frets on the same string and start the next pattern from there – So end a 3 note pattern, move up 3 frets and start a 2 note pattern from there and then follow with the rest of the patterns across the strings – A great way to move up the neck –

  28. Anthony C says

    This was a great lesson. Definitely easier to connect moving across the fretboard. I think it might be helpful to have the patterns you showed during the lesson mapped out on the PDF tab. Maybe even show the variation for different keys.

  30. Michael H says

    Great lesson
    During the solo I like you didn’t call out when the notes were mainly Major or Minor and allowed me to figure it out myself very helpful and good ear training.
    As always your phrasing is inspiring. Amazed how you breathe such life into those passages

  33. Timothy M says

    Awesome lesson!

    I’ve gotten very good at sliding between the five pentatonic shapes, but this gives me a different way of looking at the transitions. Now, I can focus on root to root within the positions.

    Thanks!

  37. Jonathan K says

    Another great lesson, Brian! I’ve been comfortable playing major and minor Pattern 1 pentatonic scales for years, but seeing the octaves connections was a lightbulb moment for me. I’m very excited about getting comfortable playing these.

  38. Leonard L says

    Hey Brian, I believe someone already mentioned this, but I think it would be really great if you could include your graphs, like the ones you show on the screen, in a PDF file. I’m pretty much a visual learner and I’m sure other people are too and a file like that would be very helpful.

  43. Lyn C says

    Hi Brian..Yes, this is a great way to play the entire fretboard. I think it is easier to memorize the patterns starting on the root note than to play from the positions 1 to 5 that I have been working on and never have been able to easily play up and down the neck- I seem to get stuck in one area only- This is very helpful. Thank you.

  44. Georg B says

    Hi Brian,

    I have just watched your lesson and I know: This is my lesson! I have recently started learning the in-between spaces between the five patterns. But that wasn’t really helpful because it was just a bunch of new patterns again — too many patterns for me to remember and not practical. That should have solved exactly the problem you tackled today. The way you solved the problem with one note and two patterns, one for the major pentatonic and one for the minor pentatonic, is brilliant. Thank you. Awesome!

    Georg

  46. Ray V says

    Let me throw out another way of navigating the fretboard… In the CAGED system there are 5 major and 5 minor scales, but the patterns are the same. The difference is the root note. We probably all know this.

    Sometimes I have gotten confused about what pattern/scale I am actually playing. Some of the patterns have similar fingerings and I would often find myself playing in the wrong key.

    What I have found helpful is knowing the string where the blue note is located. On each CAGED pattern the blue note lands on a different string, except for the 1st and 6th strings which are both tuned to E and have the blue note in the same location.

    I hope this is helpful.

  51. RIFF DIGGER says

    Seeing theses connecting licks and the phrases on the Slice/Tab I could use those ideas to play around with and improvise and hit the chord changes. You played great patterns with space in between to accentuate the bluesy melodies. Quite a perky tempo that makes it pop out, I slowed it down to get the fingering then gradually brought it up to speed. Good one, Brian-thanks!

  52. David S says

    So ironic.!!!I’ve been using most of that movement navigating up and the neck and never realized what I was doing. Now I do. And will use it to tie into my scales at times and practice them and refresh my note names. Learned a lot from you since joining. Hope to finish my Dickie Betts lesson this week end as well. Changed key to fit into Stormy Monday at times. Great teacher you are. 👍👍👍👍

  53. Kevin S says

    Thanks Brian, great lesson. Known this scale pattern for years without really knowing how well it connects everything, so I haven’t used it much. Your lesson was totally illuminating and I’m sure it’s a game changer for me. Thanks again. Noticed you’ve changed your landing page photo. It was time, cool new pic. Does it mean we’re going to get a stand-up bass lesson? Keep up the good work.

  54. Michael Krailo says

    This is foundational theory at its best. I learned all of this from another source and thought it was the greatest thing ever once I understood the concept and practiced the transitions to that second string or from the 2nd string to the 3rd. It takes practice to get those transitions down but the over all ability to play all over the neck in either major or minor pentatonic is golden. If you pay even more attention, you will be able to identify and become familiar with the exact intervals involved for both scales.

    Major Pentatonic: 1, M2, M3, P5, M6
    Major Scale: 1, M2, M3, M4, P5, M6, M7 (adds in the 4 and 7)

    Minor: Pentatonic: 1, m3, P4, P5, m7
    Natural Minor: 1, 2, m3, P4, P5, m6, m7

    or using flat notation:
    Minor: Pentatonic: 1, b3, P4, P5, b7
    Natural Minor: 1, 2, b3, P4, P5, b6, b7

    So all of this transfers to the Major and Minor 7 degree scales as well. It is definitely better to concentrate on the Pentatonic to start with, but you can see where this is going.

  60. Elery J says

    Hi, I’m having difficulty getting into the activemelody.com site and accessing the material. It shows me a text page of the content but no means to actually click to get to the videos. Can you please check my connection and access as a premium member?

  63. Mark C says

    Great lesson on approaching the pentatonic scales vertically. How about a follow up lesson on using this approach as a way to get to a major or minor pattern and then play around in that pattern before moving on vertically. I think it would be helpful for those of us who know and use the patterns.

  67. Dennis F says

    I’ve learned never to blow off a lesson with Brian, thinking that “I know all that already.” Because even if I do know most of it already, I always learn something new that adds another dimension to my playing.

  69. Steven R says

    Great lesson! Very helpful. I’ve been exploring the connection between the major and minor pentatonics using a slightly different approach, but your method of switching from the first finger to the ring finger to start on the tonic note is great. I will try that out! Either way, it’s very useful to envision how to move up and down the fretboard using the “skip a fret” technique rather than the typical pentatonic patterns or “boxes”. The patterns are great, but the slide approach is more fluid and connected. Others teach this (such as Fred Sokolow), but usually only for major *OR* minor, not them both.

    Thanks!

  71. Robert D says

    Probably one of the most senior intermediate players on here at 80 but thank you so much. Like others comments, I will be spending a lot of time and practice with this as it sounds great and challenging with the bends and vibrato. I really needed to break away from the shifting boxes.

  77. Jeff B says

    Great lesson Brian. This was a light bulb moment for me and I appreciate your well thought out lessons. I was getting a little stale running my standard muscle memory pentatonic scales and this lifted the curtain on new ways to mix it up a bit. I know you like vintage guitars (as do I), however given their escalating prices, I finally picked up the new USA Gibson Casino and I must say I am extremely impressed with the built quality, hand-wired pots, and nitro finish. My local guitar stores didn’t carry it so I had to take a big chance and order it before playing one. I traded in my China polyester Casino (which played great btw but really thick poly) and got the real deal…..it’s a keeper for sure!

  81. Bernd O says

    My second game changer. After years of learning the patterns i was still not able to combine them like you did. Now i can run up and down the fretboard like i always wished.
    Thank you very much for this!
    Perhaps i have also a game changer that you can offer to the other students. Like most of them i wanted to play fast runs and licks. I never made it. Then i got the hint “Play it very very slowly, even if it hurts, but correctly and in the right timing. And if you make a mistake, stop at once and start from the beginning”. Forget about the speed. It may sound stupidly, but if you learn slowly and correctly, the speed will come to you quite fast.
    But speed is only a nice toy. If you want to be good, then you should listen to David Gilmour, Eric Clapton or, my favorite, Gary Moore. Trying to get all the different emotions into the strings is the art.

  85. Pentti S says

    Brian. Great lesson again. Let me suggest a topic to continue on this lesson: make a lesson of 1) how to connect to each pentatonic scale box pattern from each Root note of ”diagonal” approach i.e how to recognize which box pattern applies to each step on this diagonal path and/or 2) which type of a triad fits along this diagonal path. Then you kind of have it ”all”.
    Thank you

  88. Charlie R says

    This is a powerful lesson! I’d kinda discovered the 3+2 pattern a while back, and have the Major side of things clearly understood, but seeing the Minor side of things has been an eye-opener for me. I’ve always thought there are probably a TON of things about this pattern that would make a great extended- or multi-part- lesson. It seems that the bendable notes are always in the same place in the patterns, and I’m sure a few other secrets could be unlocked by a very deep dive into these patterns. As you said, they flow into one another, unlike the typical box patterns which are all totally different. By mastering the 3+2, one can quickly get into playing more meaningful licks, and then the boxes might not seem so foreign. Thanks a bunch for this one… I’m sure it’s going to open a lot of doors for me.

  92. James G says

    This is a good lesson for me. I have an idea for you to expand it. Play four bars of the major pentatonic scale and follow it (answer) it with four bars of the minor scale. Try to count the beats? Maybe you already did this?

  93. MANUEL M says

    Bonjour Brian,
    C’est flou encore mais je me rends compte que dans la 1ère position de la gamme pentatonique majeur par exemple il y a des notes qui correspondent au iv et v degrés du blues. Il y a sûrement des formes de ces accords qui rentre dans la gamme. Peut être qu’avec le temps j ‘arriverai à distinguer les notes dans la même gamme pentatonique majeur où mineur qui correspondent aux 3 accords du blues.
    Manuel,

  94. David W says

    Great Lesson in looking at the pentatonics in this manner . Easy pattern to learn and follow
    That said … is there an easy way such as this to find pentatonic notes in the high pitched strings.
    For example instead of starting on the A on the 6th string , is there an easy pattern formula such as this lesson while starting on the high A on the 1st string and finding an easy pattern from there

  96. Steve says

    Wow! Just Wow!

    What I love about your teaching, Brian, is how simple you make “theory”, and how immediately usable. After all my time playing guitar and trying to navigate around the various pentatonic patterns, you have just opened my eyes to how easy playing up and down the fret board can be.

    Awesome! Keep up the great work!!

  100. elliottc says

    Hi Brian, I have been a subscriber for many years and now have a question.
    Can I use this single note pentatonic scale method that you teach in this lesson and adapt it to play the chord changes? In a I, IV. V use three different single notes. Thanks

  101. Daniel M says

    This was a really valuable lesson, Brian. I have been working on the horizontal pentatonics for a little while now, but never realised just by changing your hand position you can move from major to minor and back again so easily. Thank you!!

  103. Stratmantoo says

    oh my gosh Brian, you have described me perfectly in this lesson! I’ve known the pentatonic scale for years and have always struggled with trying to connect and play between those six string patterns that I memorized. This is a huge breakthrough lesson for me! You’ve removed the mental barriers and unlocked the pentatonic scale for me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

  104. Theodore B says

    Middle and index finger positions is my takeaway and ah ha moment!

    Middle finger on root note for the minor notes in the scale and the FIRST finger on the root note for the major notes was the best advice for me in this video. Simple but effective way to keep them separate and easy to alternate between the two. i have been self-teaching myself for years and never seen it demonstrated or explained like that before. For anyone stuck in the scales positions that is a breakthrough advice.

  107. Keith T says

    Great lesson Brian, I just never connected the scale this way before, and it really is a smooth and comfortable way of playing the maj and min pentatonic.
    Far easier and more musical (to me anyway!)
    I’m the same as Stratmantoo, I struggled to connect those box shapes in a musical way. This really opened thing up.
    Thanks!

  108. michael s says

    Brian, brilliant idea (as always) to help make our playing come along much quicker and easier. What I might suggest is that in lessons where you are talking about patterns (and I know you have done this before), you post a pdf of the fingerboard pattern itself. A lot of us are visual learners and though you offer great explanations, seeing the pattern laid out would help even more.

  110. John I says

    Brian, this lesson is worth its weight in gold. After fiddling with it on and off for a week, it is like opening the door to the next level! Brilliant concept to move up and down the fret board with ease. And I can hear it in my head before playing it. WOW.

  112. Paul L says

    Brian, thanks for another eye opening lesson. I think it will help me improve on trying to play along and keep up with a jam track, something I struggle with. Never having played with a band I seem to get left behind too easily. Are there any lessons on the site giving advice for people who have trouble getting the hang of keeping up with a jam track?

  114. Steve (Ruffcutt) R says

    HI Brian,

    This is a lesson that I really enjoyed. Having watched numerous videos of you teaching how to find and use the major and minor pentatonic scale, and how to use these across the fretboard in ANY KEY, has always eluded me, regardless of the number of videos I watched. Frustrated, Id even quit watching and would focus on other areas but couldn’t make my lead playing to make any sense and I went stale. Now I know why. TBH, when I saw this lesson in my inbox, and seen it was in B, and even though I love the haunting sound the Bm makes, my mouth turned sour, but decided to watch anyway since it had been awhile. I’m super glad that I did.

    This lesson not only helped me understand why I couldn’t quite unlock the secret of lead playing, but clarified it in a way that I now comprehend it, and in all keys! Now that I understand finding both major and minor scales, I am able to practice playing across the fretboard and know the why. By using the jam track reserved for members, it helps reinforce what I’ve learned and being able to speed up or slow the tempo, I’m able to forget my confusion as to where I’m at on the board, and can focus on where I’m at on the board knowing if I’m playing minor or major scales.

    My goal now is to generate more speed (muscle memory) and know exactly where I’m at playing the major or minor and not be confused because, “wait hold on lemme figure out where I’m at” while the track or jam rolls on don’t work! LoLz! The tempo the jam track now set by default is a perfect speed for me, I just need to work on things like hammer ons, pull offs and hitting two strings, my techniques, and of course triads, (Does anyone have their recommendations as to which lesson number I should watch?) Am I ready for Nashville? No! But give me a couple of months and Ill be pretty damn comfortable doing a lead jamming with a group. Or, better yet when someone says play something, I can just go ahead and rip out a few licks and watch their faces light up.

    Because….. what’s everyone look for and need? A lead guitar player.

    Thank you, Brian, you’ve given my guitar purpose again, and me, confidence in my lead playing.

    Respectfully,

    Ruffcutt

    PS I like the clean sound, but loved the growl of the guitar when you hit he double strings, is that just gain?

  115. Bill R says

    This lesson has cracked the code for me. Thanks Brian. I have a lot of memorizing to do but this makes more sense to me than the patterns for sure. An old man who has finally. seen the light.

  116. Steve (Ruffcutt) R says

    I tried to post this comment in EP489 but when I posted it, I was directed to a website saying this was potentially a unsafe action or something of that sorts? I dunno, I tried a couple of different times, and ways. Because of my excitement to share with you my breakthroughs, I am going to post it here.

    Hi again, Brian!

    A couple days ago, I left a reply to lesson, ML121. In the note, I expressed how after all of the lessons I’ve watched to learn major and minor, ML121 was the one that finally got me to understand.

    Having lessons stashed all over the place like in my favorite folders online and favs saved in Active Melody etc, I thought Id start getting my lessons arranged and get the jam track(s) downloaded and saved getting that organized too. Having gone through three of the lessons in my favorite folders online, I came across EP489. Imagine my glee when I found out it was in B and taught in an entirely differing way. So as I was learning EP489 I began to cross reference the lesson with 121 and all I can say is holy sh..!!

    At first a little confused, I was trying to figure out how everything to the left of my index finger on the, E string, B note, was minor when 121 was telling me this side was major! Until…… Ah hahhhhh! It all came together, and in my minds eye I see an even more complete picture of the fretboard. This is all major B! I haven’t even tied together the minor yet! The best part of this whole thing is, 121 made me understand 489 and within about 30 minutes, that’s when my minds eye opened up and saw it. I cannot wait until I get into the minor. Which Ill begin with after several more runs with both jam tracks. Best part is, since I’m a member, I get to download these and I’m able to let them run and loop consecutively, so like what 20 mins 30 mins of solid playing just on major? Yeah, Ill get this down in no time.

    I cant thank you enough Brian. Ive been a member for, I don’t know how many years now, and here I am bam!! Edumacated playing lead on the gitfiddle. You’re the best! Ill never forget these last few days and the moments it all started coming together for me.

    I got more tracks to download, always more practice, and more lessons to sort through and organize. I appreciate my new found love for my lead playing and haven’t been this motivated in, a very, very, very long time. Ill post a video soon, Sensei!

    Kind Regards,

    Ruffcutt

  117. Steve (Ruffcutt) R says

    CORREECTION:

    I couldn’t figure out how to edit my previous post re: “At first a little confused, I was trying to figure out how everything to the left of my index finger on the, E string, B note, was minor when 121 was telling me this side was major!”

    I meant to say how everything to the right of my index finger was minor, when 121 was telling me this was major. That’s when I was ah hahhhhhh…..

  119. Fran M says

    Thanks for this one Brian. It does simplify getting around the fretboard at a quicker pace. I’ve been trying to apply EP436 for some time when I saw this less come out. What I struggle with is consuming the info in this lesson along with EP436. Each lesson is quite different. I guess what I’m trying to figure out is whether f should move away from EP436 and just focus here since it’s easier? What do I lose by that approach?

    I guess I’m a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out how to tie a few lessons together in order to improvise without sounding scaly. You have so much great stuff here it’s tough to pick 1, 2 or 3 lessons to focus on.

    Thanks,
    Fran

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