Minor Pentatonic Help Please!

Hello, I am new to this site, but love and appreciate all the great posts and tips. I have a question which may appear as a stupid one, but I'm new to scales and modes.

I have a print-out of the 5 positions of the Minor Pentatonic Scale (Box Patterns). But do I need to know this, or can I just learn the 5 notes in a particular key for the Min Pent, and play that?

Also, the box patterns, what exactly does that mean? I tried a search but could not find anything helpful. Can I play any notes in those box patterns as long as I start and end the solo with the root note for the key that the song is in?

Thank you so much!

lol you're thinking too hard.

pentatonic is just a word meaning five (penta as in pentagon) and tone (tonic)

okay all pentatonic is, is a five toned scale, as you said. right now you have 2 options.

one would be to learn the box patterns and that would be the easier thing.

but if you want to really understand them i suggest learning the notes of the pentatonic scale in the key that you're playing and that way you'll know which note in which box pattern corresponds to another position in the scale.

a box pattern is a pattern that the scale makes, and we're gonna use that pattern to our advantage. box patterns make it easier cause we can keep our hand in one area and play without having to move all over the place. hope that helps. if not, go here

Hi,

Thanks for the post.
I am thinking too hard LOL!

hey,
where did you get the print out of the scales?

thanks

http://www.myguitarworkshop.com/Theory/Guitar_Pentatonic_Scales/Guitar-Minor-Pentatonic-Scale-Box-Patterns.htm

hope this helps you, more than it did me! :)

hahaha, thanks :)

I just figured the scales/box patterns out!!
I was excited so I had to share!!

this is the ultimate scales website it has the famous guitar scales in all keys and theyre printable.

THIS IS IT!


EDIT: another good website

Originally Posted by: purethis is the ultimate scales website it has the famous guitar scales in all keys and theyre printable.

THIS IS IT!


EDIT: another good website

I love you.... i mean.... what? :confused:

thanks for the sites, that is a HUGE help man

thanks :)

:cool: It is hard to show each Pentatonic pattern/box clearly, because of it's location on the guitar neck and the fact that several patterns overlap.


For me to learn them easier, I decided to show each pattern, for each key, on the guitar neck by itself. This really helped me, when I was learning
On one of the attachments, I show all the patterns on one guitar neck and show how some overlap.

I have only been playing for about 9-months, but I can play 3 of the 5 patterns fairly well in all the different keys along with some background blues jam music I bought.

I have created multiple "cheat-sheets" I use when I play that shows the following for each key (A, C, D, E, F, G):
A. 3 of the 5 patterns (that I like best #1, #3, #5)
B. on one guitar neck (overlapping when they overlap)
C. after the 12th fret all the above (A&B) repeat (if you are doing a pattern starting on the 3rd fret, the same pattern can be played starting on the 15th fret, etc.).

Being new to the "Pentatonic" boxes/patterns, seeing them all together, overlapping and in different keys was overwhelming to me.
When I broke them down into little pieces (like anything else), one per guitar neck, it became easy. If anyone would like copies of what I created, let me know.

try learning natural minor scales in 5 boxes. i ve been playing penitonic minors since i was15 im 38 now and have found that the natural minors have more to offer but make sure u learn where to add a note also where to bend them thats how u get that mean hard sound :cool:

See attached file showing the Minor pentatonic scales in the key of A

Originally Posted by: 16andlifetogohey,
where did you get the print out of the scales?

thanks

Hi,
I am new here and just read this thread, the one book I have been able to use for years and not get tired of is "The guitar scale guru" by Karl Aranjo, it has great animated drawings and really good scales to follow. You can start at the back or the middle or the beginning and it makes sense everywhere you go. He gives scales and associate's them with artists and songs you may know and that really turned a light on for me because I already had an idea what it sounded like.
Hope it helps,
bluesman

I have this same layout for all the keys.

These layouts really helped me learn all the pentatonic scales :cool: