RockGuitarMadeEasy

PERFECTYOUR
PENTATONICS

ONTHECD
TRACKS7-9
7. Introduction

This issue, we start a series on rock soloing techniques,

whether you're a beginner or atheory-hungry improviser. ..

8. Full track
9. Backing

track

(f)200 I Widdle Music

GT

PERFECT YOUR
PENTATONICS
unlock the neck and give you
nurnerous options when irnprovising a
solo. Check out your favourite
guitarist - I bet they don't stay in one
position for a whole solo. And
different shapes affect the way you
play, as weil as your sound.

RATING

EASY

IIIIIII
WiJl improve your:
. Understanding of
the fretboard
. Scale knowledge
. Music theory

THE SCALE FORMULA

The pentatonic is a five-note scale that
originates from the major scale of the
same name. The formula is as follows:
1,1,3,4,5,h7, 1. Youwill understand
this formula if you see the the A major
scale in relationship to A minor
pentatonic scale...
A MA OR SCALE:

A
I

.B
2

C#
3

A MINOR

A
I

"A really
good player
will know
patterns th at
can be traeed
all over the
neck"
YOUR GTTUTOR
8JAMIE

HUMPHRIES

See p 16 for more info

on aI.1the GTtutors

D
4

E
5

PENTATONIC

.c D
h3 4

F#
6

G#A
7
I

SCALE:

EGA
5 h7

This formula is consistent throughout

all minor pentatonic scales: sirnply
look at the major scale of the same
name, remove the 2nd and the 6th,
flatten the 3rd and the 7th... hey
presto, the pentatonic in any key.

elcome to this, our fust instalment

THE 'CAGED' SYSTEM

Take a look at FIGURE I. This shows the A minor
pentatonic scale across the entire neck (up to 22 frets).
This is, ideally, how you should know the pentatonic
scale - inside out and in a1112 keys.
Before we can do this, I'd recornrnend that you leam
the scale based around chord shapes found in the
'CAGED' system. CAGED is a system of playing scales
that uses chord shapes of C, A, G, E, and D. I always
find scales easier to remember if I visualise them

of what

GT is calling Rock Guitar Made Easy. This

column is designed to take you through the
techniques and theory necessary to play
modem rock guitar - we 're looking at the 'knowiedge
behind the notes' and I hope to answer many questions
that so many guitarists overlook, or are never told.

We 're kicking things off with the pentatonic scale. Wait

a minute - don't go skipping to the next lesson! Yes, a lot
of you will have leamt this scale, but just how weil do
you know it? I come across this all the time with my
around a basic chord shape.
ACM classes. Many students
THE A MINOR PENTATONJC
FIGURE I
say they know the
pentatonic

scale

- when

they've probably only leamt

one shape. A really good
player will know all of the
five shapes from top to
bottom, plus he or she will
have leamt the scale in
pattems that can be traced
all over the neck. This will
18 Guitar1chniques DECEMBER 2001

0
i--

=Root Note
:::
,.....,

--

:=

(3)

(5)

- --- -::- ';;;t.

.r. - -::
- -.:::
- - -::
-

(A)

(7)

-- - r.. 1- -

a:
;:::
- '-"

(9)

.::: ;:::I- I.V

,....

12

15

mi

':;;/.
-

17

19

::
- .:::
21

24

Pattern

5-

Am/Em Shape
5-

'TONIC TONICS
EXAMPLE I shows pattem 1 of the pentatonie
seale. This pattem is based around the E
minor ehord shape and its root notes can
be found on the E strings and the D
string. Make sure you praetise from root
note to root note when learning these shapes.
This ean be heard on the CD throughout aUof
the five shapes.

RECOMMENDED
LlSTENING

AEACEA
1 5 I ~3 5 I
EXAMPLE

The exercises here are

Pattern

Am/Dm Shape
x x

8-

EXAMPLE 2 is pattem 2 of the seale, and is based

around the D minor ehord shape. The root notes of
this seale shape can be found on the D and B strings.
Onee again, when praetising the shape start from the
lowest root note and play through the rest of the
scale, resolving on the highest root. Reverse this
when eoming back down the seale, as on the GTCD.

Gilmour (main picture)

Eric Johnson (above
left), Paul Gilbert (Ieft),
ZakkWylde
(overleat),
Gary Moore and Jeff
Beek ('You Had It

A E A C
I 5 1 ~3

Pattern

Am/Cm
x

Shape
x

10-

obviously not concerned

with learning specific
licks.just improving your
fretboard knowiedge. But
to hear players who play
the pentatonic scale at al!
positions on the neck.
listen to David

EXAMPLE 3 is pattem 3 of the

seale. This seale is based around
the C minor chord shape and its
root notes are located on the A
and B strings. Onee again,
practise it through from root
note to root note.

Coming' album, pictured)

to name but a few. Al! of
these players like to
move around the neck.

ACE
A
I ~3 5 1
EXAMPLE

Pattern

12-

Am/Am
x

Shape

EXAMPLE 4 show pattem 4 of this seale. This

pattem is based around the A minor shape with the
root notes on the A and G string. Remember. to
praetise it as heard on the GTCD - root to root.

12-1 V

AEACE
I 5 I ~3 5
EXAMPLE

Pattern

Am/Gm Shape
x

17-

A
I

ECEA
5 ~3 5 I

EXAMPLE 5 is our final shape, and is based around

the G minor ehord shape. The root notes are found on
the E strings and on the G string. Once again check the
GTCD to hear the scale played from root to root.
Once you have these shapes down, you should start to
leam them in other keys. Now that the scales are
leamed, we need to start looking at them in smaller
shapes, so that we can successfully move them around
the neek. We'Ustart on pairs of strings,the E and B,
before moving from one shape to the next. ..

19
DECEMBER2001 GuitarThchniquas

- _I

EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE

6
EXAMPLE

6 is a

rectangular pattem on the E

and B strings. Starting on
the D note on the string this
shape is easy to remember
as the final note on the E

5-

11

GTCD GEAR
EXAMPLE

2-

11 starts with

the root on the G-string and

is a distorted version of
Example

9.

model plugged into a

Marshall JMP I with a
clean setting.

string is the root.

EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE

7 is an

extended rectangular
pattern on the E and B
strings. When starting on
the E note on the B

5-

5.

12

string, the root note is

EXAMPLE
12 has no
root and is a variation on

..

the third note played,

and is found on the fifth

Example 10, the reverse

trapezoid.

fret of the Estring.

EXAMPLE 8

..
o.

10-

EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE 8 is another
rectangular shape on the E
and B strings. When starting
on the G note on the B
string, the second note is
the root.

EXAMPLE

9 is a

EXAMPLE

13

EXAMPLE 13 is a variation
of Example 6 and is seen as
a shifted rectangular shape.
10.

EXAMPLE

14

EXAMPLE
14 is a
distorted version of

slightly different shape,

and is called a forward

10-

trapezoid.

Here, the first

10-

note on the B string is

the root note.

EXAMPLE

10

.
EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE

20 Guitar'lchniques DECEMBER
2001

7, the

extended
shape.

rectangular

EXAMPLE

12-1 1 1 1--1..-'

..

Example

15

10 is the final

shape played on the E and B

strings and is the reverse of
the last example. This shape is
called areverse trapezoid and
does not have a root note.
Examples 6 to 10 can be
played on all strings tuned in
fourths: E-A, A-D, D-G, and BE. On the GTCD I played
through examples 6 to lOon the D and G strings - to
give you an idea of how the examples wil! sound
when moved onto other strings be sure to move
these to the other remaining pairs tuned in fourths.
You should practise all over the neck, starting from
each root note. The G and B strings are tuned in an
interval of a third. When learning on these strings,
try to see them as distorted versions of the previous
five examples, with the notes on the B string being
raised by one fret.

For the GTCD session I

used an Emie
Bali/MusicMan Luke

14.

more of a 'feel' player, knowing all

these shapes wil! definitely help
you - leam these shapes on
pairs of strings,and you'll be
able to access any shape in
any position.

. Next month string bends and

building soloing
vocabulary.

15 is the final

example and is a shifted

variation of the rectangular
shape found in Example 8.
So, there it is, an alternative
way of looking
at pentatonics.
Whether you
are a novice or

[BI