So I've started with the minor pentatonic in the last month or so, just one pattern
5 8 E
5 8 B
5 7 G
5 7 D
5 7 A
5 8 E
I've done a little research and found 5 basic pentatonic patterns. I noticed how they all 'hooked' together. I know the above pattern is movable, are the other 4 patterns movable? If all the patterns are overlapping correctly will they all be the same scale just in different positions? Thanks for any info.
paul
"How can you have an ego about running your hand across a piece of wood?"
- Col. Bruce Hampton
If they all are the same scale, yes.
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The "5 patterns", also known as box shapes, are not really individual patterns. The notes, found in those patterns, represent all of the occurences of the notes, belonging to a particular key, on the fretboard. Also, if you look, the top half of the 5th pattern is also the same as the bottom half of the 1st pattern and comes 12 frets further up the fretboard
You see, on my site, that I've shown A minor. If you take the root from the 5th fret on the low E string and move it to the 7th fret and play all of those patterns correspondingly 2 frets higher, you've changed from A minor to B minor
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Paul
Something my instructor told me was to end that scale on the "A" note 5th fret 1st string and not the "C" at the 8tht fret to be "correct". That one is moveable as the is the scale he taught me 2 weeks ago and we go up and down the neck with that scale
John M
Yup, they are all moveable. All of the scales you can learn, if you keep the "pattern" identical and just move up or down the fretboard, are moveable. Major, Minor, Pentatonic or whatever. All moveable.
Those "boxes" are not real "things", just a memorization device. A way of breaking it up into little segments for easy learning. Well maybe not exactly "easy", but easier.
paulSC
What you described is what I call Position 1 for the A Minor Pentatonic Scale
Position 2 is
8 10 E
8 10 B
7 9 G
7 10 D
7 10 A
8 10 E
Now if you wanted to play the B Minor Pentatonic Position 1 it would be
7 10 E
7 10 B
7 9 G
7 9 D
7 9 A
7 10 E
So it is the same exact pattern moved up one whole note (A to B) or two frets on the guitar. So you would also move Position 2 up two frets if you wanted to play that position in the scale in B Minor.
As others have said, there are only 5 notes in the Pentatonic scale. In A Minor it is A, C, D, E, and G. No matter which of the 5 Positions you are playing in, the notes will not change. It will still be A, C, D, E, and G.
Why change you might ask?
Answer TONE. Often times a lead guitarist will start off in the middle of the guitar. If they want to sound heavy they will go down the neck and play with the same notes, but at the nut and on the bass. Then, when the solo climbs to a climax they will go up to the high treble strings and make the guitar scream!
But it is still just those same 5 notes. But where you play them on the guitar makes a big difference. :D
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