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2) Major Pentatonic Scale:
Up Neck

Other lessons in the series:

Notes:

• These are 'suggested' fingerings. If using different fingers feels more natural to you, go for it! The main thing is always to get the right sound.

• With the descending pattern, sometimes I slide on the 1st finger, sometimes on the 3rd finger (or even the 2nd finger, on the G string). Again: Do what feels natural for the context and the sound you want to get!

• There are 2 main types of pentatonic scale: Major Pentatonic and Minor Pentatonic.

• Intervals of Maj. Pent. scale:
      1  2  3  5  6
     (4 and 7 of the major scale
     are dropped)

• Major Pentatonic has a bright, clean sound and is used extensively in country music. Minor Pentatonic has a bluesy, gritty sound. (You need to know both scales!)

• Most scales have seven notes; pentatonic scales have just five. (pent" means five; "tonic" = tone)

• The famous song, "My Girl" (Temptations), starts with a major pentatonic riff!

• In the video we'll do it in the key of A. Be sure to move it around the neck and try it in different keys (it's completely movable).

• Scale ≠ music! However, you can use the notes of a scale to make music. Play around with the notes of the scale and see if you can come up with your own licks and musical phrases/melodies. Try adding bends, slides, hammer ons, pull offs to add expression.

• Try playing along with some of my Backing Tracks. Start with one of the Drone Tracks (vamps on just one chord), then try one of the Band-Minus-1 tracks....

• You can bend the 2 and 5 of the maj. pent.