Wow, we have done an amazing job. We learned the 5 interconnecting boxes of the minor pentatonic scale but have we really learned it? Were my text diagrams easily understandable? Did you go to the forum and check out the thread on learning lead?
Well, I will make it easy on you and post the 5 movable boxes of the minor pentatonic scale here!
Box 1 connects to box 2 which connects to box 3 etc. It is important to practice each of the 5 boxes with a metronome!
General Notes,
1. We are going to learn to play lead in this series! If you have questions don’t be shy, ASK them! You will never learn if you don’t ASK.
2. The first box or patten we are going to learn is the 2nd pattern of the MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE. Notice I called it minor pentatonic and didn’t give it a letter. That is because where I place the Root note on the Bass E string determines the Key I am playing. If I want to play an A (minor pentatonic scale) I would start this pattern on the A of the Bass E which we should have learned by now is at the 5th fret! So what key would I be playing if I moved it a semitone down? G#!
3. You must understand 2 in order to be proficient! If I want to play a D# (minor pentatonic scale) I would start the pattern on the 11th fret!
4. Root notes are important. Learn the positions of them. There are 3 root notes in this pattern! Learn them! They kind of form a triangle if you look at the pattern!
OK here is the shape of the first box!
Why do people study music theory?
To learn shortcuts and to become better players.
We are playing a minor pentatonic pattern. That means the scale has 5 notes repeated throughout the scale PENT = 5!
So every root note is 5 notes away from the previous root note! Easy to remember!
We can also assume that the circle of fifths is correct. By that I mean there is only one relative minor scale associated with the Key. That association is the number of sharps and flats in the key.
C major scale has no sharps or flats!
Am scale has no sharps or flats
G major has 1 sharp in the scale F#
Em has one sharp in the scale F#
D major scale has 2 sharps in it F# and C#
Bm scale has 2 sharps F# and C#
So really you cannot play a Am scale over the A major! WHY?
A major scale has 3 sharps in it! F# C# G#
Am scale has no sharps in it. So 3 notes out of the scale will be WRONG or sound really out of place!
OK practice time.
Please use a metronome because timing is very important. Don’t push yourself to be a speed freak! Set the metronome to 60 BPM that’s one note per second.
From the bass root note, down the strings and back up! Only. Back and forth! All the way! 5 minutes!
Bass root note to the next root note and back! 5 mins
Bass root note to the last root note and back! 5 mins
Last 5 minutes jamming to the backing track!
Simple Backing Track!
This happens to be in the key of G
So we start this our minor pentatonic box on the open fret or on the 12th fret! Look at you circle of fifths! What is the relative minor associated with the key of G. Em.
Box one is just like box 2 as it only has two notes per string! This box should be very easy to learn! All the ending notes of the first box are the beginning notes of our second box. The boxes connect at this point!
Same practice as box two!
use both sets of boxes to practice to the Backing track!
Same Practice Regiment!
Here are all 5 boxes of the minor pentatonic scale! This is excerpted from my learn to play lead series on our FORUM.
Cheers,
Jay
Tags: beginner, beginners, circle of fifths, Guitar, guitars, Jam, lead, learn, music, playing, teach
March 28, 2008 at 2:06 pm |
[...] Learn to play lead guitar! Just posted an excerpt from our FORUM over at my PERSONAL BLOG. [...]