The 5 Pentatonic Scale Shapes You Must Know
In order to learn how to solo and improvise in blues and rock you must know the 5 pentatonic scale shapes. A lot of blues players tend to get stuck in the first pentatonic scale shape, but to be truly free and improvise across the entire fretboard you need to know all the shapes.
And it’s not just about that. Every shape gives it’s own sound and feeling to a guitar lick. This is where the magic happens. This is where the coolness and the beauty comes through all these different shapes. They all got their own personality.
Learn all the shapes thoroughly and when you do also learn them in different keys. It is a lot of work, but it is important that you do, so take your time with it. Practice with focus and dedication.
The examples below are all in the key of A, but you can play these shapes in every key, just move the shapes up and down the neck. The red notes are showing the root notes of the scale, so in the scale shapes below they are all A notes.
If you want to play the shapes in the key of G for example, all you need to do is move them 2 half steps down. (a half step is a one fret distance) If you want to play the shapes in the key of E move up 7 half steps, etc, etc.
Good luck and enjoy!
e:------------------------5-8-5-----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------5-8-------8-5-------------------------------------|
G:---------------5-7----------------7-5---------------------------------|
D:----------5-7-------------------------7-5-----------------------------|
A:-----5-7----------------------------------7-5-------------------------|
E:-5-8------------------------------------------8-5---------------------|
e:----------------------------8-10-8------------------------------------|
B:----------------------8-10----------10-8------------------------------|
G:-----------------7-9---------------------9-7--------------------------|
D:------------7-10------------------------------10-7--------------------|
A:------7-10-----------------------------------------10-7---------------|
E:-8-10----------------------------------------------------10-8---------|
e:------------------------------10-12-10--------------------------------|
B:------------------------10-13----------13-10--------------------------|
G:-------------------9-12----------------------12-9---------------------|
D:-------------10-12--------------------------------12-10---------------|
A:-------10-12--------------------------------------------12-10---------|
E:-10-12--------------------------------------------------------12-10---|
e:-------------------------------12-15-12-------------------------------|
B:-------------------------13-15----------15-13-------------------------|
G:-------------------12-14----------------------14-12-------------------|
D:-------------12-14----------------------------------14-12-------------|
A:-------12-15----------------------------------------------15-12-------|
E:-12-15----------------------------------------------------------15-12-|
e:-------------------------------15-17-15-------------------------------|
B:-------------------------15-17----------17-15-------------------------|
G:-------------------14-17----------------------17-14-------------------|
D:-------------14-17----------------------------------17-14-------------|
A:-------15-17----------------------------------------------17-15-------|
E:-15-17----------------------------------------------------------17-15-|
(1 octave lower = 12 half steps down)
e:------------------------3-5-3-----------------------------------------|
B:--------------------3-5-------5-3-------------------------------------|
G:---------------2-5----------------5-2---------------------------------|
D:----------2-5-------------------------5-2-----------------------------|
A:-----3-5----------------------------------5-3-------------------------|
E:-3-5------------------------------------------5-3---------------------|
Feel free to leave a comment or ask me questions. I’d appreciate it.
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Thanks, Klaus Tol
This is a great post.
I am a guitarist and the very first thing I learned was the 5 pentatonic positions.
So important. Nice work..
Hey Dan,
Indeed very important to master the blues.
Thanx.
Klaus
Hi Klaus
great site and very informative.
Hi Tom,
Thanx for the compliment.
Glad you like it!
Klaus
Great website. Ive been searching everywhere to learn how to improv with little success. But this has helped me so much.
Thank you!
Hi Seth,
I’m glad I could help you out.
I’ll add more improvisation tools in future posts.
Klaus Tol
May I just say that I totally love you for this ^^
Hi Alex,
Enjoy the shapes. Practice well.
Klaus Tol