Guitar Lesson: Extended Major Pentatonic Scale

Extended Major Pentatonic ScaleMore Scale Extensions
This section won't make a lot of sense unless you have already read the
  pentatonic scale
  major pentatonic scale
  extended pentatonic scale

Please go read those sections first. Without some background information, this
will look like a big complicated mess and won't teach you very much.




The Extended Major Pentatonic Scale
We know that we can play the same pentatonic scale in two different positions
during a song to get two different effects out of one set of tricks. Since we
are working in the key of A, here are the two scales that can be used for A:

Key= A
Minor Pentatonic                      Major Pentatonic

E |-----5---------8------10-------|E |-----2---------5------7--------|
B |-----5---------8------10-------|B |-----2---------5------7--------|
G |-----5-----7------9------------|G |-----2-----4------6------------|
D |-----5-----7-------------------|D |-----2-----4-------------------|
A |-----5-----7-------------------|A |-----2-----4-------------------|
E |-----5--------8----------------|E |-----2--------5----------------|

We also know that the pentatonic scale can be extended to cover the whole
fretboard:

Key= A
Extended Minor Pentatonic

Pos:  5       1       2       3     4
E |------3----5-------8------10----12---------15----|
B |------3----5-------8------10--------13-----15----|
G |---2-------5----7------9--------12-----14--------|
D |---2-------5----7---------10----12-----14--------|
A |------3----5----7---------10----12---------15----|
E |------3----5-------8------10----12---------15----|



Then it stands to reason that the major pentatonic can also be extended to cover
the whole fretboard:

Key= A major
Extended Major Pentatonic

Position      1       2      3     4          5
E |------0----2-------5------7-----9----------12---14---|
B |------0----2-------5------7---------10-----12---14---|
G |-----------2----4------6--------9------11-------14---|
D |-----------2----4---------7-----9------11-------14---|
A |------0----2----4---------7-----9----------12---14---|
E |------0----2-------5------7-----9----------12---14---|



Here are the 5 hand positions for the extended major pentatonic.

Key= A major
Extended Major Pentatonic

Position: 1      2               3                
E |--2-------5-| |-----5----7--| |----7----9-----| 
B |--2-------5-| |-----5----7--| |----7------10--| 
G |--2----4----| |--4-----6----| |-6-------9-----| 
D |--2----4----| |--4-------7--| |----7----9-----|
A |--2----4----| |--4-------7--| |----7----9-----|
E |--2-------5-| |-----5----7--| |----7----9-----|

  4              5
E |--9------12-| |----12---14--|
B |----10---12-| |----12---14--|
G |--9----11---| |-11------14--|
D |--9----11---| |-11------14--|
A |--9------12-| |----12---14--|
E |--9------12-| |----12---14--|



In a rock/blues (B.B. King, Smashing Pumpkins, whatever) song, we can move from
one scale to the other at will. We can also mix the two scales together. Here
are the two scales written together as the extended combination scale:

Key= A major
Minor Pentatonic PLUS Major Pentatonic

E |--0---2---3-------5-------7---8---9---10------12------14---15----|
B |--0---2---3-------5-------7---8-------10------12--13--14---15----|
G |------2-------4---5---6---7-------9-------11--12------14---------|
D |------2-------4---5-------7-------9---10--11--12------14---------|
A |--0---2---3---4---5-------7-------9---10------12------14---15----|
E |--0---2---3-------5-------7---8---9---10------12------14---15----|
       Be careful with the extended combination scale, it is really easy to get
      lost.
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