Major Pentatonic Scale

Major Pentatonic Scale
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Here is the basic pentatonic scale. Does it look familiar? If not, you might
want to go practice the easy tricks before you read this next part. Without the
pentatonic scale as background this section will get really confusing.

Key= A
Basic Pentatonic                      With Extensions

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

When a guitar player talks about "the penatonic scale" this scale above is what
he is talking about. However, it is really called the MINOR pentatonic scale. In
these discussions we call it "the basic pentatonic" because most people don't
call it minor.
So what is the difference? Well, a scale is major if the third note of the scale
is four frets from the root note. A scale is minor if the third note of the
scale is three frets from the root note. In the A major scale the third note is
C#, which is four frets from A. In the pentatonic scale above the third note is
C, not C#. Therefore the scale is minor. You don't need to understand this in
order to be a good guitar player. You just need to know how to play it. Read on
to learn how to play the MAJOR penatonic scale.




The Major Pentatonic Scale
Next door to the basic pentatonic scale below is the major pentatonic scale. It
looks like the minor pentatonic scale for F#, which it is. However, it is also
the major pentatonic scale for A major. F# is the relative minor key of A major.
The relative minor key is always 1 1/2 steps down from the major key. This is
easy to remember if you remember that A is the relative minor of C. That isn't
really important to this discussion. As a guitar player all you need to know is
that you can play in two different positions on the fret board in the same song
and get two entirely different sets of sounds using the same standard pentatonic
scale and even the same tricks. All you have to do is move the pattern down
three frets and see how it sounds.

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----------------|

If you are playing in the greater rock/blues category of music (the big category
from Chuck Berry to Metallica), then you can use either the major or minor
pentatonic in your solos. You can even use both in the same solo. The rock/blues
style only loosely adheres to the major/minor distinction. This gives you a lot
of leeway in your playing.




The Combination Scale
So what is to stop you from combining the two? Nothing, not one thing except the
song itself. The same trick won't sound good in every song, so it is up to you
to decide what sounds best in a given situation. Does this look difficult? It's
not, really. It is just two simple pentatonic scales sitting side by side.

Key=A
Minor Pentatonic PLUS Major Pentatonic

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


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