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How to start soloing with the minor pentatonic scale
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Minor Pentatonic Guitar Course
A course on linking the minor pentatonic positions across the fretboard, according to the vendor.
What is the minor pentatonic scale?
A five-note scale (root, flat 3rd, 4th, 5th, flat 7th) used in rock, blues and pop solos. In A minor the notes are A, C, D, E and G. Because it has no "awkward" notes, it sounds good over most minor and blues progressions.
Box 1 in A
Low E: 5, 8 · A: 5, 7 · D: 5, 7 · G: 5, 7 · B: 5, 8 · high E: 5, 8. Use your first finger for the 5th fret and your third or fourth for the others.
Minor Pentatonic Guitar Course
A course on linking the minor pentatonic positions across the fretboard, according to the vendor.
Practise like this
- Up and down at 60 bpm, one note per click.
- Raise the tempo by 5 bpm only when it’s clean.
- Play three-note phrases and repeat them.
- Add bends on the G and B strings and a little vibrato.
- Improvise over a backing track for five minutes a day.
Connecting the five positions
The five box shapes cover the whole neck and overlap. Learn box 2 next, then practise sliding from box 1 into box 2 mid-phrase. Being able to move between positions is what makes solos sound free rather than stuck in one place.
Common questions
Is the pentatonic scale good for beginners?
Yes. It’s usually the first scale guitarists use for soloing because it sounds musical straight away.
How long does it take to learn all five pentatonic positions?
Most players can learn the shapes in a few weeks; using them fluently in solos takes a few months of regular practice.
What we’d look at next
Minor Pentatonic Guitar Course
A course on linking the minor pentatonic positions across the fretboard, according to the vendor.
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