PENTATONIC MINOR The Scale Shapes Pattern 1 / Box 1 (E shape) This is the most commonly learnt scale pattern.

It is pretty easy to play. Alternatives Sometimes the notes on the first and second strings are played with the 3rd finger. I often play it that way, particularly further up the neck where it can get a bit cramped. This is also good for doing string bending as you will AWAYS bend with your 3rd finger. But the version shown is better to learn first, especially as this may be the first scale you ever learn. :) Pattern 2 / Box 2 (D shape) This shape has many cool blues licks in it, should be the second shape you learn. Alternatives I often see people playing the thinnest two strings with the 2nd and 4th fingers. Makes sense if the idea was just to lay it fast but this scale is mostly used for blues, where you will bend a lot and want good control over the notes, hard to achieve with little finger. I'm confident that this is the best fingering.

Pattern 3 / Box 3 (C shape) This is sometimes thought to be quite a hard pattern to solo in... it is until you learn some funky licks from this position, then it will be your friend.. Alternatives Sometimes this one is played with just 1st and 3rd fingers all the way. That can be cool, but harder lower down the neck when the notes are further apart.

Pattern 4 / Box 4 (A shape) Lots and lots of cool licks in this pattern... Alternatives The most common alternative is play the two notes on the 2nd string with 1st and 3rd fingers. Not a bad plan but can be hard to play fast. Sometimes first string is also played with 1st and 3rd fingers.

Pattern 5 / Box 5 (G shape) This is a funky pattern, can seem hard at first but again it has some cool licks in it if you look around enough. Alternatives I often see this played with the fingering 2,4 / 2,4 / 1,4 / 1,4 / 2,4 / 2,4 which I think is useless. Using the two weakest fingers for two thirds of the scale is ludicrous. Best alternative is to use 1st and 3rd fingers all the way. Or... Use 1st and 3rd for strings 1, 2, 5 and 6 and 1st and 4th for the middle strings.

Scale Formula The scale forumula for the major scale must be memorised, as you will use it often to work out chord tones. The formula describes the interval distances between each note of the scale. TS ^ T ^ T ^ TS ^ T (T=Tone, TS= Tone+Semitone, or 1.5 Tones, or min 3rd interval)