What is a pentatonic?

A pentatonic is scale with five notes hence the 'pent' prefix. The most famous of the pentatonic scales are the minor and Major pentatonic scales used in blues and jazz. but it's not just blues some traditional Chinese music uses the same scale.

I have arranged the pentatonic widget so you can practice the scale position by position. But my advice would be to try to connect the positions up and down the fretboard as well as up and down from string to string. The most dynamic solos move seamlessly up and down the fretboard.

If you are like me and find it hard to remember scales I suggest learn by using. Put on your favourite blues songs, find out the key it is in, and jam away with the whole scale in front of you. Or flip between the positions. Make sure you are on your own though! Pick out some of the notes the guitarist is playing and see how they are using the scale. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Playing this way will improve your sense of rythmn and work magic on your musical ear.

Pentatonics from chords

You can create pentatonics from chords. If you go to the arpeggioand click on the chord G9, for example, you will create an arpeggio that is in effect a pentatonic. This will be the same with any chord with 5 notes. Instead of using the blues scale over your G7 you could play the G9 pentatonic (arpeggio) a bit.

Create your own pentatonics

Who is to say you can't do this? I have done it myself. I did it with the harmonic major scale. I took out the 5 notes I wanted to use and created my own pentatonic. In C I chose the notes C, E, G, Ab, B. It makes an interesting sound and you can play it over a Cmaj7 chord.