Guitar.com - A place for guitarists to call home

Forums > Music Theory > Favorite shape from the minor pentatonic

Jump:

Forums > Music Theory > Favorite shape from the minor pentatonic

Code of Conduct Search

Original message:18 days 7 hours 17 minutes ago

+ 3

Member: MicroCuts

300
WebCred

So... I'm happy with my playing at the moment. I'm noticeably faster and cleaner than I was a year ago and I move around the neck a lot more fluidly than I did before. But I realised, I have only ever used two shapes of the 5 in the minor pentatonic (1 and 4 in the attached image). So over the last couple of days I have made an effort to learn all 5.

I don't know why but the 3rd shape in the image really seems to have caught my attention and I'm trying to use it as my starting point for little imrpovs.

So I was wondering... do you guys have a favorite?

...Or alternatively you may know a lot more about music theory than I do and consequently don't view the minor pentatonic like this. Feel free to interject with theory etc too :)

Cheers

My gear recommendations:

This post needs more cowbell

Reply:18 days 28 minutes ago
Member: Waltz

+ 1

799
WebCred

With pentatonic I always use mode 1. I am boring. Although lately I try not to use pentatonic at all if I can help it. Thanks for the chart, I'm going to try some of those others.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

~Waltz; visit my blog: http://somekindofmuffin.wordpress.com/

Reply:18 days 13 minutes ago
Member: this dying soul

+ 1

1736
WebCred

I've gotten to a point where I don't really conciously use any specific pentatonic pattern... I do know I've recognized using pattern 1 frequently mainly because that is the first pattern I'd learned.

I'd have to say my favourite is Pattern 2... mainly because it contains the BB Box (because it's so commonly used by BB King) or Blues Box.

Beyond that, I'm sure I use all the different forms to some extent...especially since lately I've been trying to stay away from the box position...which coinsidentally involves playing box patterns up and down the neck as opposed to across the neck as in the patterns you've pictured here.

What I'm doing is basically linking the patterns you've posted together to go up and down the neck. The result is that you aren't stuck in a single position for the whole solo. Eric Johnson and Zakk Wylde are 2 players that do a lot of this.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:17 days 15 hours 42 minutes ago
Member: ibzRG

+ 1

4574
WebCred

I must say I always search for the box1 that is in the key. It is my anchor point, my comfort zone whatever you wanna call it. Sometimes I extend the upper strings into the next box, but that's all.

I should work on getting comfortable with the rest of the boxes as well. Having to always think about how to get back into box one is limiting.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Visit me on:

Reply:17 days 14 hours 26 minutes ago
Member: JTC

+ 1

2580
WebCred

I too find myself playing around box 1 and box 4 most often but I play with all of the positions all the time.

I think I favor box one because it's similar to pattern III of the major scale (using attached chart). I favor box 4 because it's similar to pattern 1 of the major scale.

I don't know why I favor these positions. It just seems like I'm always poking around in those areas the most.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Hero's Conquest - JTC

Reply:17 days 14 hours 11 minutes ago
Member: jesus bikerfreak

+ 1

293
WebCred

I started out with box one and that is the one I usually use. I also use one I learned as the pentatonic "blues" scale. It goes: 1-4, 1-2-3, 1-3, 1-3-4, 1-4, 1-4. That is the general pattern anyway, until you get higher on the neck. I am going to check out some of the other patterns you posted. Thanks for that!

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." - Rush

Reply:17 days 7 hours 44 minutes ago
Member: MicroCuts

300
WebCred

Wow!

Glad you guys found it useful. There was me thinking that I was just over simplifying a concept and asking a stupid question :)

My gear recommendations:

This post needs more cowbell

Reply:17 days 6 hours 50 minutes ago
Member: johnny cox

856
WebCred

The shape I use most often is what I call the diagonal pattern

My gear recommendations:

Plug in, turn up and spank the plank

Reply:17 days 5 hours 57 minutes ago
Member: JTC

+ 1

2580
WebCred

I use that pattern a lot too and some variations of it.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Hero's Conquest - JTC

Reply:12 days 21 hours 28 minutes ago
Member: this dying soul

1736
WebCred

I do use this one too.

It's a similar concept to what I was describing earlier about linking the box patterns that Microcuts referred to in his original post.

The difference between this and what I was trying to describe earlier is that I was referring to a more linear approach. For example take the patterns that make up the boxes on any 2 adjacent strings and link them together up the neck of the same 2 strings. It can also be done with any other scale pattern; but for some reason it seems the pentatonic scale is the one where people tend to get stuck in the box patterns. I'm guessing this is why I read so many articles by virtuoso players who use a lot of pentatonics taking this step further in effort to stay our of a pentatonic rut.

It's a great way to get more familiar with the fretboard and also seems to open up some phrasing options that might not otherwise be available when you stick to the box patterns going across all six strings. It might sound crazy since you're still playing the same scale up and down the neck instead of across, but when you start to get into things like string skipping, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, incorporating open strings and tapping; it will make things a lot easier to figure out where to go next.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Jump:

This is your home page. Here you'll see real time activity on guitar.com from the forums, groups, blogs, music and gear recommendations and more. You can add whatever content you want to your home page via rss and move it around via drag-and-drop.

Tell others about yourself, your favorite music, gear, movies, genres you play, set your screenname, share your bookmarks, embed vids and more. If others buy music or gear based on your recommendation, you get a commision.

Start or add to discussions, embed outside URL's for discussion, embed vids and have your music and gear recommendations seen.

If you've got something to say, chances are someone wants to read it. Write your blog for education or amusement, embed vids or images and pass out the link. Guitar.com gives you advertising revenue generated from your blog pages.

See what you're fellow musicians are listening to and watch YouTube videos based on artist names.

Ever wondered just how musicians get that sound? On guitar.com musicians list the gear they use and tell you why they use it.

List stuff for sale or swap in our classifieds section.

Create and manage groups. Make them private or public. Manage them at anytime.

Learn a tip trick or lesson from other musicians and professional educators in the Get Educated section. Have a tip trick or lesson to share? Create your blog, mark it as educational and drive traffic to it from here.