Pentatonic Scales & Lead Guitar — Learn Guitar

Box 1 Scale Diagrams

The pentatonic scale has 5 notes and is the safest starting point for lead guitar — it has almost no notes that can sound "wrong". The most used position is Box 1.

A minor pentatonic — Box 1 (5th fret)

Pink dots are the root (A). Two notes per string; index on fret 5, ring or pinky above.

This box is also C major pentatonic — same notes, the "home" (root) just becomes C. This is called the relative major/minor relationship.

G major pentatonic

Root on string 6, fret 3 (G). The sound of country and pop solos.

You can move the box to any key: in minor pentatonic the first note on string 6 names the key. Slide it to fret 12 (or open strings) for E minor, fret 3 for G minor. Use the Scale & Chord Explorer for the other boxes.

The Blues Note

Add a single note to minor pentatonic and you get the blues scale: the ♭5, the "blue note". You don't sit on it — it's a passing tone, usually between the 4 and the 5, used to create tension.

Blue dots: the ♭5 (E♭). A blues scale.

A blues scale, low to high.

e|------------------------------5-8-|
B|-------------------------5-8------|
G|-----------------5-7-8------------|
D|-------------5-7------------------|
A|-------5-6-7----------------------|
E|-5-8------------------------------|

Articulations Illustrated

Articulations are what make the same notes "talk". In TAB they're written with letters or symbols:

Symbol	Technique	How
`5h7`	Hammer-on	Pick the 5, then hammer a finger onto fret 7 without picking again.
`7p5`	Pull-off	Fret 7 and 5, pick, then lift the 7 finger with a slight downward "flick".
`5/7` `7\5`	Slide	Pick the note and keep pressure while sliding to the target fret.
`7b9`	Bend	Pick fret 7 and push the string until it sounds like fret 9 (whole step). `b½` means half step.
`9r7`	Release	Let a bent string return to its normal pitch under control.
`7~~`	Vibrato	Wiggle the pitch with small, regular bends and releases.

A classic blues phrase: bend, pull-off, hammer-on and vibrato together (the audio plays the notes only).

e|-----------------------------|
B|-8b10--8-5-------------------|
G|-----------7-5-----5h7-------|
D|---------------7-5-----7~~~--|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|

Before bending, fret and play the target note first, fix it in your ear, then bend up to match it. Push with 2–3 fingers together, not one.