The Pentatonic Scale

The pentatonic scale is one of the oldest scales in the world and exists in many cultures. At the same time, it is one of the most important scales in modern pop and rock music. It is not only used in blues and rock, it is also widespread in classical music and jazz. How can you learn the pentatonic scale on the acoustic guitar?

PentatoniC Plays Like Sugar!

Check out this video where I demonstrate the different positions of the pentatonic scale on the fretboard. The example song is Sugar by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine . The melody consists almost entirely of notes from the pentatonic scale.

The video shows the different positions of the scale on the guitar fretboard. But first, let’s look at the basics. What exactly are the characteristics of a pentatonic scale?

The Pentatonic A Five-Note Scale

While the classic major and minor scales consist of seven different tones, the pentatonic scale only has five tones. This creates larger gaps between the tones in two places. The following image shows the A minor scale. The tones that are not included in the A minor pentatonic scale are in brackets.

The larger intervals in this scale create a wider, more open sound. At the same time, the lack of semitones is crucial for a simpler sequence of notes.

The Visualization on the Fretboard

The five-note sequence of the pentatonic scale naturally results in simpler fingerings than the classic seven-note scales. Here you can find the A minor pentatonic scale shown above in a typical guitar fingering diagram:

If you extend this fingering to all strings (whereby only the five notes of the pentatonic scale are still shown) you get a so-called position. This refers to the area on the fingerboard that can be reached with the four fingers of the left hand without the arm changing position.

The entire fretboard can be divided into five positions. After the fifth position, the fingerings repeat, so the sixth position is identical to the first. Here you can see all 5 positions of the A minor pentatonic scale, from the open strings to the 15th fret, shown on the guitar fretboard. The “standard position” shown above is marked here as position III.

Due to the wealth of material, I recommend that you first select small units from these fingerings, as shown in the example video for Sugar. It is also important to have an overview of the root notes, which are shown in the graphic above by box-shaped dots.

Examples

Many jazz and pop songs use pentatonic patterns in higher positions on the fretboard. Here are some examples of popular songs that use sections of the pentatonic scale and are easy to learn even for acoustic guitarists who play primarily in the first position.

1. Amazing Grace

The melody of the well-known American traditional song Amazing Grace consists exclusively of the notes of the pentatonic scale. In the key of G major, the song is an excellent introduction to the world of pentatonic music.

There are many other traditional songs based on the pentatonic scale:

Wayfaring Stranger (E-Minor-Pentatonic)
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (F-Dur-Pentatonik)

2. In a Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)

“In a Sentimental Mood” is a beautiful ballad by Duke Ellington. The melody not only consists of the notes of the pentatonic scale but also includes the entire D minor scale and the blues scale. The famous start of the melody is a perfect example of the pentatonic scale in the first position.

Other jazz standards with pentatonic elements:

Sugar (C-Moll-Pentatonic)
Cherokee (Bb-Major-Pentatonic)

2. Morning Mood (Edvard Grieg)

Morning Mood from the Peer Gynt Suite by the romantic composer Edvard Grieg is one of the most famous melodies in classical music. The pentatonic motif of the first part is repeated in several keys, making it an excellent exercise for exploring the scale at different positions on the fingerboard.

More classical music with pentatonic elements:

Pagodas by Claude Debussy
Pentatonic Prelude by Francisco Tarrega

The following PDF summarizes the information presented here as well as all individual pentatonic positions and further exercises on horizontal pentatonic patterns and advanced playing techniques.