The Minor Pentatonic Scale is one of the first scales that guitar students learn. Pentatonic scales are known primarily for the "bluesy" sound they suggest, but have long been used by blues, rock, and jazz musicians. Since they are found in so many styles of music it is best to get as familiar with this scale as you can. A minor pentatonic scale is "related" to its major pentatonic scale because it has the same patterns (or notes) but the tonic note changes. You will see this once you begin learning both the major and the minor pentatonic scales.
Reading Scale Charts
Below you will find chord charts. The chart is laid out on a typical guitar fret board. The gray lines represent the frets and are numbered below the fret board. The white lines represent the strings. From the bottom up the strings would be E A D G B E. The yellow and blue dots represent the scale patterns. The blue dots represent the tonic note or the first note in the scale. This is helpful when starting each scale.Learning Scale In Sections
The best way to learn this scale is to memorize it in sections. The following pictures show the scale in its entirety and then it breaks it up into 5 sections. Try memorizing these scales in 5 different sections. After you become familiar with each section of the scale you will begin to see how each section relates to each other. Try and visualize each section of the scale being pieced together (similar to how puzzle pieces connect to each other). Try playing 8 notes beginning and ending on a blue dot.
