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The 2nd Pentatonic
Modal Study

Lesson by
 Michael Chodosh

 

  

Make sure that you've already studied the 1st Pentatonic Scale/Chord Study before pursuing this lesson.

Now that you understand how to use this lesson I will simply lay out the set of pentatonic scales and chords with an example of how to practice them at the end.  The folowing will be the three chords: major, minor and half-diminished and the three pentatonic scales which we will assign to them.  The numbers that name the scales (for example: 1/4) tells us where the root note to the scale is located on the guitar.  The "1" represent which finger plays the root note and the "4" tells us which string. So, "1/4"  =  the first finger finds the root on the /fourth.

 E minor chord

 The 1/4  minor pentatonic scale
    X               X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   1   |   |   | 2nd fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   4   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|                   |
6th string          1st string

+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   1   1   1   |   | 2nd fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   |   |   |   2   2
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   4   4   |   4   4
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|                   |
6th string          1st string
    

 

E major chord
The 2/4  pentatonic scale.
    X               X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   1   |   |   | 2nd fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   |   |   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   4   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
    X               X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   1   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   2   2   |   1   1 2nd fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   4   4   4   |   3
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   4   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
6th string          1st string
 
E minor 7 b5 chord The 1/4  minor flat 5 pentatonic scale
    X               X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   1   |   |   | 2nd fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   |   |   3   4   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
    X               X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   1s  |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   1   1   |   | 2nd fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   |   |   2   3   2
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   4   4   |   4   4
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
6th string          1st string
 

 Now, as in study number one, you have enough scales to work on all of the pentatonic scale/chord studies in one key.  Try this. We will still be using  the key of E minor.

In E natural minor (the Aeolian mode) the chords are E minor, F# half diminished, G, A minor, B minor, C, and D.

First play the chord then the corresponding scale.

  Em                                
E:----------------3-5-3------------------------------
B:-5----------3-5-------5-3--------------------------
G:-4------2-4---------------4-2----------------------
D:-2--2-5-----------------------5-2---------------2--
A:----------------------------------5-2-------2-5----
E:-3------------------------------------5-3-5--------

  F#m7b5                                
E:----------------5-7-5------------------------------
B:-5----------5-7-------7-5--------------------------
G:-5------4-5---------------5-4----------------------
D:-4--4-7-----------------------7-4---------------4--
A:----------------------------------7-3-------3-7----
E:-5------------------------------------7-5-7--------

  G                                
E:----------------5-7-5------------------------------
B:-8----------5-8-------8-5--------------------------
G:-7------4-7---------------7-4----------------------
D:-5--5-7-----------------------7-5---------------5--
A:----------------------------------7-5-------5-7----
E:-7------------------------------------7-5-7--------

  Am                                
E:---------------8-10-8------------------------------
B:10---------8-10------10-8--------------------------
G:-9------7-9--------------9-7-----------------------
D:-7--7-10--------------------10-7---------------7---
A:--------------------------------10-7-------7-10----
E:-8----------------------------------10-8-10--------

  Bm                               
E:-----------------10-12-10--------------------------
B:12----------10-12--------12-10---------------------
G:11------9-11------------------11-9------------------
D:-9--9-12--------------------------12-9-------------
A:--------------------------------------12-9---------
E:10----------------------------------------12-10-12-

    Bm (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:-----9---------------------------------------------
  A:-9-12----------------------------------------------
  E:---------------------------------------------------

  C                                
E:------------------10-12-10-------------------------
B:13-----------10-13--------13-10--------------------
G:12-------9-12------------------12-9----------------
D:10--10-12--------------------------12-10-----------
A:----------------------------------------12-10------
E:12-------------------------------------------12-10-

    C (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:-------10--------------------------------------------
  A:--10-12--------------------------------------------
  E:12-------------------------------------------------

 

  D                                
E:------------------12-14-12-------------------------
B:15-----------12-15--------15-12--------------------
G:14------11-13------------------14-11---------------
D:12-12-14----------------------------14-12----------
A:-----------------------------------------14-12-----
E:14--------------------------------------------14-12

    D (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:-------12------------------------------------------
  A:--12-14--------------------------------------------
  E:14-------------------------------------------------

  Em (XIV pos)                                
E:-------------------15-17-15------------------------
B:17------------15-17--------17-15-------------------
G:16-------14-16------------------16-14--------------
D:14--14-17----------------------------17-14---------
A:------------------------------------------17-14----
E:15---------------------------------------------17--

  C                                
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:----------14-----------------------------------------
  A:-----14-17-----------------------------------------
  E:15-17----------------------------------------------

Make sure to play back down the neck to where you started or (once you're advanced) progress to the top of the neck and then play back down to the lower frets.  In all of these exercises you can play to the top of the neck and down to the lowest frets as long as you stick to the chords that are in the key you are playing:   
E minor, F# minor b5, G, A minor, B minor, C and D.

That is the second pentatonic scale/chord study.

Achieve that dream!
Lesson Information: lessons@chodoshguitar.com 
Other questions and comments: mailto:info@chodoshguitar.com

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