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The 3rd Pentatonic
Modal Study

Lesson by
 Michael Chodosh

 

  

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

Here is this set of pentatonic scales and chords with the 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: 4/5) tells us where the root note to the scale is located on the guitar.  The "4" represent which finger plays the root note and the "5" tells us which string. So, "4/5"  =  the fourth finger finds the root on the /fifth string.

 E minor chord

 The 4/5  minor pentatonic scale
X                   X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   1   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   2   |   3   | 5th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   4   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
X                   X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   1   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   2   2   |   1   1 5th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   4   4   4   |   3
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   4   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
6th string          1st string
 
    

 

E major chord
The 4/5  pentatonic scale.
X                   X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   1   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   2   | 5th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   3   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   4   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
X                   X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
1   1   1   1   |   1
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   2   | 5th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   3   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   4   |   |   4   4
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
6th string          1st string
 
E minor 7 b5 chord The 1/4  minor flat 5 pentatonic scale
X                   X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   1   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   2   3   |   4   | 5th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
X                   X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   1   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   2   2   |   1   1 5th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
3   |   |   |   |   2
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   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:------------5-7-5----------------------------------
B:5--------5-8-----8-5-------------------------------
G:4-----4-7-----------7-4----------------------------
D:5--5-7-----------------7-5-------------------------
A:7-7-----------------------7-5-----5-7--------------
E:-----------------------------7-5-7-----------------

   F#m7 b5                                
E:-------------7-8-7---------------------------------
B:7--------7-10-----10-7-----------------------------
G:6-----5-9-------------9-5--------------------------
D:7--7-9-------------------9-7-----------------------
A:9-9-------------------------9-7-----7-9------------
E:-------------------------------8-7-8---------------

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

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

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

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

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

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

    C (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:---------------------------------------------------
  A:-----12-15-----------------------------------------
  E:12-15----------------------------------------------

If you have trouble going higher than this on the guitar just start back down then neck by going back down.  Remember: Em, F#m7b5, G, Am, Bm, C, and D.

  D                                
E:--------------------14-17-14-----------------------
B:15-------------15-17--------17-15------------------
G:14--------14-16------------------16-14-------------
D:16---14-16----------------------------16-14--------
A:17-17--------------------------------------17-14---
E:------------------------------------------------17-

    D (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:---------------------------------------------------
  A:-----14-17-----------------------------------------
  E:14-17----------------------------------------------

Now, either continue up to the end of the neck or go back down through each of the proper chords: C, Bm, Am, G, and so on.

That is the third pentatonic scale/chord study.

Achieve that dream!
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