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The 4th Pentatonic
Modal Study

Lesson by
 Michael Chodosh

 

  

Make sure that you've already studied the 1st three 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 1/5  minor pentatonic scale
X                   X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   1   |   |   |   | 7th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   2   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   3   4   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
X                   X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
1   1   1   1   |   1 7th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   2   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   3   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   4   |   |   4   4
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
6th string          1st string
 
    

 

E major chord
The 2/5  pentatonic scale.
X                   X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   1   |   |   |   | 7th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   3   3   3   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
X                   X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   1   1   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
2   2   |   |   2   2 7th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
4   4   4   4   4   4
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
6th string          1st string
 
E minor 7 b5 chord The 1/5  minor flat 5 pentatonic scale
X                   X
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   1   |   2   |   | 7th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   3   |   4   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
X                   X
6th string          1st string
 
  
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
1s  |   |   |   |   1s
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   1   1   1   |   | 7th fret
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   2   |   2   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   3   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |
+---+---+---+---+---+
|   |   |   |   |   |
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:----------------7-10-7-----------------------------
B:8-----------8-10-------10-8------------------------
G:9--------7-9---------------9-7---------------------
D:9-----7-9---------------------9-7------------------
A:7-7-10---------------------------10-7-------7------
E:-------------------------------------10-7-10-------

   F#m7b5                                
E:--------------------8-12-8-------------------------
B:10-------------10-12------12-10--------------------
G:-9---------9-11----------------11-9----------------
D:10-----9-10------------------------10-9------------
A:-9-9-12--------------------------------12-9--------
E:-------------------------------------------12-8-12-

    F#m7b5 (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:---------------------------------------------------
  A:9-------------------------------------------------
  E:---------------------------------------------------

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

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

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

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

Just for the sake of it (I'm never really sure when to turn around in these lessons since I am not familiar with your guitar) I'm turning around now.  We'll go down the neck to the B minor at the 2nd fret before turning around again and heading back up the neck to where we started, E minor.

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

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

  F#m7b5                                
E:--------------------8-12-8-------------------------
B:10-------------10-12------12-10--------------------
G:-9---------9-11----------------11-9----------------
D:10-----9-10------------------------10-9------------
A:-9-9-12--------------------------------12-9--------
E:-------------------------------------------12-8-12-

    F#m7b5 (cont . . .)                               
  E:---------------------------------------------------
  B:---------------------------------------------------
  G:---------------------------------------------------
  D:---------------------------------------------------
  A:9-------------------------------------------------
  E:---------------------------------------------------

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

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

  C                                
E:--------------3-5-3--------------------------------
B:5----------3-5-----5-3-----------------------------
G:5-------2-5-----------5-2--------------------------
D:5----2-5-----------------5-2-----------------------
A:3-3-5-----------------------5-3-----3--------------
E:-------------------------------5-3-5---------------

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

Now we turn to go back up.

  C                                
E:--------------3-5-3--------------------------------
B:5----------3-5-----5-3-----------------------------
G:5-------2-5-----------5-2--------------------------
D:5----2-5-----------------5-2-----------------------
A:3-3-5-----------------------5-3-----3--------------
E:-------------------------------5-3-5---------------

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

and then we end here.

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

You don't have to follow this particular example.  If you can, it's better to play up the neck as high as you can go and then come back down.  Here, I showed you a typical example that an acoustic guitar player might use.  In any case, make sure to include only these chords which are in the key of  E minor (G major): E minor, F# minor b5, G, A minor, B minor, C and D and then go on to work it out in other keys.

That is the fourth pentatonic modal study.

Achieve that dream!
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