Playing Easy Licks - Minor Pentatonic

We have been talking a lot about scales lately and it is time to learn some solos and licks (if you have not see some of the prior articles please check them out). Let’s create a solo using just one shape of scale first, let’s use a minor pentatonic:

C minor pentatonic  (C Eb F G Bb)

E----------------------------8-11---
B-----------------------8-11--------
G------------------8-10-------------
D-------------8-10------------------
A--------8-10-----------------------
E--8-11-----------------------------

Solo (please watch the video)

E-----8-8-----8-8--11b------8-8-----8-8------------------------
B-11b-----11b-----------11b-----11b-----8------8-8------8-8----
G------------------------------------------10b------10b--------
D--------------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------------
B---------------------------------13b----11b-------------------
G-8----------------8-----10-8---------12-----10----------------
D---10-8-----------8h10--------10------------------------------
A--------10-8--------------------------------------------------
E-------------11-8---------------------------------------------

E-------8---------------11-8-----------------------------------
B-----8---11p8----------------11-8-----------------------------
G-10b----------10-8-----------------10-8-10-8------------------
D-------------------10------------------------10---------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------

If you are a beginner, or if this is too hard to play right away, take the jam track (at the end of the video) and try to highlight the C, F and G notes along with the C, F and G Major chords! It is a great idea to train our ears and hands to hear the changes on the chord progression. Try to do the same with all the five boxes of scales!

You can also steal a couple of links that you just learn and apply in different shapes of scales! The idea will be the same but the sound will be different because you are using different notes:

C minor pentatonic  (C Eb F G Bb)

E-------------------------------11-13-------
B-------------------------11-13-------------
G-------------------10-12-------------------
D-------------10-13-------------------------
A-------10-13-------------------------------
E-11-13-------------------------------------

E------11-11-----11-11--13b------11-11------11-11--------
B--13b-------13b-------------13b--------13b-------11-----
G--------------------------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------------------------

We can also pick one lick apart and change the ending of it! For example we can play the lick below and switch the ending note from C to F and G and play ending in C when the chord progression is in C Major, end in F when the chord progression is in F and end in G when the chord progression is in G Major.

E--11-8-----------------------------------
B--------11-8-----------------------------
G--------------10-8-10-8------------------
D-------------------------10--------------
A-----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------

E--11-8-----------------------------------
B--------11-8-----------------------------
G--------------10-8-10-8--10--------------
D-----------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------

E--11-8-----------------------------------
B--------11-8-------------8---------------
G--------------10-8-10-8------------------
D-----------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------

Rod Ferreira has been a guitar teacher for over ten years. Rod specializes in acousitc, electric, blues, and rock guitar. Sign up for a one-on-one lesson today!