Chords for Beginners Guitar Lesson - The minor pentatonic scale & how to make it major
Tempo:
87.575 bpm
Chords used:
G
E
F
D
Ab
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Greetings, I'm Rob Chaffers and today I thought for a change, rather than teaching you sweeping, shreddy, fast, [Ab] exotic, crazy licks and things,
it might be nice to [D] remember what it was like when I was a [G] beginner, intermediate, and teach you some really simple, basic theory and practice,
like practical application of pentatonic scale.
[C] Bedrock, fundamental [G] beginning for blues, rock, metal, all the good styles.
And it's really [C] simple to immediately grasp this theory, this tiny [G] piece of theory, and practically apply it to music,
which is a really nice thing because normally theory you learn it like the [D] rule of fifths or, I don't know, modal theory.
To begin with you kind of have to tackle with it and get to grips with how you can use it in everyday playing.
And as a [G] beginner, it's nice to learn some theory that just works [F] immediately.
I'm Rob Chapman, I own a guitar company called Chapman Guitars.
This is a Chapman [G] ML2, made in [F] Korea, and it's an antique Sunburst ML2.
[A] I'm also using this brand new toy.
This is the Victory V10 combo, they call it the Baron.
It's one of the [B] nicest combos I've ever heard for blues, rock and metal, and I'm putting a flashback by TC Electronic through it as well.
So let me start by showing you the pentatonic scale [G] shape in case you haven't [F] learnt it, and if you have learnt it, just fast forward this part and I'll look really crazy.
So [G] here we go.
We're going to play it in the key of E.
To begin with, I'm going to give you some tuning notes.
So, [Ab] my wonderful camera assistant, if you could focus on the pick and the strings, we'll show them which string is [G] which.
Starting with the thickest string, which is the E string.
[E]
Next string is the A [A] string.
[D]
[G] G string.
[B] B string.
And the [Em] high E string.
[D] [Ebm] If you've got a guitar tuner, [B] maybe use that, but if you don't, you can use both notes and match the string sounds to tune your [G] guitar to the sounds I've just given you.
Here is the pentatonic scale shape number one, and this is [Ab] the first scale shape you really ever want to use, aside from maybe the [F] major scale shape, which is also very useful.
This is practically applicable, and you can use it straight [G] away.
Here's how it looks.
So we're going to play on the twelfth fret.
Now this is my twelfth [F] fret marker, maybe yours looks a bit different.
I've got an infinity symbol [G] because my guitar goes to infinity and beyond.
And we're going to be going twelve, [N] fifteen, twelve fourteen, twelve [G] fourteen, twelve fourteen, twelve fifteen, [E] twelve fifteen.
[B] [G]
[F] Now you might notice that I used my first finger and my third [Eb] finger there, and some of you may have heard that it's wrong to use these two fingers for this particular scale shape or any scale shape, and that you should be using your first [G] and little finger.
Well the thing is there are two different ways of playing [F] scales.
There's a sort of classical way of playing them for [E] legato and long runs, and there's a bluesy way where you want to use more of the third finger [F] so that you can bend, because it's quite hard to bend [G] with the little finger unless you're Robin Ford, who is a superhuman being.
So experiment using [Eb] both kinds of fingering, first and third, first and little, and see which one [Bb] works best for you.
[Ab] In blues you're going to be using [Fm] first and third more [F] often.
The other thing is that sometimes you might notice that I put [C] my second finger [Db] behind my third, a [B] bit like this.
[A]
[Em] That's because my second finger is prepared in case I want to go back and play that [E] note like this.
[G]
[Gb] [E]
[Eb] It's kind of like playing chess, you kind of think ahead and in case I wanted to play that [Db] note I'm putting my second finger down in preparation.
So that's how the scale looks.
[C] Here's the awesome [Fm] piece of theory we're going to be playing.
If I [B] drone an E string as if I'm playing [F] in a key of E, and I play that scale [D] starting on the 12th fret, which is an E note, you guys will probably know I'm playing E minor pentatonic.
[G] If I play some lead it sounds like [E] this.
[D] [E]
[G]
[C]
[E] [G] However, a [Gb] scale shape is like a template.
If I simply take my fretboard and my scale [G] shape and slide it back three semitones, [Gb] what happens is that although I'm playing the same shape of [Ab] scale, I'm selecting different notes, and [Gb] magic occurs and it [F] becomes a major [G] pentatonic.
But I'm using the same shape of scale, [E] like this.
If [D]
[G] [Gb] I get back one, two, three frets and play the [E] same thing, [Db] [E]
suddenly it's a major scale.
So in other [Ebm] words, [Ab] I'm playing the same scale shape [Gb] starting on C [D] sharp, which is the 11th, 10th, 9th [E] fret.
It's still E, but I'm playing the same shape starting on C sharp.
[Gb] [D]
[Dbm] So you can have fun playing a [A] lick in minor, so the same shape that's split back up, [E] and the same thing in major.
[Em] [E]
[Ab] [Db]
Three tiny movements backwards, three semitones or three frets backwards, and the scale becomes a major pentatonic rather [G] than a minor pentatonic because of things called intervals, which I'll teach you about some other point, unless you want to go to my store here.
Ding!
And [D] by a really awesome lesson on intervals that I teach.
You'll probably notice I picked it down-up, down-up, down-up, down-up.
Well, you can also pick it lots of other ways, involving using the finger and the pick, which we call hybrid.
[F] And when you start to introduce other notes, for [G] example, the flat and fifth to make it a blues scale, you can introduce something called economy picking, where you go down-up, down-down sometimes.
I'll talk about that [N] later in a different lesson from me, Rob Chappers.
You guys take it easy.
Chappers out.
it might be nice to [D] remember what it was like when I was a [G] beginner, intermediate, and teach you some really simple, basic theory and practice,
like practical application of pentatonic scale.
[C] Bedrock, fundamental [G] beginning for blues, rock, metal, all the good styles.
And it's really [C] simple to immediately grasp this theory, this tiny [G] piece of theory, and practically apply it to music,
which is a really nice thing because normally theory you learn it like the [D] rule of fifths or, I don't know, modal theory.
To begin with you kind of have to tackle with it and get to grips with how you can use it in everyday playing.
And as a [G] beginner, it's nice to learn some theory that just works [F] immediately.
I'm Rob Chapman, I own a guitar company called Chapman Guitars.
This is a Chapman [G] ML2, made in [F] Korea, and it's an antique Sunburst ML2.
[A] I'm also using this brand new toy.
This is the Victory V10 combo, they call it the Baron.
It's one of the [B] nicest combos I've ever heard for blues, rock and metal, and I'm putting a flashback by TC Electronic through it as well.
So let me start by showing you the pentatonic scale [G] shape in case you haven't [F] learnt it, and if you have learnt it, just fast forward this part and I'll look really crazy.
So [G] here we go.
We're going to play it in the key of E.
To begin with, I'm going to give you some tuning notes.
So, [Ab] my wonderful camera assistant, if you could focus on the pick and the strings, we'll show them which string is [G] which.
Starting with the thickest string, which is the E string.
[E]
Next string is the A [A] string.
[D]
[G] G string.
[B] B string.
And the [Em] high E string.
[D] [Ebm] If you've got a guitar tuner, [B] maybe use that, but if you don't, you can use both notes and match the string sounds to tune your [G] guitar to the sounds I've just given you.
Here is the pentatonic scale shape number one, and this is [Ab] the first scale shape you really ever want to use, aside from maybe the [F] major scale shape, which is also very useful.
This is practically applicable, and you can use it straight [G] away.
Here's how it looks.
So we're going to play on the twelfth fret.
Now this is my twelfth [F] fret marker, maybe yours looks a bit different.
I've got an infinity symbol [G] because my guitar goes to infinity and beyond.
And we're going to be going twelve, [N] fifteen, twelve fourteen, twelve [G] fourteen, twelve fourteen, twelve fifteen, [E] twelve fifteen.
[B] [G]
[F] Now you might notice that I used my first finger and my third [Eb] finger there, and some of you may have heard that it's wrong to use these two fingers for this particular scale shape or any scale shape, and that you should be using your first [G] and little finger.
Well the thing is there are two different ways of playing [F] scales.
There's a sort of classical way of playing them for [E] legato and long runs, and there's a bluesy way where you want to use more of the third finger [F] so that you can bend, because it's quite hard to bend [G] with the little finger unless you're Robin Ford, who is a superhuman being.
So experiment using [Eb] both kinds of fingering, first and third, first and little, and see which one [Bb] works best for you.
[Ab] In blues you're going to be using [Fm] first and third more [F] often.
The other thing is that sometimes you might notice that I put [C] my second finger [Db] behind my third, a [B] bit like this.
[A]
[Em] That's because my second finger is prepared in case I want to go back and play that [E] note like this.
[G]
[Gb] [E]
[Eb] It's kind of like playing chess, you kind of think ahead and in case I wanted to play that [Db] note I'm putting my second finger down in preparation.
So that's how the scale looks.
[C] Here's the awesome [Fm] piece of theory we're going to be playing.
If I [B] drone an E string as if I'm playing [F] in a key of E, and I play that scale [D] starting on the 12th fret, which is an E note, you guys will probably know I'm playing E minor pentatonic.
[G] If I play some lead it sounds like [E] this.
[D] [E]
[G]
[C]
[E] [G] However, a [Gb] scale shape is like a template.
If I simply take my fretboard and my scale [G] shape and slide it back three semitones, [Gb] what happens is that although I'm playing the same shape of [Ab] scale, I'm selecting different notes, and [Gb] magic occurs and it [F] becomes a major [G] pentatonic.
But I'm using the same shape of scale, [E] like this.
If [D]
[G] [Gb] I get back one, two, three frets and play the [E] same thing, [Db] [E]
suddenly it's a major scale.
So in other [Ebm] words, [Ab] I'm playing the same scale shape [Gb] starting on C [D] sharp, which is the 11th, 10th, 9th [E] fret.
It's still E, but I'm playing the same shape starting on C sharp.
[Gb] [D]
[Dbm] So you can have fun playing a [A] lick in minor, so the same shape that's split back up, [E] and the same thing in major.
[Em] [E]
[Ab] [Db]
Three tiny movements backwards, three semitones or three frets backwards, and the scale becomes a major pentatonic rather [G] than a minor pentatonic because of things called intervals, which I'll teach you about some other point, unless you want to go to my store here.
Ding!
And [D] by a really awesome lesson on intervals that I teach.
You'll probably notice I picked it down-up, down-up, down-up, down-up.
Well, you can also pick it lots of other ways, involving using the finger and the pick, which we call hybrid.
[F] And when you start to introduce other notes, for [G] example, the flat and fifth to make it a blues scale, you can introduce something called economy picking, where you go down-up, down-down sometimes.
I'll talk about that [N] later in a different lesson from me, Rob Chappers.
You guys take it easy.
Chappers out.
Key:
G
E
F
D
Ab
G
E
F
Greetings, I'm Rob Chaffers and today I thought for a change, rather than teaching you sweeping, _ shreddy, fast, [Ab] exotic, crazy licks and things,
it might be nice to [D] remember what it was like when I was a [G] beginner, intermediate, and teach you some really simple, basic theory and practice,
like practical application of pentatonic scale.
_ [C] Bedrock, fundamental [G] beginning for blues, rock, metal, all the good styles.
And it's really [C] simple to immediately grasp this theory, this tiny [G] piece of theory, and practically apply it to music,
which is a really nice thing because normally theory you learn it like the [D] rule of fifths or, I don't know, modal theory.
To begin with you kind of have to tackle with it and get to grips with how you can use it in everyday playing.
And as a [G] beginner, it's nice to learn some theory that just works [F] immediately.
I'm Rob Chapman, I own a guitar company called Chapman Guitars.
This is a Chapman [G] ML2, made in [F] Korea, and it's an antique Sunburst ML2.
[A] I'm also using this brand new toy.
This is the Victory V10 combo, they call it the Baron.
It's one of the [B] nicest combos I've ever heard for blues, rock and metal, and I'm putting a flashback by TC Electronic through it as well.
So let me start by showing you the pentatonic scale [G] shape in case you haven't [F] learnt it, and if you have learnt it, just fast forward this part and I'll look really crazy.
So [G] here we go.
We're going to play it in the key of E.
To begin with, I'm going to give you some tuning notes.
So, [Ab] my wonderful camera assistant, if you could focus on the pick and the strings, we'll show them which string is [G] which.
Starting with the thickest string, which is the E string.
_ [E] _ _ _
_ Next string is the A [A] string. _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] G string. _ _ _ _ _
[B] B string.
_ _ _ _ And the [Em] high E string.
_ _ _ _ [D] [Ebm] If you've got a guitar tuner, [B] maybe use that, but if you don't, you can use both notes and match the string sounds to tune your [G] guitar to the sounds I've just given you.
Here is the pentatonic scale shape number one, and this is [Ab] the first scale shape you really ever want to use, aside from maybe the [F] major scale shape, which is also very useful.
This is practically applicable, and you can use it straight [G] away.
Here's how it looks.
So we're going to play on the twelfth fret.
Now this is my twelfth [F] fret marker, maybe yours looks a bit different.
I've got an infinity symbol [G] because my guitar goes to infinity and beyond.
And we're going to be going twelve, [N] fifteen, twelve fourteen, twelve [G] fourteen, twelve fourteen, twelve fifteen, [E] twelve fifteen.
_ _ [B] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] Now you might notice that I used my first finger and my third [Eb] finger there, and some of you may have heard that it's wrong to use these two fingers for this particular scale shape or any scale shape, and that you should be using your first [G] and little finger.
Well the thing is there are two different ways of playing [F] scales.
There's a sort of classical way of playing them for [E] legato and long runs, and there's a bluesy way where you want to use more of the third finger [F] so that you can bend, because it's quite hard to bend [G] with the little finger unless you're Robin Ford, who is a superhuman being.
So experiment using [Eb] both kinds of fingering, first and third, first and little, and see which one [Bb] works best for you.
[Ab] In blues you're going to be using [Fm] first and third more [F] often.
The other thing is that sometimes you might notice that I put [C] my second finger [Db] behind my third, a [B] bit like this.
_ _ [A] _ _
[Em] That's because my second finger is prepared in case I want to go back and play that [E] note like this.
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ [Gb] _ _ _ [E] _
_ [Eb] It's kind of like playing chess, you kind of think ahead and in case I wanted to play that [Db] note I'm putting my second finger down in preparation.
So that's how the scale looks.
[C] Here's the awesome [Fm] piece of theory we're going to be playing.
If I [B] drone an E string as if I'm playing [F] in a key of E, and I play that scale [D] starting on the 12th fret, which is an E note, you guys will probably know I'm playing E minor pentatonic.
[G] If I play some lead it sounds like [E] this.
_ [D] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ [E] _ _ [G] However, a [Gb] scale shape is like a template.
If I simply take my fretboard and my scale [G] shape and slide it back three semitones, [Gb] what happens is that although I'm playing the same shape of [Ab] scale, I'm selecting different notes, and [Gb] magic occurs and it [F] becomes a major [G] pentatonic.
But I'm using the same shape of scale, [E] like this.
If _ [D] _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Gb] I get back one, two, three frets and play the [E] same thing, _ _ _ [Db] _ [E] _ _
suddenly it's a major scale.
So in other [Ebm] words, [Ab] I'm playing the same scale shape [Gb] starting on C [D] sharp, which is the 11th, 10th, 9th [E] fret. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ It's still E, but I'm playing the same shape starting on C sharp. _ _ _
[Gb] _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
[Dbm] _ _ _ So you can have fun playing a [A] lick in minor, so the same shape that's split back up, [E] _ and _ the same thing in major. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Db]
Three tiny movements backwards, three semitones or three frets backwards, and the scale becomes a major pentatonic rather [G] than a minor pentatonic because of things called intervals, which I'll teach you about some other point, unless you want to go to my store here.
Ding!
And [D] by a really awesome lesson on intervals that I teach.
You'll probably notice I picked it down-up, down-up, down-up, down-up.
Well, you can also pick it lots of other ways, involving using the finger and the pick, which we call hybrid.
[F] And when you start to introduce other notes, for [G] example, the flat and fifth to make it a blues scale, you can introduce something called economy picking, where you go down-up, down-down sometimes.
I'll talk about that [N] later in a different lesson from me, Rob Chappers.
You guys take it easy.
Chappers out. _
it might be nice to [D] remember what it was like when I was a [G] beginner, intermediate, and teach you some really simple, basic theory and practice,
like practical application of pentatonic scale.
_ [C] Bedrock, fundamental [G] beginning for blues, rock, metal, all the good styles.
And it's really [C] simple to immediately grasp this theory, this tiny [G] piece of theory, and practically apply it to music,
which is a really nice thing because normally theory you learn it like the [D] rule of fifths or, I don't know, modal theory.
To begin with you kind of have to tackle with it and get to grips with how you can use it in everyday playing.
And as a [G] beginner, it's nice to learn some theory that just works [F] immediately.
I'm Rob Chapman, I own a guitar company called Chapman Guitars.
This is a Chapman [G] ML2, made in [F] Korea, and it's an antique Sunburst ML2.
[A] I'm also using this brand new toy.
This is the Victory V10 combo, they call it the Baron.
It's one of the [B] nicest combos I've ever heard for blues, rock and metal, and I'm putting a flashback by TC Electronic through it as well.
So let me start by showing you the pentatonic scale [G] shape in case you haven't [F] learnt it, and if you have learnt it, just fast forward this part and I'll look really crazy.
So [G] here we go.
We're going to play it in the key of E.
To begin with, I'm going to give you some tuning notes.
So, [Ab] my wonderful camera assistant, if you could focus on the pick and the strings, we'll show them which string is [G] which.
Starting with the thickest string, which is the E string.
_ [E] _ _ _
_ Next string is the A [A] string. _ _ _
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] G string. _ _ _ _ _
[B] B string.
_ _ _ _ And the [Em] high E string.
_ _ _ _ [D] [Ebm] If you've got a guitar tuner, [B] maybe use that, but if you don't, you can use both notes and match the string sounds to tune your [G] guitar to the sounds I've just given you.
Here is the pentatonic scale shape number one, and this is [Ab] the first scale shape you really ever want to use, aside from maybe the [F] major scale shape, which is also very useful.
This is practically applicable, and you can use it straight [G] away.
Here's how it looks.
So we're going to play on the twelfth fret.
Now this is my twelfth [F] fret marker, maybe yours looks a bit different.
I've got an infinity symbol [G] because my guitar goes to infinity and beyond.
And we're going to be going twelve, [N] fifteen, twelve fourteen, twelve [G] fourteen, twelve fourteen, twelve fifteen, [E] twelve fifteen.
_ _ [B] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] Now you might notice that I used my first finger and my third [Eb] finger there, and some of you may have heard that it's wrong to use these two fingers for this particular scale shape or any scale shape, and that you should be using your first [G] and little finger.
Well the thing is there are two different ways of playing [F] scales.
There's a sort of classical way of playing them for [E] legato and long runs, and there's a bluesy way where you want to use more of the third finger [F] so that you can bend, because it's quite hard to bend [G] with the little finger unless you're Robin Ford, who is a superhuman being.
So experiment using [Eb] both kinds of fingering, first and third, first and little, and see which one [Bb] works best for you.
[Ab] In blues you're going to be using [Fm] first and third more [F] often.
The other thing is that sometimes you might notice that I put [C] my second finger [Db] behind my third, a [B] bit like this.
_ _ [A] _ _
[Em] That's because my second finger is prepared in case I want to go back and play that [E] note like this.
_ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ [Gb] _ _ _ [E] _
_ [Eb] It's kind of like playing chess, you kind of think ahead and in case I wanted to play that [Db] note I'm putting my second finger down in preparation.
So that's how the scale looks.
[C] Here's the awesome [Fm] piece of theory we're going to be playing.
If I [B] drone an E string as if I'm playing [F] in a key of E, and I play that scale [D] starting on the 12th fret, which is an E note, you guys will probably know I'm playing E minor pentatonic.
[G] If I play some lead it sounds like [E] this.
_ [D] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ [E] _ _ [G] However, a [Gb] scale shape is like a template.
If I simply take my fretboard and my scale [G] shape and slide it back three semitones, [Gb] what happens is that although I'm playing the same shape of [Ab] scale, I'm selecting different notes, and [Gb] magic occurs and it [F] becomes a major [G] pentatonic.
But I'm using the same shape of scale, [E] like this.
If _ [D] _ _
[G] _ _ _ [Gb] I get back one, two, three frets and play the [E] same thing, _ _ _ [Db] _ [E] _ _
suddenly it's a major scale.
So in other [Ebm] words, [Ab] I'm playing the same scale shape [Gb] starting on C [D] sharp, which is the 11th, 10th, 9th [E] fret. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ It's still E, but I'm playing the same shape starting on C sharp. _ _ _
[Gb] _ _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _
[Dbm] _ _ _ So you can have fun playing a [A] lick in minor, so the same shape that's split back up, [E] _ and _ the same thing in major. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Db]
Three tiny movements backwards, three semitones or three frets backwards, and the scale becomes a major pentatonic rather [G] than a minor pentatonic because of things called intervals, which I'll teach you about some other point, unless you want to go to my store here.
Ding!
And [D] by a really awesome lesson on intervals that I teach.
You'll probably notice I picked it down-up, down-up, down-up, down-up.
Well, you can also pick it lots of other ways, involving using the finger and the pick, which we call hybrid.
[F] And when you start to introduce other notes, for [G] example, the flat and fifth to make it a blues scale, you can introduce something called economy picking, where you go down-up, down-down sometimes.
I'll talk about that [N] later in a different lesson from me, Rob Chappers.
You guys take it easy.
Chappers out. _