Chords for Expanding the Minor Pentatonic Box

_ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _
[F] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ Hey guys, welcome back today.
So today we're [C] going to talk about expanding the pentatonic scale, particularly the minor pentatonic.
_ So a lot of you guys have been asking for tips and tricks to get out of that box.
So before we look at different scales and different [G#] licks and different [E] modes or scales
like that, let's look at how can we expand our licks with the simplest form that we already know.
So let's start with the minor pentatonic scale.
_ _ Alright, so just in case you don't know that scale, we're going to do it right here over
the 5th fret _ over the A minor pentatonic.
_ _ So this is my 1st finger, 2nd, 3rd, 4th.
So I'll call out the fingers.
_ _ _ [A] _ 1, [C] 4, _ _ [Bm] 1, [E] 3, _ 1, [G] 3, _ [Am] _ 1, 3, _ [D] _ _
[E] 1, 4, _ [Am] 1, 4. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _ Alright, so let's look at some basic licks and look at how we can expand those licks.
_ _ [D#] _ _ [F#] _ _ _ _
[Cm] _ So what I'm doing, I'm sliding up from [D] the 7th fret to the 9th fret.
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _
[A#] _ _ _ 7th [A] fret. _ _
So [D] that's just two strings, the D string _ [A] _
[D] and then a D string.
[A] _ _ _ Alright, so we can start by expanding that shape just by using octaves.
So if we take that an octave up or octave down, we'll start there. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Or octave [Am] up. _ _ _
[A#] _ _ [G] And so we can connect the dots simply by sliding and connecting those phrases.
[C] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [A] _ _ [E] So what I did was I added a little passing note.
So [Am] _ _ _ _ _
[N] _ that's the flat 7.
So we're in the key of A. _
We're using the A minor pentatonic.
So [A] that's the G. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So those are that same lick, but when we expand them across three different octaves, it sounds
a little bit cooler. _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ [Em] And [Fm] so that's a quick way that you can actually jump around the neck.
So we've moved [A] from just that 5th fret block, _ from the 3rd [F#] fret all the way up to the 10th fret.
[A] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [N] Alright, so I'll give you a couple more licks where you can kind of experiment with that.
[A] Let me grab my pick. _
Here's one here.
So this is a really cool lick I use all the time.
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ [Am] _ _ [A] _ _ _
[C] And I use this a lot when it's an upbeat scale or an upbeat song and I'm praising music or shouting music.
I connect the dots using [B] that.
_ [A] _ _ _
[D] _ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _
[C] I like to clean that [D] up a little bit.
_ _ [A] _
_ _ _ Alright, so what I'm doing there, _ _ _ the first time I do that lick, _ _ _ I'm ascending so I'm going up.
[C] _ _ _ [Am] _ _ [C] And the rest of that lick, I'm going down, descending.
_ [A] _ _ _ _
[Em] _ _ _ [A] _ _ So the first, _ I'm going up. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ [D] _ _ [A] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _
Alright, so let's give you one more.
This one's a little sweeter.
I use this a lot with slower songs.
_ _ So, just in case you didn't know, your A minor and your C major are relatives.
So that relative major and minor moves in kind of like minor thirds.
So if we're in key of C major, the relative minor will be A minor.
_ Alright, so we can still play that A minor shape over a C major [C] chord. _ _ _ _
[Em] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Same thing. _
But if we're playing over A [Am] minor.
_ _ _ _ [A] _
_ So now we're putting emphasis on A instead of [C] C.
_ But anywho, so I'm going to still use that same shape or [F#] extension of it to kind of sweeten
up that C major sound.
[C] _ _
_ _ That's just a C major 7. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Alright, so I'm going to just do a little sweet legato lick. _
_ [Am] _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ Alright, so what I'm doing is simply, [G] _ _ _ [C] _ _ [E] _
_ and then I take that an octave [G] up. _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ [F#] And then you can end it with something a little sweeter.
_ [C] _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ _
[N] _ Alright, so I hope this was helpful.
Just a quick way to expand _ your little box of the pentatonic shape.
_ _ See you next time. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _
_ [F] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _