Chords for Mandolin Lesson!: Pentatonic Scales
Tempo:
129.8 bpm
Chords used:
A
Bb
D
G
Gb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Hey everyone, my name is Brian Brown.
Welcome back to my YouTube channel.
Today we're going to be doing some more mandolin tutorials.
This episode is about pentatonic scales.
So a pentatonic scale is just a scale with five notes.
So there are two types, the major pentatonic and the minor pentatonic.
And they're sort of closely related.
So first we're going to talk about the minor pentatonic.
So
guitarists, like the typical high school kid guitarist, for example, will
very early on typically learn the pentatonic scale.
And that allows them to really kind of solo in a basic blues type thing or a basic rock situation very quickly and easily.
Because there are so few notes and it allows you to kind of do that quickly.
So basically rather than saying that such a simple scale lacks merit, I think that is a great way for
someone on any instrument to start [G] improvising early on in an easy and fun way.
So the way we can do this on mandolin is we're going to put our pointer finger on the note we want to start on.
So we're going to do A pentatonic right now.
[A] So we're going to put our pointer finger [Fm] on the second fret of the G string on the note [A] A.
[B] Right?
[N] And then
So the notes of a minor pentatonic scale are the root note, [Bb] the minor third of the scale,
the [Bm] fourth, [Db] the fifth, the final [G] seven, [Bb] and the octave for the root again.
And when I'm giving those numbers, if you haven't heard before [Gb] that terminology, that just means
relative to major scale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, [Bb] 2, minor third.
Anyway, so [Eb] in this closed position pentatonic scale, you put your pointer finger on the root note.
Then [Cm] [Ebm] three frets up from that, you're going to put your ring [Am] finger on the next note.
Then two frets above that, you're going to put [Dm] your pinky.
So now, [G] so far we have second fret, fifth fret, [F] and seventh fret on the G string.
And then again, [Bb] just like the major scale, on mandolin it's awesome because the way it's stacked,
you can just do the same thing on the next string.
[D] So you can just [C] [D] go
[Ab] So [N]
when you're doing A, it would be second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret, then next string.
Second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret.
And you can make it into a two octave one.
So one way to do that is I can just tell you the closed position thing if you want to stay in the same [C] position.
[Bb] So once you get to there, you [D] go middle finger on the third fret of the A string,
then [Gm] fifth fret, seventh fret.
So we have, in the end, middle finger again.
[C]
[A] [Gm]
So that's the pentatonic scale.
If you do learn it in that closed position that way, that puts you at a great advantage
because that means that you can move it anywhere on the fretboard.
So that was A, B flat pentatonic is now just
and so on.
Of course, you can do these in other positions.
For example, sometimes I'll start a pentatonic scale with my ring finger like this.
So if I'm doing D pentatonic, I can start on the G string on the seventh fret with my ring finger
and then go to third fret on the next string, fifth fret, [F]
seventh fret,
and then on the A string, [Bb] third, then fifth.
So you [D] get
[Gm]
which is the same as, you know, [D] going
which is the first position method.
So there are just different ways you can get around the same scale,
whatever is more comfortable for your fingers for that key.
There [Gb]
are some open ones.
So for example, if I'm actually soling an A, I'll probably take advantage of these open A and E strings.
And, you know, you notice that if you start on this open A [Dm] string,
you could have a closed position, but open pentatonic scale like this.
[Gb] [F]
So 0, 3, 5, 0, 3, 5.
So you can do that with some of the scales.
With D, you can do it starting on the D string.
[Dm]
[G] [F] So that's minor pentatonic, and that's really good anytime, you know, you're just jamming basic rock stuff.
If someone plays a minor chord, you know, you can use it in funk stuff.
You can use it for whatever.
[Bbm] So that's handy.
And then if that wasn't clear, ask me, and I'll put stuff in the comments or the description or whatever.
Then there's the major pentatonic scale, which is basically [Em]
just
A major scale with some notes taken out.
And this is very common for, for example, like a lot of Allman Brothers guitar solos, we use this technique.
So if we're starting on A again, our A major scale, watch my last video, [A] is like this.
[E]
[F] But instead of all the notes, the pentatonic is only going to use the first note, the second note, the third note,
the fifth note, the sixth note, and the eighth note.
So, [Db] one, two, [Bb] three, normal so far.
Then you skip the four, skip the four, and you go to [A] five.
And then you do [Gb] the sixth one.
[Dm]
And then eight.
[A] So yeah, [Am]
and that's just good if you're playing some kind of bluesy thing, you know, someone's [D] [E] playing
[D] [A]
[N] So that's cool.
A cool thing about it is then, like, if you wait and don't use the note D in the key of A, for example,
you don't use the fourth until you [D] get to like a four chord.
[Gb] It helps make that chord, your spelling of that chord more noticeable.
[A] So that's a good thing.
[Gbm]
[Am] And again, you [Em] can move that anywhere.
So C, major pentatonic would be, you could start C here [Am] and [Bb] [Em] [F]
[Dm] [E]
[Am]
[C] go
[E]
And one final thing I'll point out, just like chords have relative majors and [G] minors,
so like [Em] a G chord is very similar to an E minor chord,
the pentatonic scales go together.
So you can notice that E minor pentatonic has all the same notes as G major pentatonic.
So that can help you just [G] think of things in different ways if you're soloing over a progression in G and E minor.
[Em]
[G] [Gb] It's all kind of the same.
So that's pentatonic scales.
It's just a fun, easy way to start soloing over
Welcome back to my YouTube channel.
Today we're going to be doing some more mandolin tutorials.
This episode is about pentatonic scales.
So a pentatonic scale is just a scale with five notes.
So there are two types, the major pentatonic and the minor pentatonic.
And they're sort of closely related.
So first we're going to talk about the minor pentatonic.
So
guitarists, like the typical high school kid guitarist, for example, will
very early on typically learn the pentatonic scale.
And that allows them to really kind of solo in a basic blues type thing or a basic rock situation very quickly and easily.
Because there are so few notes and it allows you to kind of do that quickly.
So basically rather than saying that such a simple scale lacks merit, I think that is a great way for
someone on any instrument to start [G] improvising early on in an easy and fun way.
So the way we can do this on mandolin is we're going to put our pointer finger on the note we want to start on.
So we're going to do A pentatonic right now.
[A] So we're going to put our pointer finger [Fm] on the second fret of the G string on the note [A] A.
[B] Right?
[N] And then
So the notes of a minor pentatonic scale are the root note, [Bb] the minor third of the scale,
the [Bm] fourth, [Db] the fifth, the final [G] seven, [Bb] and the octave for the root again.
And when I'm giving those numbers, if you haven't heard before [Gb] that terminology, that just means
relative to major scale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, [Bb] 2, minor third.
Anyway, so [Eb] in this closed position pentatonic scale, you put your pointer finger on the root note.
Then [Cm] [Ebm] three frets up from that, you're going to put your ring [Am] finger on the next note.
Then two frets above that, you're going to put [Dm] your pinky.
So now, [G] so far we have second fret, fifth fret, [F] and seventh fret on the G string.
And then again, [Bb] just like the major scale, on mandolin it's awesome because the way it's stacked,
you can just do the same thing on the next string.
[D] So you can just [C] [D] go
[Ab] So [N]
when you're doing A, it would be second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret, then next string.
Second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret.
And you can make it into a two octave one.
So one way to do that is I can just tell you the closed position thing if you want to stay in the same [C] position.
[Bb] So once you get to there, you [D] go middle finger on the third fret of the A string,
then [Gm] fifth fret, seventh fret.
So we have, in the end, middle finger again.
[C]
[A] [Gm]
So that's the pentatonic scale.
If you do learn it in that closed position that way, that puts you at a great advantage
because that means that you can move it anywhere on the fretboard.
So that was A, B flat pentatonic is now just
and so on.
Of course, you can do these in other positions.
For example, sometimes I'll start a pentatonic scale with my ring finger like this.
So if I'm doing D pentatonic, I can start on the G string on the seventh fret with my ring finger
and then go to third fret on the next string, fifth fret, [F]
seventh fret,
and then on the A string, [Bb] third, then fifth.
So you [D] get
[Gm]
which is the same as, you know, [D] going
which is the first position method.
So there are just different ways you can get around the same scale,
whatever is more comfortable for your fingers for that key.
There [Gb]
are some open ones.
So for example, if I'm actually soling an A, I'll probably take advantage of these open A and E strings.
And, you know, you notice that if you start on this open A [Dm] string,
you could have a closed position, but open pentatonic scale like this.
[Gb] [F]
So 0, 3, 5, 0, 3, 5.
So you can do that with some of the scales.
With D, you can do it starting on the D string.
[Dm]
[G] [F] So that's minor pentatonic, and that's really good anytime, you know, you're just jamming basic rock stuff.
If someone plays a minor chord, you know, you can use it in funk stuff.
You can use it for whatever.
[Bbm] So that's handy.
And then if that wasn't clear, ask me, and I'll put stuff in the comments or the description or whatever.
Then there's the major pentatonic scale, which is basically [Em]
just
A major scale with some notes taken out.
And this is very common for, for example, like a lot of Allman Brothers guitar solos, we use this technique.
So if we're starting on A again, our A major scale, watch my last video, [A] is like this.
[E]
[F] But instead of all the notes, the pentatonic is only going to use the first note, the second note, the third note,
the fifth note, the sixth note, and the eighth note.
So, [Db] one, two, [Bb] three, normal so far.
Then you skip the four, skip the four, and you go to [A] five.
And then you do [Gb] the sixth one.
[Dm]
And then eight.
[A] So yeah, [Am]
and that's just good if you're playing some kind of bluesy thing, you know, someone's [D] [E] playing
[D] [A]
[N] So that's cool.
A cool thing about it is then, like, if you wait and don't use the note D in the key of A, for example,
you don't use the fourth until you [D] get to like a four chord.
[Gb] It helps make that chord, your spelling of that chord more noticeable.
[A] So that's a good thing.
[Gbm]
[Am] And again, you [Em] can move that anywhere.
So C, major pentatonic would be, you could start C here [Am] and [Bb] [Em] [F]
[Dm] [E]
[Am]
[C] go
[E]
And one final thing I'll point out, just like chords have relative majors and [G] minors,
so like [Em] a G chord is very similar to an E minor chord,
the pentatonic scales go together.
So you can notice that E minor pentatonic has all the same notes as G major pentatonic.
So that can help you just [G] think of things in different ways if you're soloing over a progression in G and E minor.
[Em]
[G] [Gb] It's all kind of the same.
So that's pentatonic scales.
It's just a fun, easy way to start soloing over
Key:
A
Bb
D
G
Gb
A
Bb
D
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Hey everyone, my name is Brian Brown.
Welcome back to my YouTube channel.
_ Today we're going to be doing some more mandolin tutorials.
This episode is about pentatonic scales.
So a pentatonic scale is just a scale with five notes. _ _ _
So there are two types, the major pentatonic and the minor pentatonic.
_ And they're sort of closely related.
So first we're going to talk about the minor pentatonic.
_ _ _ So
_ _ _ _ guitarists, like the typical high school kid guitarist, for example, will _
_ very early on typically learn the pentatonic scale.
_ And that allows them to really kind of solo in a basic blues type thing or a basic rock situation very quickly and easily.
Because there are so few notes and it allows you to kind of do that quickly.
_ So _ basically rather than saying that such a simple scale lacks merit, I think that is a great way for
someone on any instrument to start [G] improvising early on in an easy and fun way.
So _ the way we can do this on mandolin is we're going to put our pointer finger on the note we want to start on.
So we're going to do A pentatonic right now.
_ _ [A] _ So we're going to put our pointer finger [Fm] on the second fret of the G string on the note [A] A.
_ _ _ [B] Right?
[N] And then_
_ So the notes of a minor pentatonic scale are the root note, [Bb] the minor third of the scale,
the [Bm] fourth, [Db] the fifth, _ the final [G] seven, _ [Bb] and the octave for the root again.
_ _ And when I'm giving those numbers, if you haven't heard before [Gb] that terminology, that just means
_ _ relative to major scale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, [Bb] 2, minor third. _ _ _
Anyway, _ so [Eb] in this closed position pentatonic scale, you put your pointer finger on the root note.
Then _ [Cm] _ [Ebm] three frets up from that, you're going to put your ring [Am] finger on the next note. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Then two frets above that, you're going to put [Dm] your pinky.
So now, [G] so far we have second fret, fifth fret, [F] and seventh fret on the G string. _ _ _ _
And then again, [Bb] just like the major scale, on mandolin it's awesome because the way it's stacked,
you can just do the same thing on the next string.
[D] So you can just _ [C] _ [D] go_ _ _ _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ So [N] _
when you're doing A, it would be second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret, then next string.
_ Second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret.
_ _ _ _ And you can make it into a two octave one.
So one way to do that is I can just tell you the closed position thing if you want to stay in the same [C] position. _
[Bb] So once you get to there, you [D] go middle finger on the third fret of the A string,
then [Gm] fifth fret, seventh fret.
So we have, _ _ _ _ in the end, middle finger again. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ So that's the pentatonic scale.
If you do learn it in that closed position that way, that puts you at a great advantage
because that means that you can move it anywhere on the fretboard.
So that was A, B flat pentatonic is now just_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ and so on.
Of course, you can do these in other positions.
_ For example, sometimes I'll start a pentatonic scale with my ring finger like this.
So if I'm doing D pentatonic, I can start on the G string on the seventh fret with my ring finger
and then go to third fret on the next string, fifth fret, _ [F]
seventh fret,
and then on the A string, [Bb] third, then fifth.
So you [D] get_
_ _ [Gm]
which is the same as, you know, [D] going_ _
which is the first position method.
So there are just different ways you can get around the same scale,
whatever is more comfortable for your fingers for that key. _
_ _ _ _ _ There [Gb] _
are some open ones.
So for example, if I'm actually soling an A, I'll probably take advantage of these open A and E strings.
_ And, you know, you notice that if you start on this open A [Dm] string,
you could have a closed position, _ but open _ pentatonic scale like this.
_ _ _ _ _ [Gb] _ [F] _ _
_ _ So 0, 3, 5, 0, 3, 5.
So you can do that with some of the scales.
With D, you can do it starting on the D string.
_ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
_ [G] [F] So that's minor pentatonic, and that's really good anytime, you know, you're just jamming basic rock stuff.
If someone plays a minor chord, you know, _ you _ _ _ _ can use it in funk stuff.
You can use it for whatever. _
_ [Bbm] So that's handy.
_ And then if that wasn't clear, ask me, and I'll put stuff in the comments or the description or whatever.
Then there's the major pentatonic scale, which is basically [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ just_
A major scale with some notes taken out. _
And this is very common for, for example, like a lot of Allman Brothers guitar solos, we use this technique. _ _
_ So if we're starting on A again, our A major scale, watch my last video, [A] is like this.
_ [E] _ _
[F] _ _ _ But instead of all the notes, the pentatonic is only going to use the first note, the second note, the third note,
the fifth note, the sixth note, and the eighth note.
_ So, _ [Db] one, two, [Bb] three, normal so far.
Then you skip the four, skip the four, and you go to [A] five. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ And then you do [Gb] the sixth one.
_ _ _ [Dm] _
And then eight.
[A] So yeah, _ _ [Am] _
_ _ _ _ and that's just good if you're playing some kind of _ _ bluesy thing, you know, someone's _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [E] playing_
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [N] _ So that's cool.
A cool thing about it is then, like, _ if you wait and don't use the note D in the key of A, for example,
you don't use the fourth until you [D] get to like a four chord. _ _
[Gb] It helps make that chord, your spelling of that chord more noticeable. _
[A] So that's a good thing.
_ _ [Gbm] _ _
_ _ _ [Am] _ _ And again, you [Em] can move that anywhere.
So C, major pentatonic would be, you could start C here [Am] and _ [Bb] _ [Em] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ [E] _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ go_
[E] _
_ And one final thing I'll point out, just like chords have relative majors and [G] minors,
so like _ [Em] a G chord is very similar to an E minor chord, _
the pentatonic scales go together.
So _ you can notice that E minor pentatonic has all the same notes as G major pentatonic.
So that can help you just [G] think of things in different ways if you're soloing over a progression in G and E minor. _
_ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ [Gb] It's all kind of the same.
_ So that's pentatonic scales.
It's just a fun, easy way to start soloing over
_ _ _ _ Hey everyone, my name is Brian Brown.
Welcome back to my YouTube channel.
_ Today we're going to be doing some more mandolin tutorials.
This episode is about pentatonic scales.
So a pentatonic scale is just a scale with five notes. _ _ _
So there are two types, the major pentatonic and the minor pentatonic.
_ And they're sort of closely related.
So first we're going to talk about the minor pentatonic.
_ _ _ So
_ _ _ _ guitarists, like the typical high school kid guitarist, for example, will _
_ very early on typically learn the pentatonic scale.
_ And that allows them to really kind of solo in a basic blues type thing or a basic rock situation very quickly and easily.
Because there are so few notes and it allows you to kind of do that quickly.
_ So _ basically rather than saying that such a simple scale lacks merit, I think that is a great way for
someone on any instrument to start [G] improvising early on in an easy and fun way.
So _ the way we can do this on mandolin is we're going to put our pointer finger on the note we want to start on.
So we're going to do A pentatonic right now.
_ _ [A] _ So we're going to put our pointer finger [Fm] on the second fret of the G string on the note [A] A.
_ _ _ [B] Right?
[N] And then_
_ So the notes of a minor pentatonic scale are the root note, [Bb] the minor third of the scale,
the [Bm] fourth, [Db] the fifth, _ the final [G] seven, _ [Bb] and the octave for the root again.
_ _ And when I'm giving those numbers, if you haven't heard before [Gb] that terminology, that just means
_ _ relative to major scale, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, [Bb] 2, minor third. _ _ _
Anyway, _ so [Eb] in this closed position pentatonic scale, you put your pointer finger on the root note.
Then _ [Cm] _ [Ebm] three frets up from that, you're going to put your ring [Am] finger on the next note. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Then two frets above that, you're going to put [Dm] your pinky.
So now, [G] so far we have second fret, fifth fret, [F] and seventh fret on the G string. _ _ _ _
And then again, [Bb] just like the major scale, on mandolin it's awesome because the way it's stacked,
you can just do the same thing on the next string.
[D] So you can just _ [C] _ [D] go_ _ _ _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ So [N] _
when you're doing A, it would be second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret, then next string.
_ Second fret, fifth fret, seventh fret.
_ _ _ _ And you can make it into a two octave one.
So one way to do that is I can just tell you the closed position thing if you want to stay in the same [C] position. _
[Bb] So once you get to there, you [D] go middle finger on the third fret of the A string,
then [Gm] fifth fret, seventh fret.
So we have, _ _ _ _ in the end, middle finger again. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _ [Gm] _
_ So that's the pentatonic scale.
If you do learn it in that closed position that way, that puts you at a great advantage
because that means that you can move it anywhere on the fretboard.
So that was A, B flat pentatonic is now just_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ and so on.
Of course, you can do these in other positions.
_ For example, sometimes I'll start a pentatonic scale with my ring finger like this.
So if I'm doing D pentatonic, I can start on the G string on the seventh fret with my ring finger
and then go to third fret on the next string, fifth fret, _ [F]
seventh fret,
and then on the A string, [Bb] third, then fifth.
So you [D] get_
_ _ [Gm]
which is the same as, you know, [D] going_ _
which is the first position method.
So there are just different ways you can get around the same scale,
whatever is more comfortable for your fingers for that key. _
_ _ _ _ _ There [Gb] _
are some open ones.
So for example, if I'm actually soling an A, I'll probably take advantage of these open A and E strings.
_ And, you know, you notice that if you start on this open A [Dm] string,
you could have a closed position, _ but open _ pentatonic scale like this.
_ _ _ _ _ [Gb] _ [F] _ _
_ _ So 0, 3, 5, 0, 3, 5.
So you can do that with some of the scales.
With D, you can do it starting on the D string.
_ _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _
_ [G] [F] So that's minor pentatonic, and that's really good anytime, you know, you're just jamming basic rock stuff.
If someone plays a minor chord, you know, _ you _ _ _ _ can use it in funk stuff.
You can use it for whatever. _
_ [Bbm] So that's handy.
_ And then if that wasn't clear, ask me, and I'll put stuff in the comments or the description or whatever.
Then there's the major pentatonic scale, which is basically [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ just_
A major scale with some notes taken out. _
And this is very common for, for example, like a lot of Allman Brothers guitar solos, we use this technique. _ _
_ So if we're starting on A again, our A major scale, watch my last video, [A] is like this.
_ [E] _ _
[F] _ _ _ But instead of all the notes, the pentatonic is only going to use the first note, the second note, the third note,
the fifth note, the sixth note, and the eighth note.
_ So, _ [Db] one, two, [Bb] three, normal so far.
Then you skip the four, skip the four, and you go to [A] five. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ And then you do [Gb] the sixth one.
_ _ _ [Dm] _
And then eight.
[A] So yeah, _ _ [Am] _
_ _ _ _ and that's just good if you're playing some kind of _ _ bluesy thing, you know, someone's _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [E] playing_
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [N] _ So that's cool.
A cool thing about it is then, like, _ if you wait and don't use the note D in the key of A, for example,
you don't use the fourth until you [D] get to like a four chord. _ _
[Gb] It helps make that chord, your spelling of that chord more noticeable. _
[A] So that's a good thing.
_ _ [Gbm] _ _
_ _ _ [Am] _ _ And again, you [Em] can move that anywhere.
So C, major pentatonic would be, you could start C here [Am] and _ [Bb] _ [Em] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ [E] _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ go_
[E] _
_ And one final thing I'll point out, just like chords have relative majors and [G] minors,
so like _ [Em] a G chord is very similar to an E minor chord, _
the pentatonic scales go together.
So _ you can notice that E minor pentatonic has all the same notes as G major pentatonic.
So that can help you just [G] think of things in different ways if you're soloing over a progression in G and E minor. _
_ [Em] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ [Gb] It's all kind of the same.
_ So that's pentatonic scales.
It's just a fun, easy way to start soloing over