Watch as Dana Robert Rasch demonstrates how to visualize all 5 shapes of the pentatonic scale on the guitar using a systematic method called “Visual Guide Tones.” If you’d like to learn more, check out our free workshop on guitar fretboard visualization or download our free ebook
Scales on guitar, and in particular, the pentatonic scales…
Learning them and then memorizing them. It can be intimidating and sometimes almost downright discouraging to the point of driving you to quit.
As a musician or even as a person who appreciates music, the importance of understanding and utilizing scales is obvious but, sometimes your fingers don’t want to do what your brain is telling them to do. In some cases, learning scales can be overlooked completely because it either seems like an overwhelming task to remember everything or you can’t play them well enough, again causing frustration.
A scale is simply a sequence of notes that divides an octave.
By breaking down the process used to learn, play, and memorize these scales into more manageable shapes you can not only increase your speed and dexterity but most importantly your musicality.
Once the concept of scales and their patterns are better understood on the fretboard, playing and soloing becomes easier when you start improvising in different situations…
The song we’re playing starts in E min but then moves into C major…
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though. We’ll get there, I promise.
So, how do we get to the point of playing amazing solos?
The easiest way is by taking baby steps or focusing on small wins using the Visual Guide Tone System.
The Visual Guide Tone System (or VGT) breaks down visualizing the pentatonic scale on the guitar fretboard into 3 steps, using one scale, the notes of that scale, and finding the notes of that scale on the lowest and highest string.
As a result, The VGT System quickly helps you excel quickly at improvisation, playing in different keys, and how to pull the ideas of scales and patterns together and use them in your playing. (it also lays the foundation for visualizing them and more)
Step 1: Start With the Pentatonic Scale
What’s so great about the pentatonic scale?
Well, it’s easy on the ears, it sounds good, there’s no tension and it works great with many different chords and in some cases works well with other scales.
It’s widely used in songs and doesn’t have half-steps like many other scales. The pentatonic scale is often used as the foundation for improvisation because it’s easy to use in different styles of music.
The pentatonic scale can be an incredible tool. Not only will it allow you to play very melodic ideas over practically every chord type, but, when used in the right way, can improve and strengthen your technique a hundred-fold in a matter of months.
There are many different ways to play and memorize the pentatonic scale on the guitar, but this article will show you how to visualize 5 shapes of the pentatonic scales in 5 positions on the fretboard in a unified and systematic way, so you can learn how to play them in any key, anywhere on the guitar.
What Is The Major Pentatonic Scale?
The pentatonic scale is a five-note scale.
It’s Penta meaning 5 and tonic meaning tone, so pentatonic means “five tones”.
These 5 notes are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th degrees of the major scale (DO, RE, Ml, SO & LA).
In other words, it’s the major scale without the definitive active tones, the 4th (FA) and 7th (TI).
So if we start with the major scale from the root note C :
C D E F G A B
And remove the active tones F and B
The resulting C major pentatonic scale consists of these five notes: C D E G A
The Relative Minor Pentatonic Scale
Like the major scale, each major pentatonic scale has a relative minor pentatonic scale.
Since the relative minor to the C Major scale is A natural minor (the major scale starting using the 6th degree as the root note)
The same holds true for the pentatonic scale:
As you can now see, these are exactly the same notes, starting on a different degree of the major scale (starting on the 6th (LA) instead of the Root C (DO).
Step 2: Learn the 5 Pentatonic Scale Shapes and their Scale Degrees
There are five different shapes of the pentatonic scale. Once you have learned them all, they will be the same in all twelve keys.
However, it is mandatory that you practice these scales and exercises in every key. Do not get stuck using just “A” or “E”.
Try to work on seeing the shapes quickly in a new key each day.
Here are the five shapes of the “C” major or “A” minor pentatonic scales. (the number to the
left of the box refers to the fret of the highest dot in the box.)
Remember that each shape must be played with the correct fingering.
The first finger always plays the lowest fret of the position, the second finger plays the next highest fret, the third finger will play the next highest, and the fourth finger the highest.
The second shape is the one exception. Note the fingering and position shift.
The Visual Guide Tone System – Explained
So one of the most important things you can learn to help you play anything you want, anywhere on the fretboard in ANY key is how to use a unified and systematic method called the “Visual Guide Tone” system (a more in-depth explanation is available in this free workbook you can download.)
It’s literally as simple as:
- Learn the Pentatonic Scale
- Learn the names of the 5 notes of that scale
- Find those 5 notes of that scale on the high and low E string on the guitar
Let’s look at how this works in the key of G on the guitar. Here is the G major pentatonic scale built from the root note G
This shape is what we call “Root shape” – simply because that first note is the root note of the major pentatonic scale.
What that means is that every time you practice or play this shape you should always recognize it as major pentatonic starting from the root, regardless of your starting fret.
So you play this shape starting with the Root note on the 5th fret, you would be playing “A” major pentatonic scale (or its relative minor – the F# minor pentatonic scale. It’s the same scale!)
If you start on the root note on the 8th fret, you are playing “C” major pentatonic (or A minor pentatonic)
The same applies to the other 4 shapes of the major pentatonic scale, built from each scale degree.
Here they are, one by one…
Shape Built From The 2nd Scale Degree
Shape Built From The 3rd Scale Degree
Shape Built From The 5th Scale Degree
Shape Built From The 6th Scale Degree
It’s important to note that none of these shapes include open strings. All the notes are fretted so that we can stay focused on consistent patterns while building our visualization skills.
After “locking in” the pentatonic scales on the neck (in all keys), your ability to see the five positions of the major and minor scales will become much easier.
Step 3: Practice The 5 Pentatonic Scale Shapes On The Guitar – One Key At A Time
You’ve most likely heard that practice makes perfect and that repetition is the mother of learning. By using the VGT System and practicing these shapes you’ll be able to identify tones easier and where you can use the shapes up and down the fretboard, and what you can play over chords.
By visually focusing on the 5 major pentatonic scale positions you will improve your technique and overall ability to play better melodies.
Learning the scale shapes will also help you learn the tones and, in turn, learn the names of the notes and help you identify the visual guide tones.
Find Those Visual Guide Tones – One Major Key At A Time!
Yes, they’re in there. They stay in one place forever, that’s the nice thing. They don’t move.
Focus on the five notes of each major key, (also taking note of the relative minor pentatonic) and move forward one key at a time.
Using the VGT system to enhance your ability to move up and down the fretboard will have you playing solo’s over some of your favorite songs because so many great songs have been written in that key. It will also help develop your ear by recognizing the relationship between the notes and the location on the fretboard.
By locating the notes and having them memorized you are now on your way to being able to focus on things such as attack, the cleanliness of your picking, and the dynamics you want to convey in your playing.
And remember – the minor pentatonic scale shapes are the same 5 shapes! Hearing the difference between major and minor scales is all about context – a lesson we’ll save for another day.
Changing Keys – Quickly and Easily
Let’s say you are in G Major and you want to go to F Major pentatonic.
And for the sake of this example, let’s use the lowest shape available on the fretboard in G Major, the Root shape, which starts on the 3rd fret of the low E string… the note G
We know we are in the key of G Major because our visual guide tone “G” is the 1st scale degree or Root in G Major (our starting key)
G A B C D E F# G
So, using the VGT, the starting tone of the Root shape, ask yourself this question:
What scale degree is my VGT in relation to the key of F (our target key)?
In other words, where is the note “G” in the F Major scale?
F G A Bb C D E F
We see that G is the 2nd degree in F Major. So, if we then play the “2nd Pentatonic Shape”, starting on our visual guide tone “G,” we are now playing in the key of F Major… without having to jump all over the fretboard.
With some steady and focused practice, you can use the Visual Guide Tone system to help you master moving around the same key or moving from any key to any other key – anywhere on the neck
And this is exactly what we focus on for people who are just started our Fretboard Freedom Guitar training program.
Each player begins to work on exercises that are specifically designed to help with both visualization and technique called Scale Sequences.
Diving into Scale Sequences
A scale sequence is simply a pattern of notes and our systematic method for developing your playing starts by using 4 note sequences within the pentatonic scale shapes.
These are challenging but not overwhelming and help build visualization and technique – piece by piece
Sequences like this one should be practiced on a daily basis, to help build your technique and your visualization through different shapes and keys.
Over time these sequences will also help you understand the pattern and sound of the scale, improving your understanding of its relation to the chord it can be played over.
They should be played at slow tempos until you are absolutely comfortable (straight 8ths played evenly with no occasional double down or double upstrokes and a consistent velocity/ volume) and then you slowly increase tempos and the complexity of the sequences.
Sequences expose weak areas not only of technique but also of visualization of the entire neck. You must know which visual guide tone you are working from; (root, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) as you play.
These exercises will eventually allow us to play long stretches of 8th notes at very fast speeds with no problem in execution.
IMPORTANT: Focus On 2-Note Per String Alternate Picking
Pentatonic is a very unique and versatile scale shape when it comes to the guitar.
These 5 Pentatonic scale shapes evenly distribute two notes per string with only one area having a momentary position change.
This helps us focus on developing our alternate picking in a very specific way while also working on visualizing this versatile scale on the fretboard.
The overall objective of the exercises included here is to help you develop a strong and stable foundation when alternate picking (down – up, down – up),
Our long-term goal is to be able to play any phrase starting with a “down” pick or an “up” pick, at very fast tempos.
Step 4 – Refine Your Playing and Get Feedback
It’s important to continually refine your approach as you practice and progress so you’re always learning properly and never stagnating.
However, you can only refine if you keep track of what you’re doing. Being personally accountable and having an outside mentor are two ways to accomplish this.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Being accountable is about taking responsibility for your learning and staying committed to growing as a musician. There are two key steps you can take to improve personal accountability:
- Setting Clear and Attainable Goals
- Keeping a Practice Journal
Get Feedback Through Coaching or Mentoring
While it may not be as common, it’s important for musicians to have a personal coach just like professional athletes do. A coach or mentor can provide valuable feedback, offer guidance, and help you spot things you may have missed.
Coaching is especially effective when it comes from someone who has already done what you’re trying to achieve yourself, understands firsthand the challenges you face, and can offer practical solutions.
A good mentor can also help you develop the right mindset and strength of character needed for success in a specific field. Also, when things get tough, your coach will be there to offer encouragement and motivate you to keep going.
Most of the musical geniuses in this world are not self-taught in isolation. Instead, they’ve had mentors, teachers, and in more recent time producers, offering them guidance and support throughout their careers. So, if you want to be the best you can be as quickly as possible, having a good coach or mentor is vital.
Having benefited hugely from various coaches over the years, this is one of the main reasons we set up MusicPro.Academy!
You can learn more about our Fretboard Freedom Guitar Training Program here.