Major and minor pentatonic: mixing them in a blues
Two bars of the A major pentatonic around the 2nd fret, sweet and bright, then two of the minor pentatonic at the 5th, with the move from C to C sharp, the minor third to the major, that blues players use to blend the two. Over a major blues both scales work, and mixing them in one phrase is the sound of B.B. King and countless players after him.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 100 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 100 bpm
- Starts at
- 60 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4, swung
- Level
- Intermediate
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Shift between the boxes on a held note; in bar 3 hammer the C at the G string's 5th fret up to C sharp at the 6th.
Bars 1 and 2 are the A major pentatonic, A, B, C sharp, E and F sharp, around the 2nd fret: up from A on the low E string's 5th fret to A on the high E string, held with vibrato, then down E, C sharp, B and A.
Bars 3 and 4 move to the minor pentatonic box at the 5th fret: down from C on the high E string to C on the G string, then a hammer-on from C to C sharp at the 6th fret and an A on the D string. That C to C sharp is the minor third rising to the major, the sound of mixing the two scales.
The last bar holds the A, then E, D and C sharp lead back to the A that starts the loop.
Mistakes to watch for
- Holding the C (minor third) over the major chord for a long time: in a major blues it's a note to bend or hammer up from.
- Losing the swing on the shift between the two boxes.
- Playing the major pentatonic in box 1 by mistake: it sits three frets lower than the minor.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 60
- 65
- 70
- 75
- 80
- 85
- 90
- 95
- 100
That's 16 loops and about 3 minutes before you're playing at 100 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Major and minor pentatonic?
The goal is 100 bpm in eighth notes, which is 3.3 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 60 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
When do I use the major pentatonic in blues?
Over a major blues, when you want a sweeter, brighter sound, often over the I chord. The minor pentatonic gives the gritty sound. Most blues players move between them in one solo.
Is the A major pentatonic the same as F sharp minor pentatonic?
Yes, the same five notes, so the same shapes. That's why A major pentatonic is the minor pentatonic box moved down three frets.
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