On the guitar neck
Every note up to the 15th fret; the root (A) is coloured. It sits on fret 5 of the low E string and fret 12 of the A string, the two usual starting points.
A minor pentatonic is A, C, D, E and G, all white keys on a piano and the same notes as C major pentatonic. Its box 1 at the 5th fret is the shape many guitarists learn first. Every open string except B fits, and the open A string gives bass players a low root to lock onto.
The A minor pentatonic scale has five notes: A – C – D – E – G. They are the notes of A minor without B and F, the two that form semitones, which is why it rarely clashes with the chords of the key.
Tip: Over a blues with A7, D7 and E7, bend the D at the 7th fret of the G string a whole step up to E.
Every note up to the 15th fret; the root (A) is coloured. It sits on fret 5 of the low E string and fret 12 of the A string, the two usual starting points.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| A | Root |
| C | Minor third |
| D | Perfect fourth |
| E | Perfect fifth |
| G | Minor seventh |
It sounds right over Am and the other chords of A minor, and over a blues in A. The same notes make the C major pentatonic.