Before you start moving up the neck you should be sure that you have got all your licks working for you in Position 1 of the Minor Pentatonic. There is NO USE in learning new positions until you can USE the first one! You want to play solos not scales, right?

As discussed in the video there are quite a few different fingering options for playing this position. It is important to realise that when you play scales up and down you will use a consistent fingering, but when you improvise and use the scales the fingering is not important at all - you can use whatever finger you like!

Below is the neck diagram, remember to play it VERY SLOWLY and get it right when you first try and learn it - mistakes are likely to stay with you a long time!

Position 2 - (D shape from CAGED system)

Major Scale Pos 2

This shape has many cool blues licks in it, should be the second shape you learn.

Alternatives
I often see people playing the thinnest two strings with the 2nd and 4th fingers. Makes sense if the idea was just to lay it fast but this scale is mostly used for blues, where you will bend a lot and want good control over the notes, hard to achieve with little finger. I'm confident that this is the best fingering for practice.

In the key of A
In this blues course we are playing all our licks and scales in the key of A - so the root note (on the 4th string) will go on the 7th fret.

Start and end on the lowest root note
Please don't forget to start and end on the lowest root note and get the correct sound of the scale in your head as you practice.

 

Position 2 - (D shape from CAGED system)

Major Scale Pos 2

This diagram shows you where the "blue notes" are found around the minor pentatonic. There is not a set fingering that you should use - work one out if you like, but better just to get in the habit of using them!

In the key of A
In this blues course we are playing all our licks and scales in the key of A - so the root note (on the 4th string) will go on the 7th fret.

Start and end on the lowest root note
Please don't forget to start and end on the lowest root note and get the correct sound of the scale in your head as you practice.

Make sure that you notice the root note (on the 4th string) is the same note that you played with your first finger in Position 1. Check out the way that the positions join together! It's really important to have this in your head. We will be joining them together later too - so get that in your head right now.

Video Lesson

Go Play Along Video and TAB lesson

 

Related Products

DVD - Blues Lead Guitar 1

The first ten lessons of this series are available on DVD. Yes the videos are free here on the site, but the DVD gives you FAR better quality and the ability to watch them step by step. And you don't have to worry about a slow interweb connection. And buying products supports the site, and this new format (of give it away and sell it too) is on trial.... these were going to be regular DVD for sale... lets see how it goes. It is bargain priced too... not the full exclusive DVD price. Check it out now blues dudes... Also available as a double dvd and audio cd of jam tracks box set!

PR-031 • Blues Lead Guitar 1 (DVD)
RUBS

You may have seen it before, but after checking out this course and my approach to the blues, you might like to re-visit my product, Really Useful Blues Solos. I have collected the best licks in five styles and put them into solos for YOU TO TRANSCRIBE! But I do provide a transcription so you can check your work. It's not easy but it will teach you well. It's the real way to learn them, by ear! Read more about it here...

PR-021 • Really Useful Blues Solos

 

 

HELP!!!!

HELP

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