Guitarchitecture.org

Hi Everyone!

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I’m getting closer to releasing my GuitArchitecture books, so I wanted to start posting on some of the material and approaches I cover there.  I’ve already posted some information on the GuitArchitecture approach here, but I wanted to show how this is applied to visualizing sounds on the fretboard.  I’m going to use pentatonics as a springboard and then start to show how I apply this approach to modes, comping and soloing.

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Note:

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This is typically more information than I would go into for a first lesson.  While this approach is fairly simple, I’ve detailed the information here so it can be reviewed and gone over at whatever rate is comfortable to you.

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Breaking out of the Box

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Pentatonic minor scales are often presented with a fingerboard pattern that looks like this:

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This shape works fine for a number of things, but to get into lower and higher notes, you’re going to have to break out of that shape.  The way I was taught to do this involved learning every inversion of this scale (i.e. being able to play the scale in any position and starting from any note of the scale).  This was initially confusing for me, and while I learned the patterns I had trouble adapting them to other keys.

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The big idea

I had a major conceptual breakthrough when I realized that my difficulty in linking things together came from initially trying to see the guitar as a series of 6 string patterns.  Here’s the realization that helped me:

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The guitar is three sets of strings, tuned in 4ths.

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This doesn’t sound like a radical assertion, but it certainly is in its performance implications. Looking at a guitar as three sets of strings with a uniform tuning means that any shape on one of those string sets will produce the same sound on the next string set.

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In other words, the guitar is a set of modular two-string shapes that all interlock together.  

(This is going to save a lot of time in learning how the shapes fit together.)

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Putting it into Practice

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To put this into use, the first step is to see how the scale sits on a two string set and then it can be adapted to positional playing.  To start this process, I’ll look at playing E pentatonic minor using only the E and B strings.

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Note:

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I strongly recommend that the following examples should be practiced with a metronome, with strict alternate picking (or i-m for fingerstyle players), and played over either an E minor chord or a bass note E to hear the harmonic context for the scale.

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Two String E pentatonic minor patterns

(you can click on any image to see it full-sized)

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(Use the 1st finger for notes of the 5th fret, 4th finger for the 8th fret G and 3rd finger for the 7th fret B)

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(Use the 4th finger for notes of the 10th fret, 2nd finger for the 8th fret G and 1st finger for the 7th fret B)

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(Use the 1st finger for notes of the 10th fret, and the 3rd finger for the 12th fret notes)

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(Use the 1st finger for notes of the 12th fret, and the 3rd finger for the 15th fret notes)

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(Use the 1st finger for notes of the 15th fret, and the 3rd finger for the 17th fret notes.)

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The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line

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Once you’re familiar with these initial patterns, the next step is to examine this as a sequenced pattern on the same two strings.  If you look at the example below the shapes link together in numeric order (i.e. 1,2, 3, 4, 5…).

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This sequence can continue.  After Pattern #5, repeat Pattern #1:

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This also works in reverse.  In the next example, Pattern #5 occurs before pattern #1.

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Finally, Pattern #4 starts the entire cycle on the B and E strings.

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Moving the patterns to other strings

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The pattern order then is always the same, but can start from different places.

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On the E and A strings the pattern sequence starts on Pattern #1.

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Pentatonic Positional Breakdown

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Here’s the initial two-note-per-string pentatonic form that I examined:

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 Based on the patterns above,  the pattern starting on the E and A strings is Pattern # 1.

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The pattern on the D and G strings would be Pattern # 5.

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The pattern on the B and E strings would be Pattern # 4.

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In other words, as we ascend across the strings, the two string patterns DESCEND by number. 

 This is true of ANY two string pattern.

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Skeptical? 

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Good!  Hopefully I’ll convince you here.  Using this two-string interlocking pattern idea, I’ll now examine all of the positional pentatonic fingerings of E minor, starting with the open position.

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E Pentatonic Minor  – Open Position

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E Pentatonic Minor  – 3rd Position

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E Pentatonic Minor  – 5th Position

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E Pentatonic Minor  – 7th Position

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E Pentatonic Minor  – 10th Position

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Next Steps

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To reiterate,  here are the big points:

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• the guitar can be seen as three sets of two strings tuned in fourths

• this means that any pattern on those two string sets will produce the same sounds on other two string sets with the same tuning (I’ll get into the 3rd between the B & G when I get to modes)

• the two string pattern order is always sequential (either ascending or descending).

• As you ascend a scale in position the patterns descend across two string sets.

• As you descend a scale in position the patterns ascend across two string sets.

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The first step is to get the patterns under your fingers and then manipulate them to make music.  I’m going to be going into a lot of depth for how to make melodic ideas from these in future posts, so for now just work on getting the patterns under your fingers – and more importantly associating the sounds from those patterns so you can access them instantly.

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Beyond E minor

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Also note that E Pentatonic Minor is the same is G Pentatonic Major, so these patters will all work as pentatonic major over the relative major chord (G Major).

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When playing over major tonalities, rather than thinking of pentatonic major fingerings,  I conceptualize pentatonic minor patterns for the application.

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For example, instead of thinking C pentatonic major to play over a C major tonality – I just use A pentatonic minor patterns and get the same result.

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Once the fingering patterns are mastered, try using the following harmonies in place of E minor:

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• C Maj7

• G Maj7

• F Maj7

• D min7 or

• Amin7.

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The additional harmonic posibilities is why I’m looking at the pentatonic scale instead of the blues scale – but feel free to take any of the patterns above and work in a tritone.  They’ll still interlock the same way.

In the next lesson, I’ll apply diagonal patterns to this scale. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions you have concerning this lesson either by posting on the blog or emailing me at guitar.blueprint@gmail.com.

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Thanks for reading!

-SC

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PS – If you like this post you may also like these pentatonic related posts:

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THE GUITARCHITECT’S POSITIONAL EXPLORATION PRE-RELEASE NOW AVAILABLE

THE GUITARCHITECT’S GUIDE TO MODES: MELODIC PATTERNS BOOK “PRE-RELEASE” NOW AVAILABLE

MAKING SENSE OF THE PENTATONIC SCALE – DIAGONAL FORMS – PART TWO

MAKING SENSE OF THE PENTATONIC SCALE – DIAGONAL FORMS – PART ONE

FREE SWEEPING PENTATONIC MINOR SCALE LESSON ON LIVE4GUITAR.COM NOW ONLINE

THE BAKER’S DOZEN APPROACH TO PENTATONIC SCALES

GUITARCHITECTURE, SONIC VISUALIZATION AND A PENTATONIC APPROACH FOR THE HOLIDAYS