0:00:05.668,0:00:08.531
Hello, how're you doing? Justin here.

0:00:08.531,0:00:12.858
In this lesson today we're going to be checking out the minor pentatonic scale.

0:00:12.858,0:00:16.342
Now, I don't want you to get scared. I know, scales kinda sound like they're gonna be nasty

0:00:16.342,0:00:20.611
and really boring but actually scales are pretty damn cool.

0:00:20.611,0:00:22.127
And the reason that scales are cool is

0:00:22.127,0:00:25.677
because they teach you the notes that you can use when you improvise.

0:00:25.677,0:00:29.788
So what we're gonna be doing now is checking out this very first scale called the minor pentatonic scale

0:00:29.788,0:00:34.425
and it's the scale that most guitar players learn first and for a lot of guitar players it's the only scale

0:00:34.425,0:00:40.399
they ever learn. It's got a lot of mileage. You use it for Blues and Rock and even in Jazz and Country.

0:00:40.399,0:00:45.900
It's a really, really useful, excellent sounding scale and one that you'll use

0:00:45.900,0:00:49.097
and for as long as you play guitar you'll be using this scale.

0:00:49.097,0:00:51.963
So, what we're gonna do is, we're gonna learn it just to play it up and down

0:00:51.963,0:00:55.389
and work on making sure that we've got our fingers stretched out right.

0:00:55.389,0:00:58.739
Now, if you've been doing the preparation exercices properly that I've told you about,

0:00:58.739,0:01:02.229
about, you know, working your fingers up and down and picking the strings individually

0:01:02.229,0:01:05.418
you're probably not gonna find playing the scale very difficult.

0:01:05.418,0:01:11.000
So, let's get stuck in now and learn our very first scale: the A minor pentatonic.

0:01:12.723,0:01:16.276
OK, here we are for a look at the A minor pentatonic scale.

0:01:16.276,0:01:21.598
So, we're starting here with our first finger in the 5th fret of the thickest string.

0:01:21.598,0:01:24.401
So, this is the root note, this is the note A.

0:01:24.401,0:01:25.601
. . .

0:01:25.601,0:01:28.181
Then we reach up with our fourth finger into the 8th fret.

0:01:28.181,0:01:30.284
You can see it's kinda one finger per fret here.

0:01:30.284,0:01:35.622
We got first finger is going in the 5th, second finger in the 6th, third finger sits in the 7th

0:01:35.622,0:01:37.952
and little finger reaches the 8th.

0:01:37.952,0:01:39.693
Of course, we don't need to put those other two now

0:01:39.693,0:01:44.667
'cause at this point we're just playing those two notes, but just be aware of that nice spacing.

0:01:44.667,0:01:52.246
Then we move on to the next string [plays]. We play first finger and third finger in the 7th fret.

0:01:52.246,0:01:58.222
Onto the next string: First finger in the 5th fret, third finger in the 7th fret.

0:01:58.222,0:02:04.641
Now we're onto the 3rd string: First finger 5th fret, third finger 7th fret.

0:02:04.641,0:02:11.152
2nd string: first finger on the 5th fret, little finger in the 8th fret.

0:02:11.152,0:02:16.658
First finger in the 5th fret - now we're on the thinnest string - and little finger in the 8th fret.

0:02:16.658,0:02:21.669
Now we're going straight back down. So we play that note there with the first finger

0:02:21.669,0:02:26.395
in the 5th fret thinnest string. It's like a tongue twister.

0:02:26.395,0:02:30.789
Little finger on the 8th fret of the 2nd string, down to the first finger.

0:02:30.789,0:02:36.752
Now we're onto the 3rd string: third finger in the 7th fret, first finger in the 5th fret.

0:02:36.752,0:02:42.772
Onto the 4th string: third finger in the 7th fret, first finger in the 5th fret.

0:02:42.772,0:02:48.125
Next string: third finger in the 7th fret, first finger in the 5th fret.

0:02:48.125,0:02:54.719
Onto the thickest string now: little finger in the 8th fret, first finger in the 5th fret.

0:02:54.719,0:02:58.741
Now I'm gonna play it once up and down for you, still nice and slowly but without all the talking.

0:02:58.741,0:03:00.108
Here we go:

0:03:00.108,0:03:28.635
. . .

0:03:28.635,0:03:30.224
And a little faster:

0:03:30.224,0:03:45.205
. . .

0:03:45.713,0:03:49.606
Now, I have this scale on the web site as both a neck diagram

0:03:49.606,0:03:55.589
which is usually the easiest way to learn a scale but it's also written there in tab, in regular notation

0:03:55.589,0:04:02.169
and you can also see the finger numbers under the tab. The 1-4, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 1-4, 1-4 thing.

0:04:02.169,0:04:05.469
Now it's a really, really simple box pattern to remember.

0:04:05.469,0:04:08.459
Just remember that it starts on the thickest string with 1-4,

0:04:08.459,0:04:14.307
then it's a bunch of 1-3, 1-3 finger groupings and then 1-4, 1-4 on the thinnest two strings.

0:04:14.307,0:04:18.409
Make sure that you're playing it correctly on the way up and on the way down

0:04:18.409,0:04:22.360
and that you check out the fret numbers that you should be playing so it doesn't go...

0:04:22.360,0:04:27.039
Some people try and go up the strings coming 'down'.

0:04:27.039,0:04:30.011
Putting 'up': it's down, descending the scale and you get this kinda

0:04:30.011,0:04:33.334
. . .

0:04:33.334,0:04:34.545
This isn't right. It should be

0:04:34.545,0:04:38.116
. . .

0:04:38.116,0:04:42.296
Just be careful with that. Check the tab if you're unsure with the tab there's a ...

0:04:42.296,0:04:44.868
One of the lessons in the early hundreds. Can't remember what lesson number

0:04:44.868,0:04:48.432
off the top of my head now but "How to read tab".

0:04:48.432,0:04:50.475
There's a lesson on that. So check that out on the web site.

0:04:50.475,0:04:53.928
I'll stick a link in the lesson as well for those confused by the tab.

0:04:53.928,0:04:57.354
This is a really, really, really class little scale to check out.

0:04:57.354,0:05:00.610
There's loads of different ways of playing it, loads of tricks to playing it.

0:05:00.610,0:05:03.592
We use it for Blues and string bending and all sorts of cool stuff.

0:05:03.592,0:05:07.312
So do have a go at that now. When you feel kinda confident with this,

0:05:07.312,0:05:11.098
maybe toward the end of the course, if you wanna experiment a bit more with your lead guitar.

0:05:11.098,0:05:15.918
You might wanna check out my Blues Lead Guitar Series which is online and on DVD.

0:05:15.918,0:05:17.994
It's a very, very cool little set

0:05:17.994,0:05:21.483
and that's a perfect follow one for after you've finished the Beginner's Course.

0:05:21.483,0:05:25.879
So, you might wanna bear that in mind, too, but more on that another time.