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Learn Guitar Trick #7 – Minor Pentatonic Scale System Ab minor

By Mike Hayes | January 5, 2010

The key of Ab is often used by groups such as Matchbox 20 to
create a fresh new sound on the guitar. Today with so many people
playing the guitar it’s a challenge to catch the listener’s ear
with something new.

Many successful groups overcome the issue of the familiar
sound of standard chord shapes by using a capo to play common
chord shapes at a different pitch.

From a guitarist’s perspective this offers a simple solution as
the listener perceives the new pitch as a completely new and
interesting sound whilst the guitarist plays familiar chord
shapes on a different position of the fretboard.

When you place a capo behind the first fret of the guitar and use
chords from the key of “G” the sound produced from your guitar is
in the key of “Ab”.

Alternatively guitarists overcome the ‘familiar’ guitar sound
issue by tuning their guitar down, just how you decide to
approach the problem is entirely up to you, either way you are
definitely going to encounter keys like Ab.

Minor pentatonic scale system – Ab minor

The notes in the Ab minor pentatonic scale are:

Ab – B – Db – Eb – Gb – (Ab)

If you played these notes anywhere on the guitar fingerboard you
will be playing the Ab minor pentatonic scale.

Here’s the most common fingering pattern for the scale

Ab – using your first finger behind the fourth fret, sixth string

B – played with the fourth finger, seventh fret, sixth string

Db – first finger, fourth fret, fifth string

Eb – played with your third finger behind the sixth fret, fifth
string

Gb – first finger, fourth fret, fourth string

Ab Minor pentatonic scale pattern

—————————
—————————
—————————
——————-4—[6]-
———–4—6———–
-[4]—7——————-

Keynotes indicated as [ ]

Here is the same scale one octave higher.

Ab minor pentatonic one octave higher:

———————-[4]-
————–4—7——-
——4—6—————
-[6]———————-
————————–
————————–

Now for another popular way to play the Ab minor pentatonic
scale:

———————————
———————————
———————————
————————-4—[6]-
————-2—4—6———–
—2—[4]———————–

Important: note the position of the keynotes in the scale, these
notes are your reference points as they indicate where the scale
takes it’s name from e.g., the note on fret four on the sixth
string is an Ab note hence the name of the scale, likewise the
note on the sixth fret, string four is also an Ab.

Try practicing the Ab minor pentatonic over pre-recorded chord
progression such as …

Typical chord progression(s) would be:

Ab /// | B /// | Db /// | Eb /// ||

or

Ab /// | Db /// |Eb /// | Db /// ||

Many rock and pop songs use chord progressions derived directly
from the notes in the pentatonic scale, why not make up your own
progressions using any of the following notes from the scale,
remember you can play them in any sequence.

Ab – B – Db – Eb – Gb – (Ab)

It’s great fun exploring the fretboard playing scales in a way
that reflects your own individual style, keep in mind the key to
unlocking the fretboard is knowing the names of the notes in each
scale not just a fingering pattern on the fretboard of the
guitar.

And now I’d like to invite you to get free access to my “How To
Remember 1,000 Songs” eCourse. You can download the course for
free at: http://www.guitarcoaching.com

You’ll learn about hit song templates, simple scales,easy chords, red hot rhythms, and successful practice strategies in text, audio and video.

From Mike Hayes – The Guitar Coaching Guy & the Express Guitar
System

Topics: Beginner Guitar Lesson, Guitar Fretboard, Learn And Master Guitar, guitar scales | No Comments »

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