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Learn Guitar Trick #10 – Minor Pentatonic Scale System B minor

By Mike Hayes | January 12, 2010

The key of B is a great sounding key it has a very strong,
powerful, uplifting sound best of all … it sounds fantastic on
guitar. Strangely enough the majority of guitarists don’t know
how to play a ‘B’ chord.

Some guitar players play the ‘B’ chord as a bar chord however the
best sounding B chords utilize open strings, here is a couple for
you to try.

B chord (open position)

–2—-
–0—-
–4—-
–4—-
–x—-
–x—-

or …

B chord (open position)

–x—-
–0—-
–4—-
–4—-
–2—-
–x—-

For a good dose of the key of B take a listen to Bruce
Springsteen’s ‘Born In The U.S.A’, it only has two chords, B and
B/E.

I’ve spoke previously about the importance of being able to play
in every key and how the singer is the person who determines
which key a song has to be performed in, so knowing how to
navigate the key of B is part of our ongoing project.

Minor pentatonic scale system – B minor

The notes in the B minor pentatonic scale are:

B – D – E – F# – A – (B)

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

Here’s the most common fingering pattern for the scale

B – using your first finger behind the seventh fret, sixth string

D – played with the fourth finger, fret ten, sixth string

E – first finger, seventh fret, fifth string

F# – played with your third finger behind the ninth fret, fifth
string

A – first finger, seventh fret, fourth string

B Minor pentatonic scale pattern

—————————
—————————
—————————
——————-7—[9]-
———–7—9———–
-[7]–10——————-

Keynotes indicated as [ ]

The same scale one octave higher.

B minor pentatonic one octave higher:

———————-[7]-
————–7—10——-
——7—9—————
-[9]———————-
————————–
————————–

Now for another way to play the B minor pentatonic
scale:

———————————
———————————
———————————
————————-7—[9]-
————-5—7—9———–
—5—[7]———————–

Keynotes or root notes as they are also called are your
reference points in the scale, they are the notes that the scale
takes it’s name from e.g., the note on the sixth string, seventh
fret is called B, similarly the note on the four string, ninth
fret is also called B as you can see I’ve marked them as
keynotes for the B minor pentatonic scale.

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

Typical chord progression(s) would be:

B /// | D /// | E /// | F# /// ||

or

B /// | D /// |F# /// | E /// ||

Even though keys such as B, F#, C# etc., are not something you
would necessarily encounter every day you will glad you did learn
them once you start playing in a group or jamming with others.

Now it’s over to you and some new and exciting sounds on your
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, guitar scales | No Comments »

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