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Learn Guitar Trick #15 – Minor Pentatonic Scale System E minor

By Mike Hayes | January 31, 2010

The all time favorite key for guitar players is the key of E, it
is the loudest, brightest key and utilizes the full potential of
the open strings of the guitar. If there’s a jam session on you
can guarantee someone will call out “let’s play a blues in E” you
absolutely must know how to play and solo in this key.

Playing a blues in the key of ‘E’ requires you to know how to
find the chord changes by ear as almost always there isn’t any
written music you must know the sound of the progression ‘by
ear’.

Here’s the most common chord progressions for the blues in ‘E’
learn them all … get the progressions off the paper and into
your head, learn to recognize the sound of each progression so
when you hear someone play a blues you will know which chord
sequence they are playing without having to actually see them
play.

12 bar blues chord progressions in E:

E7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///| A7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///|
B7 ///| B7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///||

E7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///| A7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///|
B7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///||

E7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///| A7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///|
B7 ///| B7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///||

E7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///| A7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///|
B7 ///| A7 ///| E7 ///| E7 ///||

There’s also two minor versions you need to know …

Em ///| Em ///| Em ///| Em ///| Am ///| Am ///| Em ///| Em ///|
B7 ///| B7 ///| Em ///| Em ///||

Em ///| Am ///| Em ///| Em ///| Am ///| Am ///| Em ///| Em ///|
B7 ///| B7 ///| Em ///| Em ///||

Now on to the E minor pentatonic scale which will fit nicely over
all these progressions.

Minor pentatonic scale system – E minor

The notes in the E minor pentatonic scale are:

E – G – A – B – D – (E)

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

Here’s the most common fingering pattern for the scale

E – using your first finger behind the twelfth fret, sixth
string

G – played with the fourth finger, fret fifteen, sixth string

A – first finger, twelfth fret, fifth string

B – played with your third finger behind the fourteenth fret,
fifth string

D – first finger, twelfth fret, fourth string

E Minor pentatonic scale pattern

—————————-
—————————-
—————————-
——————-12–[14]-
———–12–14———–
-[12]–15——————-

Keynotes indicated as [ ]

The same scale one octave higher.

E minor pentatonic one octave higher:

———————[12]-
————–12–15——
——12–14————–
-[14]———————
————————–
————————–

Here’s another way to play the E minor pentatonic
scale:

———————————
———————————
———————————
————————12–[14]-
————-10–12–14———–
—10–[12]———————–

Keynotes or root notes 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, twelfth fret is called E, similarly
the note on the fourth string, fourteenth fret is also called E
these notes act as keynotes for the E minor pentatonic scale.

You can also play the E minor pentatonic in the open position, in
fact a lot of acoustic players prefer this sound.

E Minor pentatonic scale pattern open position

—————————
—————————
—————————
——————-0–[2]–
———–0–2————
-[0]–3——————–

The same scale one octave higher would be played like this:

————————[0]–
—————-0—3——–
——-0—2—————–
–[2]————————
—————————–
—————————–

John Butler’s instrumental piece ‘Mist’ is a fine example of the
E minor pentatonic scale played in the open position.

Now for a few chord progressions played as power chords based on
the notes in the pentatonic scale.

E – G – A – B – D – (E)

Typical chord progression(s) would be:

E /// | G /// | A /// | B /// ||

or

E /// | G /// |B /// | A /// ||

The notes of the pentatonic scale are used as the key notes for
each of the power chords in the examples above.

Time to get that guitar out and try the blues chord progressions
and various scale patterns all over the fingerboard 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, easy chords, simple scales, 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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