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Learn Guitar Trick #12 – Minor Pentatonic Scale System C# minor

By Mike Hayes | January 21, 2010

The key of C# is a favorite of recording artists and sounds
fantastic on guitar ; it’s only one fret higher in pitch than
the familiar sounding key of C but put a capo on the first fret
and play your standard C , F and G chord shapes and you will
immediately notice how fresh and exciting they sound.

The two keys that record producers know will have a positive
uplifting effect on the listener are the keys of F# and C#, I’ve
written about the key of F# in a previous article so today I’ll
focus on the key of C#.

Why these particular keys?

Surely all keys should be created equal!

Technically speaking we could mathematically say because notes in
each key are a certain predetermined distance from each other
e.g., the major diatonic scale interval structure is: tone,
tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semitone.

major scale structure:

*-T-*-T-*-S.T-*-T-*-T-*-T-*-S.T-*

They should all have the same effect on the listener, only at a
different pitch level, however this explanation does note take
into account that fact that all notes vibrate or oscillate at
different frequencies and it is the vibrating speed of a note
that has an effect on how the listener feels.

The keys of C# and F# in particular have a very positive effect
on the listener because of the frequency of the notes.

Minor pentatonic scale system – C# minor

The notes in the C# minor pentatonic scale are:

C# – E – F# – G# – B – (C#)

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

Here’s the most common fingering pattern for the scale

C# – using your first finger behind the ninth fret, sixth string

E – played with the fourth finger, fret twelve, sixth string

F# – first finger, ninth fret, fifth string

G# – played with your third finger behind the eleventh fret,
fifth string

B – first finger, ninth fret, fourth string

C# Minor pentatonic scale pattern

—————————
—————————
—————————
——————-9–[11]-
———–9–11———–
-[9]–12——————-

Keynotes indicated as [ ]

The same scale one octave higher.

C# minor pentatonic one octave higher:

———————-[9]-
————–9—12——
——9—11————–
-[11]———————
————————–
————————–

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

———————————
———————————
———————————
————————-9–[11]-
————-7—9–11———–
—7—[9]———————–

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, ninth fret is called C#, similarly the
note on the four string, eleventh fret is also called C#
therefore these notes act as keynotes for the C# minor pentatonic
scale.

It’s important to hear how your scale sounds when played against
chord progression try creating your own progressions using the
notes from the C# minor pentatonic scale as keynotes for
power chords.

C# – E – F# – G# – B – (C#)

Notice how these chords have the same names as the notes of the
C# minor pentatonic scale.

Typical chord progression(s) would be:

C# /// | E /// | F# /// | G# /// ||

or

C# /// | E /// |G# /// | F# /// ||

Now it’s time to apply the new information and hear how it sounds
on 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 Tips, guitar scales | No Comments »

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