285 comments for “Five Positions of Minor Pentatonic Scale”
[..YouTube..] Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” thakns, John H
[..YouTube..] I don’t bend notes with the little finger. To be ready at any given time to bend a note I use the third finger instead of the fouth. If you couldn’t see someones hand but listened and liked the music would it make a difference? Tommy Tedesco had dots on his classical guitar but he was employed and the trad-classical guys without the dots weren’t. John
[..YouTube..] cheers dude, i only played the first position across the neck and it sounded out of key, but now i know the different scales to play, cheers man
I guess Pinky Automatically goes and third finger Comes when a guitarist has to emphasise on the trill or say bend one step up.
its a great demo vid in a cool fender strat
well up and down strokes are important i guess sir, and well i deliberately use all down strokes as an intermediate widdler when i have to use the pinch harmonics in this scale
[..YouTube..] I read some articles by Eric Clapton and Robben Ford, they both said they try and force themselves to do a lot of just down picking in order to phase tasteful slow melodies instead of trying to flash licks at people simply because they have good back and forth picking technique.
[..YouTube..] It would be a good idea not to imitate his fingerings. He never uses his pinky. You should never dismiss the pinky. If he would have used his pinky it would have diminished that unnecessary shift.
[..YouTube..] It’s perfectly true what mattryals says. But what if you want to bend a certain note that your pinky lands on? For me the third finger is the way I do it when you want to bend a note. I picked it up from watching Clapton, Beck and Page play. I do fast John Mclaughlin-type riffs with my little finger. When I’m in a note-bending phase I tend to use the third finger. We should learn how to do both. I just can’t bend notes with my little finger. JH
We just put 3 new videos on YT this week - 2 lessons on how to play a solo walkin’ blues, and a song from one of his concerts this summer. His home page now lists additions to his website, which includes new guitar lessons.
[..YouTube..] You may already know this, but the Guitar Lessons section of the website has all the YouTube lessons on one convenient page, organized by category. Even the simple lessons may teach you something you don’t know.
[..YouTube..] Hey just fell onto your page here. I ve been playing guitar for over a decade but have yet to sharpen my lead skills. It looks like I came to the right place here; I like what I see and hear! You seem to have a very good approach! Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
[..YouTube..] this is such a great help to me it helped me improve my lead skills thanks alot! wish you could share more of your knowledge to people that are learning like me cheers and thanks alot!
[..YouTube..] HI, please check out my (short) vid of me doing some (mostly) pentatonic stuff i know im not synyster gates or anything, ive not been playing 2 years yet but it shows some cool little pentatonic licks in it
[..YouTube..] wo this is very helpul I only knew like 2 positions this really helped me especially with improv. thanxs john for all your wonderful lessons!!! =)
[..YouTube..] Letters and numbers are only for trying to keep all the sounds/notes organized in groups. It helps in remembering what notes harmonize well with other notes. There are a lot of good musicians that don’t know a thing about all this theory and stuff. They just play from the heart or by ear as they say and go for the sound in their head. In other words they play music that sounds good to them no matter what letters or numbers we call it…John H
[..YouTube..] Why not using the fingers correctly? Like one finger for each fret? Use your pinky. You have 4 fingers, then use them =D Makes it easier when playing solos’ and stuff.
Anyways; great lesson. Just a few things I didn’t think was logical =P
[..YouTube..] Why not using the fingers correctly? Like one finger for each fret? Use your pinky. You have 4 fingers, then use them =D Makes it easier when playing solos’ and stuff.
Anyways; great lesson. Just a few things I didn’t think was logical =P
[..YouTube..] I asked my instructor the same thing when I started playing. He said that the main reason you should try to use the ring finger versus the pinky is for dexterity and strength. Your pinky is the weakest and least precise finger. It’s harder to control and almost impossible to use for lap steel bemding.
[..YouTube..] I’m with you Stein.
I believe you should use four fingers and alternate pick. You should build a good foundation to play off of, and not develop unnecessary habits.
And don’t be a smart ass shoes2shoes.
IT DOES matter, because things won’t sound good if you are playing with slow, and awkward techniques. Take it for what its worth.
[..YouTube..] Can you bend notes with your 4th finger? I can’t. I learned to do both. I bend notes with my 3rd finger so I use it to play these pentatonic scales. But, I can use the little finger too if I want to play some fast passage like John McLaughlin that can’t be played unless you use a more suitable fingering. Thanks for your comment, John
[..YouTube..] Can you bend notes with your 4th finger? I can’t. I learned to do both. I bend notes with my 3rd finger so I use it to play these pentatonic scales. But, I can use the little finger too if I want to play some fast passage like John McLaughlin that can’t be played unless you use a more suitable fingering. Thanks for your comment, John
[..YouTube..] You must of had a teacher that knows the blues and rock stuff. I use my THIRD finger to bend notes so I learned to play pentatonic scales with THE THIRD FINGER. But, I can do both if needs be. Thank you very much!!!!!John
[..YouTube..] Haha.. Okey.. Is okey.. But I prefer to always use the right fingers, even if it’s slow stuff.. And about the bending thing, I think if u can’t bend with your pinky, you should start practise more, and hit the string right on. It helps a lot.
[..YouTube..] Ever watch Eric Clapton? Maybe you don’t like that style of guitar playing but that’s all I’m saying here. It’s easier for most people to bend notes with the 3rd finger so learning to play these pentatonic scales with the 3rd IS another way to go. If you want to shred and play lightning type stuff then OK You’re right about that. But I bend with my 3rd finger and that’s the way I teach it to people who want to play Hendrix, BB King and Clapton stuff. Thanks for your interest in music, John
[..YouTube..] Can’t. I haven’t even heard about him, so I guess I shouldn’t speak about it either. =) But I guess he practiced more then necessary if he used the right technique for playing freaking fast. =P
[..YouTube..] i like the video but what i dont like is to tell people “if your just starting out just worry about downstrokes with the pick” Ive been playing about 5 months and I focused on downstrokes as a noob and its a hard habit to break (4 me anyway) I advise other noobs at guitar to just alternate pick from the get-go. gotta learn it anyway so start now.
[..YouTube..] Wurd! I like your playing. Knowing notes is good obviously too BUT he’s also able to fly up and down the neck with a little help from ALT. Picking too. good day!
[..YouTube..] I think John and others would disagree of your characterization of down picking as a ‘habit’. To repost what he said a few months ago:
‘I read some articles by Eric Clapton and Robben Ford, they both said they try and force themselves to do a lot of just down picking in order to phase tasteful slow melodies instead of trying to flash licks at people simply because they have good back and forth picking technique.’
[..YouTube..] All the information given in this video has been developed over a forty year period of teaching and performing. The point of this video is to get people playing blues and melodic rock riffs ASAP. You don’t need highly developed picking to do that. Students spend years trying to get good at back and forth picking and get preoccupied with that, they never play one melody that sounds good. You can work on your tecnical mastery as well….John H
[..YouTube..] All the information given in this video has been developed over a forty year period of teaching and performing. The point of this video is to get people playing blues and melodic rock riffs ASAP. You don’t need highly developed picking to do that. Students spend years trying to get good at back and forth picking and get preoccupied with that, they never play one melody that sounds good. You can work on your tecnical mastery as well….John H
[..YouTube..] You don’t get it RJRWJR. Watch any video of master blues players and they use thumbs, fingers, picks as well as thumbpicks and slides.
You want fast picking then go right ahead and do
the up and down picking. But, YOU DON’T HAVE TO IN ORDER TO PLAY GOOD BLUES! Understand? JH
[..YouTube..] You don’t get it RJRWJR. Watch any video of master blues players and they use thumbs, fingers, picks as well as thumbpicks and slides.
You want fast picking then go right ahead and do
the up and down picking. But, YOU DON’T HAVE TO IN ORDER TO PLAY GOOD BLUES! Understand? JH
[..YouTube..] Boy you are good subject matter. Please stay in touch with me and let me know where you’re playing. Are you a US citizen? If you ever play a gig anywhere in the states I’m going to go out of my way to try and be there. This debate has to be taken up in person……John
[..YouTube..] If you tune every string down the same interval then the scale shapes or fingerings don’t change. normal = E A D G B E
drop all to D = D G C F A D
drop all to C = C F Bb Eb G C
If you use tunings that just drop the bass note down to D or C then that one string fingering will have to be changed….John H
[..YouTube..] im not trying to be adick here, but moving the hand when you can just use your pinkie. thet is quite unnessescary i think. if you are going to get fluent you will need to use all fingers
[..YouTube..] That’s what I’m saying. Learn how to do both. Use the little finger for the fast runs and the third finger for note bending. Thanks for your comment….John H
[..YouTube..] A lot of it has to do with how much you look at it. Get a poster of the scales you wish to learn up on the wall. Get familiar with what they look like. There’s a lot of subtle things you don’t see at first that make them easier to memorize. You’ll discover some patterns that repeat themselves and soon you’ll know where all the notes are which is half the battle….John H
[..YouTube..] HOLY SHIT MAN. i got them!!!!!.
but more practice never hurts..thanks ur the best!!!
p.s so i realy liek the blues. and u need theory to play them. is learning theory hard? i dont mean to be a bother but ur good..
[..YouTube..] HOLY SHIT MAN. i got them!!!!!.
but more practice never hurts..thanks ur the best!!!
p.s so i realy liek the blues. and u need theory to play them. is learning theory hard? i dont mean to be a bother but ur good..
[..YouTube..] Yes, if you move position 1 up to the 7th fret that would be in the key of B. Position 2 would be moved to the 10th fret, position 3 to the 12th fret, etc.
[..YouTube..] Yes, if you move position 1 up to the 7th fret that would be in the key of B. Position 2 would be moved to the 10th fret, position 3 to the 12th fret, etc.
[..YouTube..] B minor pentatonic. Learn theory to figure out how these scales are formed and what chord changes they’ll work over. If you told a person who doesn’t know theory that a B minor pentatonic will work over a B major progression, they look at you like your talking Chinese. In fact many classically trained musicians don’t know this. They think you have to play everything diatonically correct. lol
[..YouTube..] Hi John, Great lessons in easy bites. With the five positions, do these relate to the CAGED system? i.e. your first position was A in the “E” shape of the chord. Therefore is the second postion the scale you’d use around the “D” shape and so on? I’m trying to get my head around these things :o)
[..YouTube..] Minor and relative major chord positioning relating to the pentatonic scale. 1st position of A minor at the 5th fret with an index finger bar or capo play an E minor shape or a G major shape. 2nd position bar D minor on the 7th fret or E major on the 8th. 3rd position play a C minor shape at the 9th fret or bar a D major at the 10th. 4th position bar an A minor or a C major chord shape at the 0/12th fret. 5th position G minor shape at the 2/14th fret and A major at the 3/15th.
C and G mi???
[..YouTube..] Thanks john, I think I get it. I also note your kindly subtle pointing out of my confusing minor & major shapes:o) Veiwed your live vids, great blues playing! You clearly love what you do so keep doing it. Terry U.K.
[..YouTube..] John’s out of town and I’m not sure I understand the question, but here goes anyway:
If you look at either of the E strings, position 1 ends and position 2 starts at the eighth fret; position 2 ends and position 3 starts at the tenth fret; etc. Similar things apply to the other 4 strings.
And the position of the scale notes are the exact same on the high and low E strings.
[..YouTube..] John’s out of town and I’m not sure I understand the question, but here goes anyway:
If you look at either of the E strings, position 1 ends and position 2 starts at the eighth fret; position 2 ends and position 3 starts at the tenth fret; etc. Similar things apply to the other 4 strings.
And the position of the scale notes are the exact same on the high and low E strings.
[..YouTube..] To everyone that is concerned about the pinky not being used, understand that this is the status quo for beginning to learn the blues. One must focus on hand movement so that you can begin transitioning between the different shapes. Further, using your index and ring finger teaches you how to properly angle your fretting wrist more towards the bridge instead of vertical along the strings.
[..YouTube..] To everyone that is concerned about the pinky not being used, understand that this is the status quo for beginning to learn the blues. One must focus on hand movement so that you can begin transitioning between the different shapes. Further, using your index and ring finger teaches you how to properly angle your fretting wrist more towards the bridge instead of vertical along the strings.
With regard to bending, it’s much easier to get your index and middle finger behind your ring finger, than it is to get your whole hand behind your pinky. It’s not a matter of not learning to bend with your pinky, it’s that someone who is just starting out learning the pentatonic scale, is not going to be able to bend wit their pinky. At this point in learning, we want to emphasize hand speed and proper fretting technique.
[..YouTube..] u don’t need to learn FIVE. only ONE. for major scale put middle finger on root note to start. the pattern is M - P (next string) I - M - P (next string) I - R - P. [m=middle,I=index,R=ring,P=pinky] u can slide your middle down and play the last note (which is the root again) with your middle instead of your pinky and you’re all set to go again. u can go all over the board like this. instead of skipping strings you can continue up the same string (just skip 1 fret).
[..YouTube..] continued from below: only think letter names of notes to find the root, then think in scale degrees (1,2,3,4,5,6,7). to play modes just start at that point in the pattern and play thru to the same point in the connected pattern.
[..YouTube..] continued from below: only think letter names of notes to find the root, then think in scale degrees (1,2,3,4,5,6,7). to play modes just start at that point in the pattern and play thru to the same point in the connected pattern.
[..YouTube..] Thanks a million pickup up your link from About dot com… really appreciate all the efforts. I’ve picked up a few things that no one else has taught me.
[..YouTube..] Can’t say I understand what you’re talking about. Look below at what dmcdowellSN95 says. It’s more about showing beginners how to rather than going into some new approach. Thanks for your input…..JH
[..YouTube..] Good of you to share your opinion and viewpoint. Thanks for your comments. This is the best observation of this 5-postion lesson yet. It’s for the benefit of beginners and it’s more of a blues approach rather than a shredding stlye. Learn both if you have the time and inspiration. JH
[..YouTube..] it’s perfectly simple. YOU’RE doing things the hard way. all you need to know is ONE SIMPLE major scale pattern to play contiguously all over the fretboard in any mode. perhaps you don’t want to take the time to think about what i wrote. fine. keep doing things the hard way. i just hate to see you “teaching” others how to do it the hard way too.
[..YouTube..] Wow dude just beacause of you Iv’e learned the 5 postions of the A minor penatonic and the A major positions thanks dude This will really help me. Iv’e been misguided by my first teacher didn’t teach me scales for shit
[..YouTube..] This is the only helpful video i’ve found for learning the pentatonic scale! I like when guys that do these videos zoom in close and explain why they’re doing what they do. Thank you so much man. You’re a great teacher.
[..YouTube..] This is the only helpful video i’ve found for learning the pentatonic scale! I like when guys that do these videos zoom in close and explain why they’re doing what they do. Thank you so much man. You’re a great teacher.
[..YouTube..] Thats all he did man. He showed exactly how to play that major scale in all positions. I dont know what you’re on about. He made it pretty simple.
[..YouTube..] you are a very wonderful person for teaching and sharing your skills… i’m sure you helped a lot of people already for free… thank you so much and may God give you more Strength, Power, and blessings… keep up the good work…
[..YouTube..] you are a very wonderful person for teaching and sharing your skills… i’m sure you helped a lot of people already for free… thank you so much and may God give you more Strength, Power, and blessings… keep up the good work…
[..YouTube..] im new at guitar so this might seem like a stupid question to you. I heard him mention this was the am pentatonic. does that mean that there are other keys of pentatonic scale? If so where can i find them. thank you
[..YouTube..] There are 12 different keys for the minor pentatonic scale, one for each of the 12 notes: E, F, F# (or Gb), G, G# (or Ab), A, A# (or Bb), B, etc.
Just move any of these 5 positions up & down the fretboard to get a different key. For example, to get a G minor pentatonic, start position 1 at fret 3 instead of fret 5; start position 2 at fret 6 instead of fret 8; etc.
[..YouTube..] masterofmetalpup is wrong. 1st, this is a lesson on the pentatonic scale, not the major scale (see lesson “7 positions of diatonic scale”).
2nd, John’s method does not require one to memorize 35 or 49 patterns (7 modes * 7 patterns = 49) to play the major modes.
3rd, if one uses mmp’s method, for a given mode, one would get stuck trying to improvise using the same pattern throughout the fretboard.
0:50 into this lesson John explains how different patterns help one improvise.
[..YouTube..] If masterofmetalpuppets tried as hard to articulate his point better, instead of focusing on being a smartass, we might actually know what the hell he’s talking about.
Why he’s ranting about the major scale on a pentatonic lesson is beyond me.
[..YouTube..] If masterofmetalpuppets tried as hard to articulate his point better, instead of focusing on being a smartass, we might actually know what the hell he’s talking about.
Why he’s ranting about the major scale on a pentatonic lesson is beyond me.
[..YouTube..] can you please help me. my friends said i can randomly hit the notes in scale but when i try to randomly hit the notes and try to play it along with chords, some of the riffs doest sound in tune with the chords thx
[..YouTube..] Man your lessons are amazing. You get right to the point every time. I want to thank you for these lessons they are very helpfull. You realy know what your talking about.
[..YouTube..] try playing one of the 4 pentatonic riffs or one of the 2 major (diatonic) riffs we have on YouTube first. Our pentatonic riffs are in the key of A and the diatonic riffs are in the key of C, so you will have to adjust according to which key the song is in.
[..YouTube..] Thanks for your comment. I’m only using what I know that has worked for me. I’m sure there’s plenty of players out there with more ideas and technique than I have but this is what I’ve used with a certain degree of success for blues and rock….Thanks again, John
[..YouTube..] I try to play A minor pentatonic scale on Am and F, G and C maybe its wrong to say it doesnt sound in tune but it didnt match maybe i must hit the right note for every chord
[..YouTube..] You can use all the notes in the A minor scale but it will sound more “in tune” as you put it if you use all notes in the KEY scale BUT concentrate around the notes of each chord ie. starting, ending and letting notes that are in the chord being played at the time ring longer and maybe louder/more accentuated. So if the a min chords playing try starting and concentrating the riffs on the A C E notes. Also a good tip is to move box positions to really accent the change in chords. Hope that helps
[..YouTube..] thx now I your a big help but what do you mean by “move box position ” is that mean that if a play with C i can use the box 2 cause it start with C
[..YouTube..] Yeah thats pretty much it mate. By moving up the positions (as long as you dont do it on every chord) It will help you highlight the chord changes. If you need any more advice just message me n ask!!!
[..YouTube..] Yeah thats pretty much it mate. By moving up the positions (as long as you dont do it on every chord) It will help you highlight the chord changes. If you need any more advice just message me n ask!!!
[..YouTube..] I have also a question similar to dragonforceaddictz what do you mean “You can use all the notes in the A minor scale but it will sound more “in tune” as you put it if you use all notes in the KEY scale” sorry for stupid question but you see playing scale was very new to me I just head it from a friend a few months ago
[..YouTube..] I have also a question similar to dragonforceaddictz what do you mean “You can use all the notes in the A minor scale but it will sound more “in tune” as you put it if you use all notes in the KEY scale” sorry for stupid question but you see playing scale was very new to me I just head it from a friend a few months ago
[..YouTube..] Why not use your pinky on the low E string? Instead of senselessly sliding the whole hand out of position. Its known as “economy” ala John Petrucci and all the shred masters
[..YouTube..] this is great
this is really important work for helping people get started - now that i can play this scale already i’m exploring much more of the fret board .. before i was just sticking to the first 5 frets
[..YouTube..] When he first shows the scale being played from the first position, the tablature that pops onto the screen is incorrect; the fifth string is played from the 5th to 7th frets, and the second string should be played from 5th to 8th.
[..YouTube..] Your comments about the frets and strings are true, but you are reading the tablature upside down. The numbers on the bottom of the screen are the low strings and the numbers higher up on the screen are the high strings. So the tabs are actually correct.
We have higher quality versions of this and other lessons on a diff platform if you have trouble reading the numbers. See the website for links.
[..YouTube..] From a previous comment of John’s on this thread,
“Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” thakns, John H ”
[..YouTube..] Hey John, just wanted to say that this lesson is awesome!! I never felt so much fun playing guitar until learning what you’ve showed here! Lots of thanks!!
[..YouTube..] Hey John, just wanted to say that this lesson is awesome!! I never felt so much fun playing guitar until learning what you’ve showed here! Lots of thanks!!
[..YouTube..] ok i’ve beeing playing for a year now and i’ve just been learning songs and some basic stuff and i had herd about pentatonic scales before but what exactly are they use for? why do need to learn them?
[..YouTube..] ok i’ve beeing playing for a year now and i’ve just been learning songs and some basic stuff and i had herd about pentatonic scales before but what exactly are they use for? why do need to learn them?
[..YouTube..] See John’s lesson “scales vs riffs” which answers your question. Or better yet start at the beginning and go through all the lessons in order. That can be done either on the website or playlists on YouTube.
-jc
[..YouTube..] Thanks for this, I have seen about three different versions of the Am pentatonnic scale, are there different versions? or the other one’s are wrong!
[..YouTube..] Thanks for this, I have seen about three different versions of the Am pentatonnic scale, are there different versions? or the other one’s are wrong!
[..YouTube..] John uses the pinky sometimes. Look at his video “seven positions of major (diatonic) scale”, or some of the guitar review videos we recently posted where he plays heavy metal type riffs. He just doesn’t always use his pinky, especially when bending notes playing the blues.
[..YouTube..] i found your johnhguitar website after posting and noticed he was using pinky in pent shapes like me so nice one…excellent videos by the way.thanks
[..YouTube..] There’s only one A minor pentatonic scale but there are several different ways to play it. There’s lots of different fingerings. Try and study as many as you can…..John H
[..YouTube..] Actually I use my little finger for speed riffs and my third finger bending notes. I don’t like bending with the little finger so I use the third finger a lot more…..John
[..YouTube..] Actually I use my little finger for speed riffs and my third finger bending notes. I don’t like bending with the little finger so I use the third finger a lot more…..John
[..YouTube..] Overall a good lesson,
BUT I saw no use of the pinkie finger. I have always used 1 finger per fret. Using pinkie finger will build speed and lessen hand movement. What do you think?
[..YouTube..] This has been covered in several previous comments on this thread, here’s one:
“Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” [thanks], John H”
[..YouTube..] This has been covered in several previous comments on this thread, here’s one:
“Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” [thanks], John H”
[..YouTube..] So. All those 5 positions you showed, is all A-minor scales. Does that mean that D, F, E etc. all have 5 scales? And is there any comparison between how and where all tones are played?
[..YouTube..] The 5 positions shown are all the same scale, the A minor pentatonic, played in different places on the fretboard.
The keys of D, F, E, etc., also have 5 positions that would be played in different places.
So as an example, consider the G minor pentatonic. Position 1 would start on fret 3 of the low E string instead of the 5th fret; position 2 would start on fret 6 instead of the 8th fret; pos 3 would start on the 8th fret of the low E string instead of the 10th fret.
[..YouTube..] There are videos for both the major pentatonic and major diatonic. The major pentatonic has 5 notes just like the minor pentatonic, but the major diatonic scale has 7notes. If you meant the major diatonic which is usually just referred to as the major scale:
There are 2 videos that go over the major scale, one with 5 positions and one with 7 positions. John recommends you learn the one with 7 positions, 3 notes per string. It’s called “seven positions of major (diatonic) scale”. CONT. >>>
[..YouTube..] There are videos for both the major pentatonic and major diatonic. The major pentatonic has 5 notes just like the minor pentatonic, but the major diatonic scale has 7notes. If you meant the major diatonic which is usually just referred to as the major scale:
There are 2 videos that go over the major scale, one with 5 positions and one with 7 positions. John
[..YouTube..] Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” thakns, John H
[..YouTube..] Thanks a ton! That was really helpful.
[..YouTube..] I don’t bend notes with the little finger. To be ready at any given time to bend a note I use the third finger instead of the fouth. If you couldn’t see someones hand but listened and liked the music would it make a difference? Tommy Tedesco had dots on his classical guitar but he was employed and the trad-classical guys without the dots weren’t. John
[..YouTube..] nice. but wouldn’t it be better to start training early on with the pinky? i know u need to develop this in metal….
[..YouTube..] Do both…..JH
[..YouTube..] cheers dude, i only played the first position across the neck and it sounded out of key, but now i know the different scales to play, cheers man
[..YouTube..] Great Job Done John
I guess Pinky Automatically goes and third finger Comes when a guitarist has to emphasise on the trill or say bend one step up.
its a great demo vid in a cool fender strat
well up and down strokes are important i guess sir, and well i deliberately use all down strokes as an intermediate widdler when i have to use the pinch harmonics in this scale
[..YouTube..] I read some articles by Eric Clapton and Robben Ford, they both said they try and force themselves to do a lot of just down picking in order to phase tasteful slow melodies instead of trying to flash licks at people simply because they have good back and forth picking technique.
[..YouTube..] It would be a good idea not to imitate his fingerings. He never uses his pinky. You should never dismiss the pinky. If he would have used his pinky it would have diminished that unnecessary shift.
[..YouTube..] It’s perfectly true what mattryals says. But what if you want to bend a certain note that your pinky lands on? For me the third finger is the way I do it when you want to bend a note. I picked it up from watching Clapton, Beck and Page play. I do fast John Mclaughlin-type riffs with my little finger. When I’m in a note-bending phase I tend to use the third finger. We should learn how to do both. I just can’t bend notes with my little finger. JH
[..YouTube..] Really helpful. Hey john when are you uploading a new video?
[..YouTube..] Thanks.
We just put 3 new videos on YT this week - 2 lessons on how to play a solo walkin’ blues, and a song from one of his concerts this summer. His home page now lists additions to his website, which includes new guitar lessons.
-jc
[..YouTube..] greAT job
I`d like to see more of your lesson
[..YouTube..] You may already know this, but the Guitar Lessons section of the website has all the YouTube lessons on one convenient page, organized by category. Even the simple lessons may teach you something you don’t know.
-jc
[..YouTube..] Hey just fell onto your page here. I ve been playing guitar for over a decade but have yet to sharpen my lead skills. It looks like I came to the right place here; I like what I see and hear! You seem to have a very good approach! Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
[..YouTube..] this is such a great help to me it helped me improve my lead skills thanks alot! wish you could share more of your knowledge to people that are learning like me cheers and thanks alot!
[..YouTube..] HI, please check out my (short) vid of me doing some (mostly) pentatonic stuff
i know im not synyster gates or anything, ive not been playing 2 years yet but it shows some cool little pentatonic licks in it 
[..YouTube..] wo this is very helpul I only knew like 2 positions this really helped me especially with improv. thanxs john for all your wonderful lessons!!! =)
[..YouTube..] Just starting simply and then working up to the harder stuff….
[..YouTube..] Would it be difficult to make music without knowing the name of a note rather than knowing just the number?
[..YouTube..] Letters and numbers are only for trying to keep all the sounds/notes organized in groups. It helps in remembering what notes harmonize well with other notes. There are a lot of good musicians that don’t know a thing about all this theory and stuff. They just play from the heart or by ear as they say and go for the sound in their head. In other words they play music that sounds good to them no matter what letters or numbers we call it…John H
[..YouTube..] o.0
[..YouTube..] Why not using the fingers correctly? Like one finger for each fret? Use your pinky. You have 4 fingers, then use them =D Makes it easier when playing solos’ and stuff.
Anyways; great lesson. Just a few things I didn’t think was logical =P
Cheers,
Stein
[..YouTube..] Why not using the fingers correctly? Like one finger for each fret? Use your pinky. You have 4 fingers, then use them =D Makes it easier when playing solos’ and stuff.
Anyways; great lesson. Just a few things I didn’t think was logical =P
Cheers,
Stein
[..YouTube..] you actually have 5 fingers, and it doesnt really matter what finger you use as long as it sounds good
[..YouTube..] Well.. It’s easier to make it sound good if u use the correct techniques. But if u don’t wanna get my point. Then don’t =)
Stein
[..YouTube..] I asked my instructor the same thing when I started playing. He said that the main reason you should try to use the ring finger versus the pinky is for dexterity and strength. Your pinky is the weakest and least precise finger. It’s harder to control and almost impossible to use for lap steel bemding.
[..YouTube..] brillant helped my scale work thanks all the best gary
[..YouTube..] I’m with you Stein.
I believe you should use four fingers and alternate pick. You should build a good foundation to play off of, and not develop unnecessary habits.
And don’t be a smart ass shoes2shoes.
IT DOES matter, because things won’t sound good if you are playing with slow, and awkward techniques. Take it for what its worth.
[..YouTube..] ahahha 5 fingers hehehe ^_^ more like 5 fingers and a thum =p
[..YouTube..] ahahha 5 fingers hehehe ^_^ more like 5 fingers and a thum =p
[..YouTube..] Can you bend notes with your 4th finger? I can’t. I learned to do both. I bend notes with my 3rd finger so I use it to play these pentatonic scales. But, I can use the little finger too if I want to play some fast passage like John McLaughlin that can’t be played unless you use a more suitable fingering. Thanks for your comment, John
[..YouTube..] Can you bend notes with your 4th finger? I can’t. I learned to do both. I bend notes with my 3rd finger so I use it to play these pentatonic scales. But, I can use the little finger too if I want to play some fast passage like John McLaughlin that can’t be played unless you use a more suitable fingering. Thanks for your comment, John
[..YouTube..] You must of had a teacher that knows the blues and rock stuff. I use my THIRD finger to bend notes so I learned to play pentatonic scales with THE THIRD FINGER. But, I can do both if needs be. Thank you very much!!!!!John
[..YouTube..] Haha.. Okey.. Is okey.. But I prefer to always use the right fingers, even if it’s slow stuff.. And about the bending thing, I think if u can’t bend with your pinky, you should start practise more, and hit the string right on. It helps a lot.
Thanks for the comment,
Stein
[..YouTube..] Ever watch Eric Clapton? Maybe you don’t like that style of guitar playing but that’s all I’m saying here. It’s easier for most people to bend notes with the 3rd finger so learning to play these pentatonic scales with the 3rd IS another way to go. If you want to shred and play lightning type stuff then OK You’re right about that. But I bend with my 3rd finger and that’s the way I teach it to people who want to play Hendrix, BB King and Clapton stuff. Thanks for your interest in music, John
[..YouTube..] Django Reinhart had two good fingers on his left hand and set the pace for fast jazz players to copy. Explain that.
[..YouTube..] Can’t. I haven’t even heard about him, so I guess I shouldn’t speak about it either. =) But I guess he practiced more then necessary if he used the right technique for playing freaking fast. =P
Stein
[..YouTube..] thank you very much, your videos are very impressive.
[..YouTube..] i like the video but what i dont like is to tell people “if your just starting out just worry about downstrokes with the pick” Ive been playing about 5 months and I focused on downstrokes as a noob and its a hard habit to break (4 me anyway) I advise other noobs at guitar to just alternate pick from the get-go. gotta learn it anyway so start now.
[..YouTube..] Wurd! I like your playing. Knowing notes is good obviously too BUT he’s also able to fly up and down the neck with a little help from ALT. Picking too.
good day!
[..YouTube..] IMHO ALWAYS alt. Pick Everyone
[..YouTube..] IMHO ALWAYS alt. Pick Everyone
[..YouTube..] I think John and others would disagree of your characterization of down picking as a ‘habit’. To repost what he said a few months ago:
‘I read some articles by Eric Clapton and Robben Ford, they both said they try and force themselves to do a lot of just down picking in order to phase tasteful slow melodies instead of trying to flash licks at people simply because they have good back and forth picking technique.’
[..YouTube..] I agree thats prolly bcuz they did it right from the beginning and learned alt picking. Good day.
[..YouTube..] All the information given in this video has been developed over a forty year period of teaching and performing. The point of this video is to get people playing blues and melodic rock riffs ASAP. You don’t need highly developed picking to do that. Students spend years trying to get good at back and forth picking and get preoccupied with that, they never play one melody that sounds good. You can work on your tecnical mastery as well….John H
[..YouTube..] All the information given in this video has been developed over a forty year period of teaching and performing. The point of this video is to get people playing blues and melodic rock riffs ASAP. You don’t need highly developed picking to do that. Students spend years trying to get good at back and forth picking and get preoccupied with that, they never play one melody that sounds good. You can work on your tecnical mastery as well….John H
[..YouTube..] You don’t get it RJRWJR. Watch any video of master blues players and they use thumbs, fingers, picks as well as thumbpicks and slides.
You want fast picking then go right ahead and do
the up and down picking. But, YOU DON’T HAVE TO IN ORDER TO PLAY GOOD BLUES! Understand? JH
[..YouTube..] You don’t get it RJRWJR. Watch any video of master blues players and they use thumbs, fingers, picks as well as thumbpicks and slides.
You want fast picking then go right ahead and do
the up and down picking. But, YOU DON’T HAVE TO IN ORDER TO PLAY GOOD BLUES! Understand? JH
[..YouTube..] %90 melodic ideas %10 fast up and down picking.
[..YouTube..] Boy you are good subject matter. Please stay in touch with me and let me know where you’re playing. Are you a US citizen? If you ever play a gig anywhere in the states I’m going to go out of my way to try and be there. This debate has to be taken up in person……John
[..YouTube..] i hardly know any theory so what happens when u down tune your guitar e.g drop d or c? do the scales stay the same?
[..YouTube..] i hardly know any theory so what happens when u down tune your guitar e.g drop d or c? do the scales stay the same?
[..YouTube..] If you tune every string down the same interval then the scale shapes or fingerings don’t change. normal = E A D G B E
drop all to D = D G C F A D
drop all to C = C F Bb Eb G C
If you use tunings that just drop the bass note down to D or C then that one string fingering will have to be changed….John H
[..YouTube..] ahh i have yet to master the scales. any tips on how to get them memorised other thatn wat u said in the vid???
[..YouTube..] I forwarded your question to John, but 2 things I thought of are:
the 1st and 6th strings have the same pattern (since they’re both E strings).
And the 1st position always starts on the fifth fret, and the 5th position always ends on the fifth fret, so they’re the easiest to memorize.
-jc
[..YouTube..] im not trying to be adick here, but moving the hand when you can just use your pinkie. thet is quite unnessescary i think. if you are going to get fluent you will need to use all fingers
[..YouTube..] That’s what I’m saying. Learn how to do both. Use the little finger for the fast runs and the third finger for note bending. Thanks for your comment….John H
[..YouTube..] A lot of it has to do with how much you look at it. Get a poster of the scales you wish to learn up on the wall. Get familiar with what they look like. There’s a lot of subtle things you don’t see at first that make them easier to memorize. You’ll discover some patterns that repeat themselves and soon you’ll know where all the notes are which is half the battle….John H
[..YouTube..] HOLY SHIT MAN. i got them!!!!!.
but more practice never hurts..thanks ur the best!!!
p.s so i realy liek the blues. and u need theory to play them. is learning theory hard? i dont mean to be a bother but ur good..
[..YouTube..] HOLY SHIT MAN. i got them!!!!!.
but more practice never hurts..thanks ur the best!!!
p.s so i realy liek the blues. and u need theory to play them. is learning theory hard? i dont mean to be a bother but ur good..
[..YouTube..] Thank you for the lesson about the pentatonic!
[..YouTube..] If you moved this down to the 7th fret would it work and would it be in the key of B?
[..YouTube..] Yes, if you move position 1 up to the 7th fret that would be in the key of B. Position 2 would be moved to the 10th fret, position 3 to the 12th fret, etc.
-jc
[..YouTube..] Yes, if you move position 1 up to the 7th fret that would be in the key of B. Position 2 would be moved to the 10th fret, position 3 to the 12th fret, etc.
-jc
[..YouTube..] B minor pentatonic. Learn theory to figure out how these scales are formed and what chord changes they’ll work over. If you told a person who doesn’t know theory that a B minor pentatonic will work over a B major progression, they look at you like your talking Chinese. In fact many classically trained musicians don’t know this. They think you have to play everything diatonically correct. lol
[..YouTube..] sir can you post like close ups slow?
[..YouTube..] thanks i look forward to using these 5 stars
[..YouTube..] thanks i look forward to using these 5 stars
[..YouTube..] cool, I was about to ask about the pinkie.
Cheers for the good info!!
[..YouTube..] cool, I was about to ask about the pinkie.
Cheers for the good info!!
[..YouTube..] Hi John, Great lessons in easy bites. With the five positions, do these relate to the CAGED system? i.e. your first position was A in the “E” shape of the chord. Therefore is the second postion the scale you’d use around the “D” shape and so on? I’m trying to get my head around these things :o)
[..YouTube..] Minor and relative major chord positioning relating to the pentatonic scale. 1st position of A minor at the 5th fret with an index finger bar or capo play an E minor shape or a G major shape. 2nd position bar D minor on the 7th fret or E major on the 8th. 3rd position play a C minor shape at the 9th fret or bar a D major at the 10th. 4th position bar an A minor or a C major chord shape at the 0/12th fret. 5th position G minor shape at the 2/14th fret and A major at the 3/15th.
C and G mi???
[..YouTube..] Thanks john, I think I get it. I also note your kindly subtle pointing out of my confusing minor & major shapes:o) Veiwed your live vids, great blues playing! You clearly love what you do so keep doing it. Terry U.K.
[..YouTube..] so i got a question: do these link up like diatonics do? (horazontaly and verticaly on the fretboard)???
[..YouTube..] so i got a question: do these link up like diatonics do? (horazontaly and verticaly on the fretboard)???
[..YouTube..] John’s out of town and I’m not sure I understand the question, but here goes anyway:
If you look at either of the E strings, position 1 ends and position 2 starts at the eighth fret; position 2 ends and position 3 starts at the tenth fret; etc. Similar things apply to the other 4 strings.
And the position of the scale notes are the exact same on the high and low E strings.
-jc
[..YouTube..] John’s out of town and I’m not sure I understand the question, but here goes anyway:
If you look at either of the E strings, position 1 ends and position 2 starts at the eighth fret; position 2 ends and position 3 starts at the tenth fret; etc. Similar things apply to the other 4 strings.
And the position of the scale notes are the exact same on the high and low E strings.
-jc
[..YouTube..] hell yeah so you can link and shred longer rifs, ok cool. thanx.
[..YouTube..] hell yeah so you can link and shred longer rifs, ok cool. thanx.
[..YouTube..] To everyone that is concerned about the pinky not being used, understand that this is the status quo for beginning to learn the blues. One must focus on hand movement so that you can begin transitioning between the different shapes. Further, using your index and ring finger teaches you how to properly angle your fretting wrist more towards the bridge instead of vertical along the strings.
[..YouTube..] To everyone that is concerned about the pinky not being used, understand that this is the status quo for beginning to learn the blues. One must focus on hand movement so that you can begin transitioning between the different shapes. Further, using your index and ring finger teaches you how to properly angle your fretting wrist more towards the bridge instead of vertical along the strings.
[..YouTube..] Cont’d
With regard to bending, it’s much easier to get your index and middle finger behind your ring finger, than it is to get your whole hand behind your pinky. It’s not a matter of not learning to bend with your pinky, it’s that someone who is just starting out learning the pentatonic scale, is not going to be able to bend wit their pinky. At this point in learning, we want to emphasize hand speed and proper fretting technique.
[..YouTube..] u don’t need to learn FIVE. only ONE. for major scale put middle finger on root note to start. the pattern is M - P (next string) I - M - P (next string) I - R - P. [m=middle,I=index,R=ring,P=pinky] u can slide your middle down and play the last note (which is the root again) with your middle instead of your pinky and you’re all set to go again. u can go all over the board like this. instead of skipping strings you can continue up the same string (just skip 1 fret).
[..YouTube..] continued from below: only think letter names of notes to find the root, then think in scale degrees (1,2,3,4,5,6,7). to play modes just start at that point in the pattern and play thru to the same point in the connected pattern.
[..YouTube..] continued from below: only think letter names of notes to find the root, then think in scale degrees (1,2,3,4,5,6,7). to play modes just start at that point in the pattern and play thru to the same point in the connected pattern.
[..YouTube..] coll lesson, easy to follow, thanks for breaking it down man, awesome !!!
[..YouTube..] coll lesson, easy to follow, thanks for breaking it down man, awesome !!!
[..YouTube..] Thanks a million
pickup up your link from About dot com… really appreciate all the efforts. I’ve picked up a few things that no one else has taught me.
[..YouTube..] Can’t say I understand what you’re talking about. Look below at what dmcdowellSN95 says. It’s more about showing beginners how to rather than going into some new approach. Thanks for your input…..JH
[..YouTube..] Good of you to share your opinion and viewpoint. Thanks for your comments. This is the best observation of this 5-postion lesson yet. It’s for the benefit of beginners and it’s more of a blues approach rather than a shredding stlye. Learn both if you have the time and inspiration. JH
[..YouTube..] it’s perfectly simple. YOU’RE doing things the hard way. all you need to know is ONE SIMPLE major scale pattern to play contiguously all over the fretboard in any mode. perhaps you don’t want to take the time to think about what i wrote. fine. keep doing things the hard way. i just hate to see you “teaching” others how to do it the hard way too.
[..YouTube..] Wow dude just beacause of you Iv’e learned the 5 postions of the A minor penatonic and the A major positions thanks dude This will really help me. Iv’e been misguided by my first teacher didn’t teach me scales for shit
[..YouTube..] this is exactly what ive been looking for. great soloing set of scales. thanksthanksthanks 5 stars.
[..YouTube..] You rock! Thanks for explaining in clear terms and including tabs. Just learning scales and this was very helpful. Look forward to more!
[..YouTube..] This is the only helpful video i’ve found for learning the pentatonic scale! I like when guys that do these videos zoom in close and explain why they’re doing what they do. Thank you so much man. You’re a great teacher.
[..YouTube..] This is the only helpful video i’ve found for learning the pentatonic scale! I like when guys that do these videos zoom in close and explain why they’re doing what they do. Thank you so much man. You’re a great teacher.
[..YouTube..] Thats all he did man. He showed exactly how to play that major scale in all positions. I dont know what you’re on about. He made it pretty simple.
[..YouTube..] what i’m “on about” is that YOU DON’T NEED TO MEMORIZE A DIFFERENT PATTERN FOR ALL 5 POSITIONS.
there are 7 modes of the major scale. doing things his way has you having to memorize 35 different patterns.
doing things my way has you only having to learn ONE.
now if you are too lazy to read what i wrote then that’s YOUR problem.
this guy is wasting your time and making learning the guitar A CHORE.
it isn’t that hard. in fact, it’s EASY.
[..YouTube..] what i’m “on about” is that YOU DON’T NEED TO MEMORIZE A DIFFERENT PATTERN FOR ALL 5 POSITIONS.
there are 7 modes of the major scale. doing things his way has you having to memorize 35 different patterns.
doing things my way has you only having to learn ONE.
now if you are too lazy to read what i wrote then that’s YOUR problem.
this guy is wasting your time and making learning the guitar A CHORE.
it isn’t that hard. in fact, it’s EASY.
[..YouTube..] thanx john, for the penta-help.
[..YouTube..] really great..really great……thank you very much.
[..YouTube..] really great..really great……thank you very much.
[..YouTube..] you are a very wonderful person for teaching and sharing your skills… i’m sure you helped a lot of people already for free… thank you so much and may God give you more Strength, Power, and blessings… keep up the good work…
[..YouTube..] you are a very wonderful person for teaching and sharing your skills… i’m sure you helped a lot of people already for free… thank you so much and may God give you more Strength, Power, and blessings… keep up the good work…
[..YouTube..] im new at guitar so this might seem like a stupid question to you. I heard him mention this was the am pentatonic. does that mean that there are other keys of pentatonic scale? If so where can i find them. thank you
[..YouTube..] There are 12 different keys for the minor pentatonic scale, one for each of the 12 notes: E, F, F# (or Gb), G, G# (or Ab), A, A# (or Bb), B, etc.
Just move any of these 5 positions up & down the fretboard to get a different key. For example, to get a G minor pentatonic, start position 1 at fret 3 instead of fret 5; start position 2 at fret 6 instead of fret 8; etc.
-jc
[..YouTube..] Thank you so much. i understand. god bless
[..YouTube..] So if i’m playing an A minor scale the pattern would go A,C,D,E,G. So if i play it in the key of C i’d start on the 8th fret right?
[..YouTube..] So if i’m playing an A minor scale the pattern would go A,C,D,E,G. So if i play it in the key of C i’d start on the 8th fret right?
[..YouTube..] yes, that’s the pattern for the key of A, position #1; and you’re correct as well about where to start pattern #1 for the key of C.
-jc
[..YouTube..] yes, that’s the pattern for the key of A, position #1; and you’re correct as well about where to start pattern #1 for the key of C.
-jc
[..YouTube..] Thanks alot, I just started learning and thought i’d start on chords and scales first, it’s all starting to piece together now.
[..YouTube..] masterofmetalpup is wrong. 1st, this is a lesson on the pentatonic scale, not the major scale (see lesson “7 positions of diatonic scale”).
2nd, John’s method does not require one to memorize 35 or 49 patterns (7 modes * 7 patterns = 49) to play the major modes.
3rd, if one uses mmp’s method, for a given mode, one would get stuck trying to improvise using the same pattern throughout the fretboard.
0:50 into this lesson John explains how different patterns help one improvise.
-jc
[..YouTube..] If masterofmetalpuppets tried as hard to articulate his point better, instead of focusing on being a smartass, we might actually know what the hell he’s talking about.
Why he’s ranting about the major scale on a pentatonic lesson is beyond me.
[..YouTube..] If masterofmetalpuppets tried as hard to articulate his point better, instead of focusing on being a smartass, we might actually know what the hell he’s talking about.
Why he’s ranting about the major scale on a pentatonic lesson is beyond me.
[..YouTube..] this helped A LOT
thanks man!!!
[..YouTube..] can you please help me. my friends said i can randomly hit the notes in scale but when i try to randomly hit the notes and try to play it along with chords, some of the riffs doest sound in tune with the chords thx
[..YouTube..] Man your lessons are amazing. You get right to the point every time. I want to thank you for these lessons they are very helpfull. You realy know what your talking about.
[..YouTube..] try playing one of the 4 pentatonic riffs or one of the 2 major (diatonic) riffs we have on YouTube first. Our pentatonic riffs are in the key of A and the diatonic riffs are in the key of C, so you will have to adjust according to which key the song is in.
[..YouTube..] Tell me what chords were being played and what scale or notes you were using…..John
[..YouTube..] Thanks for your comment. I’m only using what I know that has worked for me. I’m sure there’s plenty of players out there with more ideas and technique than I have but this is what I’ve used with a certain degree of success for blues and rock….Thanks again, John
[..YouTube..] I try to play A minor pentatonic scale on Am and F, G and C maybe its wrong to say it doesnt sound in tune but it didnt match maybe i must hit the right note for every chord
[..YouTube..] john i love metal. what scale i must learn thx
[..YouTube..] You can use all the notes in the A minor scale but it will sound more “in tune” as you put it if you use all notes in the KEY scale BUT concentrate around the notes of each chord ie. starting, ending and letting notes that are in the chord being played at the time ring longer and maybe louder/more accentuated. So if the a min chords playing try starting and concentrating the riffs on the A C E notes. Also a good tip is to move box positions to really accent the change in chords. Hope that helps
[..YouTube..] thx now I your a big help but what do you mean by “move box position ” is that mean that if a play with C i can use the box 2 cause it start with C
[..YouTube..] Yeah thats pretty much it mate. By moving up the positions (as long as you dont do it on every chord) It will help you highlight the chord changes. If you need any more advice just message me n ask!!!
[..YouTube..] Yeah thats pretty much it mate. By moving up the positions (as long as you dont do it on every chord) It will help you highlight the chord changes. If you need any more advice just message me n ask!!!
[..YouTube..] thx you rock
[..YouTube..] thx you rock
[..YouTube..] I have also a question similar to dragonforceaddictz what do you mean “You can use all the notes in the A minor scale but it will sound more “in tune” as you put it if you use all notes in the KEY scale” sorry for stupid question but you see playing scale was very new to me I just head it from a friend a few months ago
[..YouTube..] I have also a question similar to dragonforceaddictz what do you mean “You can use all the notes in the A minor scale but it will sound more “in tune” as you put it if you use all notes in the KEY scale” sorry for stupid question but you see playing scale was very new to me I just head it from a friend a few months ago
[..YouTube..] Why not use your pinky on the low E string? Instead of senselessly sliding the whole hand out of position. Its known as “economy” ala John Petrucci and all the shred masters
[..YouTube..] nice demonstration john… really shows the beginners out there an easy way to pick it up
[..YouTube..] this is great
this is really important work for helping people get started - now that i can play this scale already i’m exploring much more of the fret board .. before i was just sticking to the first 5 frets
[..YouTube..] Hey!!! We are supposed to KNOW all places, you are very quick!!
[..YouTube..] Hey!!! We are supposed to KNOW all places, you are very quick!!
[..YouTube..] ok first its called alternative picking, and new guitarists should practice this right away. not just down picking.
second, you shouldnt be moving your hand around like that.
use your fourth finger! not just your index, middle, and ring.
for all who read this:
this guy is a joke,
i recomend justin sandercoe on youtube.
[..YouTube..] E minor pentatonic scale is the “heavy metal scale”
[..YouTube..] When he first shows the scale being played from the first position, the tablature that pops onto the screen is incorrect; the fifth string is played from the 5th to 7th frets, and the second string should be played from 5th to 8th.
[..YouTube..] Your comments about the frets and strings are true, but you are reading the tablature upside down. The numbers on the bottom of the screen are the low strings and the numbers higher up on the screen are the high strings. So the tabs are actually correct.
We have higher quality versions of this and other lessons on a diff platform if you have trouble reading the numbers. See the website for links.
-jc
[..YouTube..] No wonder, sorry about my ignorance, John. I think your lessons are great! Have a good day!
Owen
[..YouTube..] No wonder, sorry about my ignorance, John. I think your lessons are great! Have a good day!
Owen
[..YouTube..] hehehehe he said different fingerings! : D
helped alot though thnx
[..YouTube..] hehehehe he said different fingerings! : D
helped alot though thnx
[..YouTube..] hehehehe he said different fingerings! : D
helped alot though thnx
[..YouTube..] actually owenstuckey, im pretty sure it should be 5-8 5-7 5-7 5-7 5-8 5-8, 90% sure.
[..YouTube..] actually owenstuckey, im pretty sure it should be 5-8 5-7 5-7 5-7 5-8 5-8, 90% sure.
[..YouTube..] i have a question. when you were talking about making big stretches shouldnt u just use your pinky?
[..YouTube..] i have a question. when you were talking about making big stretches shouldnt u just use your pinky?
[..YouTube..] From a previous comment of John’s on this thread,
“Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” thakns, John H ”
So in other words learn to do both.
-jc
[..YouTube..] Man o man…this guy is goooooooodddd!!!!
Thanks for the great tutorial! A born teacher and guitarist. Loved it.
[..YouTube..] Man o man…this guy is goooooooodddd!!!!
Thanks for the great tutorial! A born teacher and guitarist. Loved it.
[..YouTube..] Hey John, just wanted to say that this lesson is awesome!! I never felt so much fun playing guitar until learning what you’ve showed here! Lots of thanks!!
[..YouTube..] Hey John, just wanted to say that this lesson is awesome!! I never felt so much fun playing guitar until learning what you’ve showed here! Lots of thanks!!
[..YouTube..] ok thank you
[..YouTube..] ok thank you
[..YouTube..] ok i’ve beeing playing for a year now and i’ve just been learning songs and some basic stuff and i had herd about pentatonic scales before but what exactly are they use for? why do need to learn them?
[..YouTube..] ok i’ve beeing playing for a year now and i’ve just been learning songs and some basic stuff and i had herd about pentatonic scales before but what exactly are they use for? why do need to learn them?
[..YouTube..] See John’s lesson “scales vs riffs” which answers your question. Or better yet start at the beginning and go through all the lessons in order. That can be done either on the website or playlists on YouTube.
-jc
[..YouTube..] alright thanks.
[..YouTube..] pentatonic scales are commonly used for soloing
[..YouTube..] pentatonic scales are commonly used for soloing
[..YouTube..] yeah i think so too
[..YouTube..] scales are used to create solos. They are meant to help you improvise.
[..YouTube..] mate you are a fukn guiter legend thnks
[..YouTube..] mate you are a fukn guiter legend thnks
[..YouTube..] Thanks for this, I have seen about three different versions of the Am pentatonnic scale, are there different versions? or the other one’s are wrong!
[..YouTube..] Thanks for this, I have seen about three different versions of the Am pentatonnic scale, are there different versions? or the other one’s are wrong!
[..YouTube..] very good lesson
[..YouTube..] i spent months learning to use pinky for the 4 fret stre3tches.bummer man
[..YouTube..] John uses the pinky sometimes. Look at his video “seven positions of major (diatonic) scale”, or some of the guitar review videos we recently posted where he plays heavy metal type riffs. He just doesn’t always use his pinky, especially when bending notes playing the blues.
Your effort was not wasted.
-jc
[..YouTube..] i found your johnhguitar website after posting and noticed he was using pinky in pent shapes like me so nice one…excellent videos by the way.thanks
[..YouTube..] There’s only one A minor pentatonic scale but there are several different ways to play it. There’s lots of different fingerings. Try and study as many as you can…..John H
[..YouTube..] thanks i’ve looked into it more, and this one is right! so thanks for that! looks like i need to re learn it,
[..YouTube..] thanks i’ve looked into it more, and this one is right! so thanks for that! looks like i need to re learn it,
[..YouTube..] This is brilliant - clear & quick. Thanks alot
[..YouTube..] u suck then
[..YouTube..] Actually I use my little finger for speed riffs and my third finger bending notes. I don’t like bending with the little finger so I use the third finger a lot more…..John
[..YouTube..] Actually I use my little finger for speed riffs and my third finger bending notes. I don’t like bending with the little finger so I use the third finger a lot more…..John
[..YouTube..] so all those ^ can be put together in the same piece?
[..YouTube..] thank you.now when im going through the modes ill be able to kno wher the pentatonic notes are
[..YouTube..] this is brilliant! very clearly explained and easy to understand. cheers
[..YouTube..] this is brilliant! very clearly explained and easy to understand. cheers
[..YouTube..] Overall a good lesson,
BUT I saw no use of the pinkie finger. I have always used 1 finger per fret. Using pinkie finger will build speed and lessen hand movement. What do you think?
[..YouTube..] This has been covered in several previous comments on this thread, here’s one:
“Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” [thanks], John H”
-jc
[..YouTube..] This has been covered in several previous comments on this thread, here’s one:
“Most people don’t bend notes with their pinky (fourth) finger so for the common blues and rock styles you need to get in the habit of using your third finger instead. I know it looks limiting but we’re not trying to be a pyro type of guitarist with this stuff. For the guitarist that wants advanced fingerings using the pinky look at my “Seven Positions of the Diatonic Major Scale” [thanks], John H”
-jc
[..YouTube..] why not use the pinky finger for the fourth house?
[..YouTube..] So. All those 5 positions you showed, is all A-minor scales. Does that mean that D, F, E etc. all have 5 scales? And is there any comparison between how and where all tones are played?
[..YouTube..] That’s been my question for about 2 months now.. and I still don’t understand it :S…
[..YouTube..] The 5 positions shown are all the same scale, the A minor pentatonic, played in different places on the fretboard.
The keys of D, F, E, etc., also have 5 positions that would be played in different places.
So as an example, consider the G minor pentatonic. Position 1 would start on fret 3 of the low E string instead of the 5th fret; position 2 would start on fret 6 instead of the 8th fret; pos 3 would start on the 8th fret of the low E string instead of the 10th fret.
-jc
[..YouTube..] See my reply to quarbon.
[..YouTube..] See my reply to quarbon.
[..YouTube..] thanks a lot man, that really helped me a lot. Do you have a movie that demonstrates the .. positions of the major scale?
[..YouTube..] There are videos for both the major pentatonic and major diatonic. The major pentatonic has 5 notes just like the minor pentatonic, but the major diatonic scale has 7notes. If you meant the major diatonic which is usually just referred to as the major scale:
There are 2 videos that go over the major scale, one with 5 positions and one with 7 positions. John recommends you learn the one with 7 positions, 3 notes per string. It’s called “seven positions of major (diatonic) scale”. CONT. >>>
[..YouTube..] There are videos for both the major pentatonic and major diatonic. The major pentatonic has 5 notes just like the minor pentatonic, but the major diatonic scale has 7notes. If you meant the major diatonic which is usually just referred to as the major scale:
There are 2 videos that go over the major scale, one with 5 positions and one with 7 positions. John