Major Scale Recap

The character of a scale is shaped by the intervals between its notes. For a major scale the pattern is:

W = Whole-tone and H = Half-tone

Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic scale is created by removing the 4th and 7th notes from the major scale, leaving you with the root, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th.

This elimination of the fourth and seventh notes removes intervals that can create dissonance within major chord progressions. For instance, the fourth and seventh may don't always harmonise well with certain chords, illustrating that being diatonic doesn't guarantee consonance; compatibility depends on the scale and context.

By omitting these potentially problematic notes, it becomes highly versatile and compatible with most major contexts. This makes the pentatonic scale a reliable choice, minimising the risk of error and ensuring that the notes played are harmonically sound.

Building on CAGED shapes

The major pentatonic scale can be viewed as a major triad - the 1-3-5 combinations of the CAGED shapes you learned in the last section - plus a 2nd and a 6th. This proximity to a major chord enhances its usefulness in navigating the pentatonic scale.

The inclusion of the 2nd and 6th adds colour and tension, enriching the harmony without causing dissonance. These notes, while introducing a sense of longing or resolution, do not clash with the fundamental triad, blending smoothly into the overall sound. While playing a pentatonic scale nearly guarantees avoiding incorrect notes, achieving the exact note you desire on each chord requires a higher level of precision and intentionality.

C pentatonic shapes

Let's run through the CAGED system and marry that up with the 5 pentatonic shapes across the fretboard. You will see that we take the 1st, 3rd, 5th the C shape chord and then add 2nd and 6ths and the other surrounding 1st, 3rd and 5ths.

The C shape

The A shape

The G shape

The E shape

The D shape

You've now reached one of the first major milestones of why learning the CAGED system opens up the guitar fretboard and gets you out of the box. This method aims to tightly link chords with pentatonic scales—major chords with major pentatonic scales—always keeping track of where your root note is. This approach contrasts with most guitarists who learn shapes as isolated boxes, often losing track of context and the root, third, and fifth.

Avoid relying solely on boxed shapes for pentatonic scales, or any scale, as they often prevent you from understanding the chord tones and intervals you're playing. These boxes lack meaningful association, trapping players in a cycle of returning to familiar shapes without truly understanding their placement on the fretboard.

It's time to internalise these shapes! Onto the exercises.