Blues Guitar Scales, Pentatonics & What Your Need To Know
If you're here looking to learn about pentatonic and/or blues guitar scales, you're in the right place. In this article I'm going to give you all 5 shapes that you need to play killer solos with your blues guitar scales and also, point you in the direction of some cool freebie downloads that will make your guitar playing life 100 times easier. There are some essential nuggets of information in here that you need to know, so do make sure you read the whole article, I wouldn't want you to miss out and end up wasting your practice time.
There is a problem you need to be aware of when it comes to studying blues guitar scales online. You can find information on pretty much anything with a google search but, how do you piece it all together? What should you work on first and how should you work on them? Well, stick with me and I'm gonna fill you in on exactly what you need to know.
The first step on the ladder when learning blues guitar scales is to learn the 5 pentatonic scale patterns. If you came here looking to learn the blues scale, please don't worry, with a tiny (and I mean tiny) change, you can convert the pentatonic scale into the full blown blues scale with minimal effort. For the sake of keeping things simple to start with,
we're going to cover the scale shapes in the key of Aminor. Again, once you're proficient in playing any given guitar scale in one key, it's actually pretty simple to switch it up into any of the twelve keys. So, if you want to master your blues guitar scales here are the five shapes you're going to need to begin with, starting at the 5th fret on the low E string...
Blues Guitar Scales Step 1 - The Pentatonic Scale in Am
Now, you don't have to cram these into your brain right now. In a moment, I'm going to show you where you can download some pentatonic scale charts, that you can download and print out. They also shows you how to convert any of the pentatonic scales into any of the blues guitar scales, so be sure to read on.
Here are the same scale shapes presented in tab format.
So, now you can see all 5 pentatonic scale patterns. What's the next step on your journey to master the blues guitar scales? You must practice them until you can walk up and down each pattern without having to think about it. Now I know that might seem like a tall order but trust me, repetition is the key here. Take one pattern at a time and test yourself. Remember, in a bit, I'll be giving you access to a free PDF chart which you can print out and use on your music stand. So make sure you use that, it'll make your life so much easier.
Blues Guitar Scales Step 2 - Super Fast Practice!
Here's a short practice drill that will have you running up and down the neck in super quick time.
1.Practice walking up and down pattern one 5 times in a row, without stopping. It's essential to use the practice sheet to help you avoid any mistakes.
2.Turn the sheet over and try to repeat the pattern another 5 times from memory. Chances are, you'll make the odd mistake at first but don't be discouraged. Simply repeat this process until you can play the shape flawlessly.
3.Repeat the above process for each of the 5 pentatonic scale patterns.
Trust me, if you use that practice drill, combined with the pentatonic scale 'cheat sheet' I'm about to give you, you'll have these blues guitar scales memorised and perfected in no time at all.
Blues Guitar Scales Step 3 - The Next Step!
Now, what most people don't tell you is, these five pentatonic patterns can form the foundation of every blues guitar solo you ever play. You don't just have to stick with the sound they create, by adding a couple of notes to each pattern, you can in effect create pretty much any of the popular blues guitar scales used in blues and rock. It's so much easier to learn these five pentatonic shapes, then add a note or two to access other sounds than it is to learn 100 different shapes. That's how important this lesson is!
Blues Guitar Scales Step 4 - The Tools You Need!
Finally, I want to point you in the direction of some tools that will really help you progress nice and quickly. I've put together two freebies that will help you get to grips with your pentatonic and blues guitar scales in super quick time.
First is a tuition video that will teach you how to double the effectiveness of the scale and create some awesome sounds with it. In my career as a guitar teacher, 90% of my students hadn't come across this method before. It's something you can use instantly with zero effort. Players like Keith Richards, BB King and Eric Clapton love this method.
Also, I've put together a pentatonic and blues guitar scales 'cheat sheet' for you, which you can download and print out. It teaches you all 5 patterns of the pentatonic and shows you how you can convert it into the blues scale with next to no effort. I'm all about giving away these cool little instant tips, that can help push your playing forwards without having to grind away with hours and hours of practice.
If you'd like to speed up your blues guitar scales journey, watch the video and download your copy of the pentatonic cheat sheet now.
Blues Guitar Scales Step 5 - Click The Link Below!
Download your Free Printable Pentatonic Scale Cheat Sheet and Get Access To The Pentatonic Video Lesson...
