Lesson 29 · Part 5, The whole neck

Major and minor, chord by chord

Play the major pentatonic over the I and the minor over the IV and the V, and the two scales together sound like one voice that knows the changes.

The last lesson left you holding a note that wanted to move. This one is the answer players actually use: change scale when the chord changes. Both scales are shapes you know, three frets apart, and the switch is a move your hand already makes.

The major pentatonic, bar by bar

1A72A73A74A75D76D77A78A79E710D711A712E7A1A rests over A7A rests over A7A rests over A7A rests over A7A rests over D7A rests over D7A rests over A7A rests over A7A leans onto G♯ over E7A rests over D7A rests over A7A leans onto G♯ over E7B2B passes through over A7B passes through over A7B passes through over A7B passes through over A7B passes through over D7B passes through over D7B passes through over A7B passes through over A7B rests over E7B passes through over D7B passes through over A7B rests over E7Cin D7C sits outside over A7C sits outside over A7C sits outside over A7C sits outside over A7C is the chord’s own note over D7C is the chord’s own note over D7C sits outside over A7C sits outside over A7C sits outside over E7C is the chord’s own note over D7C sits outside over A7C sits outside over E7C♯3C♯ rests over A7C♯ rests over A7C♯ rests over A7C♯ rests over A7C♯ leans onto C over D7C♯ leans onto C over D7C♯ rests over A7C♯ rests over A7C♯ passes through over E7C♯ leans onto C over D7C♯ rests over A7C♯ passes through over E7Din D7, E7D sits outside over A7D sits outside over A7D sits outside over A7D sits outside over A7D is the chord’s own note over D7D is the chord’s own note over D7D sits outside over A7D sits outside over A7D is the chord’s own note over E7D is the chord’s own note over D7D sits outside over A7D is the chord’s own note over E7E5E rests over A7E rests over A7E rests over A7E rests over A7E passes through over D7E passes through over D7E rests over A7E rests over A7E rests over E7E passes through over D7E rests over A7E rests over E7F♯6F♯ passes through over A7F♯ passes through over A7F♯ passes through over A7F♯ passes through over A7F♯ rests over D7F♯ rests over D7F♯ passes through over A7F♯ passes through over A7F♯ passes through over E7F♯ rests over D7F♯ passes through over A7F♯ passes through over E7Gin A7G is the chord’s own note over A7G is the chord’s own note over A7G is the chord’s own note over A7G is the chord’s own note over A7G sits outside over D7G sits outside over D7G is the chord’s own note over A7G is the chord’s own note over A7G sits outside over E7G sits outside over D7G is the chord’s own note over A7G sits outside over E7G♯in E7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over D7G♯ sits outside over D7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ is the chord’s own note over E7G♯ sits outside over D7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ is the chord’s own note over E7

A rests over A7 A rests over A7 A rests over A7 A rests over A7 A rests over D7 A rests over D7 A rests over A7 A rests over A7 A leans onto G♯ over E7 A rests over D7 A rests over A7 A leans onto G♯ over E7

Read along the A row: it rests over A7, rests over D7 and leans onto G♯ over E7. A filled disc is a note you can stop on, a smaller one passes through, a tick under it leans onto the note below, a diamond is a note the chord has and the scale does not and a small dot is a note that belongs to neither.

The minor pentatonic, the same bars

1A72A73A74A75D76D77A78A79E710D711A712E7A1A rests over A7A rests over A7A rests over A7A rests over A7A rests over D7A rests over D7A rests over A7A rests over A7A leans onto G♯ over E7A rests over D7A rests over A7A leans onto G♯ over E7Bin E7B sits outside over A7B sits outside over A7B sits outside over A7B sits outside over A7B sits outside over D7B sits outside over D7B sits outside over A7B sits outside over A7B is the chord’s own note over E7B sits outside over D7B sits outside over A7B is the chord’s own note over E7C♭3C bends up over A7C bends up over A7C bends up over A7C bends up over A7C rests over D7C rests over D7C bends up over A7C bends up over A7C leans onto B over E7C rests over D7C bends up over A7C leans onto B over E7C♯in A7C♯ is the chord’s own note over A7C♯ is the chord’s own note over A7C♯ is the chord’s own note over A7C♯ is the chord’s own note over A7C♯ sits outside over D7C♯ sits outside over D7C♯ is the chord’s own note over A7C♯ is the chord’s own note over A7C♯ sits outside over E7C♯ sits outside over D7C♯ is the chord’s own note over A7C♯ sits outside over E7D4D leans onto C♯ over A7D leans onto C♯ over A7D leans onto C♯ over A7D leans onto C♯ over A7D rests over D7D rests over D7D leans onto C♯ over A7D leans onto C♯ over A7D rests over E7D rests over D7D leans onto C♯ over A7D rests over E7E5E rests over A7E rests over A7E rests over A7E rests over A7E passes through over D7E passes through over D7E rests over A7E rests over A7E rests over E7E passes through over D7E rests over A7E rests over E7F♯in D7F♯ sits outside over A7F♯ sits outside over A7F♯ sits outside over A7F♯ sits outside over A7F♯ is the chord’s own note over D7F♯ is the chord’s own note over D7F♯ sits outside over A7F♯ sits outside over A7F♯ sits outside over E7F♯ is the chord’s own note over D7F♯ sits outside over A7F♯ sits outside over E7G♭7G rests over A7G rests over A7G rests over A7G rests over A7G leans onto F♯ over D7G leans onto F♯ over D7G rests over A7G rests over A7G bends up over E7G leans onto F♯ over D7G rests over A7G bends up over E7G♯in E7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over D7G♯ sits outside over D7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ is the chord’s own note over E7G♯ sits outside over D7G♯ sits outside over A7G♯ is the chord’s own note over E7

C bends up over A7 C bends up over A7 C bends up over A7 C bends up over A7 C rests over D7 C rests over D7 C bends up over A7 C bends up over A7 C leans onto B over E7 C rests over D7 C bends up over A7 C leans onto B over E7

Read along the C row: it bends up over A7, rests over D7 and leans onto B over E7. A filled disc is a note you can stop on, a smaller one passes through, a tick under it leans onto the note below, a tick over it bends up into the note above, a diamond is a note the chord has and the scale does not and a small dot is a note that belongs to neither.

Two scores, one form. Compare the first four bars: the major pentatonic is mostly at rest and the minor is where the blue third lives. Then compare bar five, where the major pentatonic starts leaning and the minor settles. That is the trade, and it is why players move between them rather than choosing one.

Making the switch

The simplest version is two positions and one rule: major pentatonic over the first four bars, minor from bar five to the end. Play it that way until the change of hand position stops being a decision. Then start switching later — hold the major into bar five and move on the second beat, which sounds like a player catching the chord rather than obeying it.

The two scales share the root and the fifth — A and E in this key — and those two notes are where a phrase can cross from one to the other without anyone hearing the join. It is the same trick as moving between boxes, one scale over.

This lesson was drafted with the help of AI, so it may contain a mistake. Its diagrams are drawn by Everyfret’s own software. How Everyfret is made