Finding Major And Minor Pentatonics From The Sixth String

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Want that gritty, blues-soaked lead tone that just works over almost anything? We walk through the simple logic behind the pentatonic scale and show how one movable shape can unlock both minor bite and major sweetness without drowning you in theory. Starting from the sixth string as your map, we find the root note you need, drop the classic first-position box, and get practical with clear fingerings that help your hands memorize the pattern fast.

We dig into why minor pentatonic often sounds great over major chord progressions, the hallmark of blues and rock phrasing. Rather than memorizing dozens of scales, you’ll learn to trust a single pattern you can slide to any key—A today, G tomorrow—while keeping your focus on timing, bends, and tone. Along the way, we connect the dots between relative major and minor so you understand how one shape can serve two flavors depending on which notes you target and how you phrase your lines.

By the end, you’ll know the exact fret positions for A minor pentatonic, the one-four and one-three finger groupings to keep your technique clean, and the quick method for shifting the box anywhere on the neck. You’ll also hear why those “wrong” notes create the right kind of tension that defines rock and blues, plus simple phrasing moves—slides, bends, and call-and-response—to turn a scale into a melody. Grab your guitar, find your sixth-string root, and put these ideas to work on your next solo.

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