Wow I am not sure where to start on this one – we covered a bunch of stuff tonight, I’ve really got my work cut out for me. I guess I will start with pentatonic scales since that is the bulk of what we covered. There are really only 5 shapes that cover all pentatonic scales – learning them will be the tough part.

Tonight we covered starting with an E root note for the scales – acknowledging that simply shifting the root note up or down the neck totally changes what scale you’re playing – and based on where you start the shape changes weather it is a Major or Minor Pentatonic…fun stuff even though a bit heady.

so 5 shapes.

Shape One: (for the E pentatonic the root notes on this are simply the open strings)

Shape 2:

Shape 3:

Shape 4:

Shape 5:

The sixth shape to complete the octave is really just the first shape played again.

A couple of noteworthy things here.

1. The back notes of one pentatonic are the front notes of the previous – they all fit together much like a puzzle (a really really complicated puzzle)
2. Here’s where it gets really heady – the root note separates the major from the minor so on shape one for example – playing the open E string first makes the scale an E Minor Pentatonic – Playing the G note on the E string (3rd fret) first makes it an E major pentatonic

We also dealt with writing the scales out tonight – all 12 of them – but I need to wrap my head around that one a bit more before I dive into trying to”explain” it.  So stay tuned for the “Guitar Lesson 3a” post.

Ran across

this link after posting – worth checking out.

This week I am to build on the C-Major Scale that we addressed last week.  Last week was to be played in quarter, half, and full notes – this week we add eighth notes via “perfect alternate picking”.  The pick is to continually move up and down – never up twice – never down twice.  By the end of the week, I should be able to tap my foot, keep rhythm and have the pick move up as my foot moves up – the pick move down as my foot moves down.  Sounds easy…it’s not!

In addition we covered the G Major Pentatonic scale:

|----------------------0-3--|
|------------------0-3------|
|--------------0-2----------|
|----------0-2--------------|
|------0-2------------------|
|--0-3----------------------|

And how based on which root note is started with (the 0 or 3 on the low E string) this pattern can either be a G Major Pentatonic or an E minor pentatonic scale. I believe that it has to do with the notes that are played and how they correspond to the notes played within the chord (G Major or E minor). I will find out next week for sure.

My first guitar lesson was last night.  I am getting over my issues with taking a “class”, having “homework”, and feeling like a dork since I have no earthly idea why I want to play the guitar in the first place.  – Enough about all of that, done venting.

So obviously the best place to start any journey is at the beginning – and I am not very good so baby steps suit me just fine.  Last night we went over the C Major Scale

|------------------------------0-1-3--|
|------------------------0-1-3--------|
|--------------------0-2--------------|
|--------------0-2-3------------------|
|--------0-2-3------------------------|
|--0-1-3------------------------------|

My challenge this week is to:

1. learn the scale (doing alright on this)
2. learn to play it on the whole, half & quarter notes
3. learn to play it to a metronome – optional (who are we kidding – - I’ll make myself do this)