First Lesson: Pentatonic Boxes

Before you start checking out this picture and wondering what the hell I'm thinking, please read through for a little while.

Alrighty y'all here we go:

See if you fit this description: You know your pentatonic scale. Hell, you even know all 5 positions of the scale, but whenever you try to use the scale to solo, you don't know how to use all the different positions, and for the most part you stick with position 1. Or maybe you can use different parts of the scale, but you're not great with going from one to another quickly. What you end up with is a solo that is cool, but it just doesn't go anywhere.

This lesson should help you be able to move around the neck a lot more easily in the pentatonic, and give you a new way of thinking about how to use different parts of the neck. Instead of thinking of the 5 positions of the pentatonic scales, I think of it in 2 sets of boxes (with a bass, mid, and treble box in each set), and then 1 more box that bridges the 2 sets. The reason I don't like thinking of the 5 positions is because there's a buncha spots on the neck you're not going to use very often, so getting hung up on them is a waste of time. Plus it doesn't help you understand going from low to high or vice versa in a solo very well. My boxes are very much based on the extended pentatonic scale, so if you know that you've got a leg up. If not, it couldn't hurt to go check it out. The extended pentatonic scale is another way to bridge together different positions, but it's a little stripped down compared to what I'm teaching.

Alright now right click the picture and open it in another tab or window so that you can read this and check out the picture at the same time.

So theres 2 sets of boxes like I mentioned. The reason there are 2 sets is because one set is basically the extended pentatonic scale starting from the low E and the other is basically the same scale starting from the A. The red "bridge box" connects the 2 sets, and basically connects the 2 extended scales.

Now why did I split the boxes up the way I did? Each time you go into a new box you're gonna have to slide your hand up or down the neck (kinda like with positions). For each of these boxes, your pointer finger will be on the lowest fret, your middle finger on the next fret, and your ring finger on the next. The fret after that? I usually use my ring finger for that one too because it's a lot easier to bend strings with your ring finger than your pinky, and I'm a bender. Some times I'll use my pinky, but that's usually for when I'm doing licks with pull-offs.

Now, there's a whole lot more to be said about this system of boxes, but for now I just wanted to get this out there. In the future I'll do lessons about licks to do in different boxes, licks to transition between boxes, the different degrees of the scale, notes that aren't in the boxes, etc. These boxes are kinda like a foundation to build from, so hopefully you can get a good grasp of this and that'll help with other stuff I'll write about.

Comment if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!