D F G A C 1 b3 4 5 b7 5 boxes Box 1 at frets 10-13
The minor pentatonic is the first scale most guitarists learn for soloing: five notes, two per string, and the backbone of rock, blues and metal lead guitar. Box 1, with the root under the index finger, is the shape everybody starts with. On the guitar it falls into 5 boxes. Box 1 starts on the root, frets 10-13. The root D is at fret 10 on the low E string and fret 5 on the A string.
e|-------------------------------10-13-| B|-------------------------10-13-------| G|-------------------10-12-------------| D|-------------10-12-------------------| A|-------10-12-------------------------| E|-10-13-------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------13-15-| B|-------------------------13-15-------| G|-------------------12-14-------------| D|-------------12-15-------------------| A|-------12-15-------------------------| E|-13-15-------------------------------|
e|---------------------3-5-| B|-----------------3-6-----| G|-------------2-5---------| D|---------3-5-------------| A|-----3-5-----------------| E|-3-5---------------------|
e|---------------------5-8-| B|-----------------6-8-----| G|-------------5-7---------| D|---------5-7-------------| A|-----5-8-----------------| E|-5-8---------------------|
e|--------------------------8-10-| B|---------------------8-10------| G|----------------7-10-----------| D|-----------7-10----------------| A|------8-10---------------------| E|-8-10--------------------------|
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right), frets numbered on the left. Magenta dots are the root, D. The tab under each diagram plays the position from its lowest note to its highest; play it back down the same way.
The boxes above are slices of this map. They overlap: the highest notes of one are the lowest notes of the next, so once you know two neighbours you can slide from one to the other along a string.
5 notes: D F G A C. In whole (W) and half (H) steps: W+H W W W+H W. With no half steps between its notes, nothing in it sounds wrong against the chords of the key.
| Note | Degree | Interval from the root | Half steps | Fret on the low E string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | Root | 0 | 10 |
| F | b3 | Minor 3rd | 3 | 1 |
| G | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 | 3 |
| A | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | 5 |
| C | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | 8 |
Learn Box 1 until you can play it without looking, then add Box 2 above it. Bend the 4th up to the 5th and the minor 7th up to the root: those two bends are the sound of rock guitar.
Same notes, another root: F major pentatonic. The shapes on the neck are the same; only the note you start and end on changes.
The blues scale adds one note, the flat five, between the 4th and the 5th. Compare the two: D blues.
Set the tempo low, play each position up and down with the button above, then try it yourself at the same speed. Raise the tempo by 4 BPM only when it is clean.
Going up: D, F, G, A, C, then D an octave higher. Its formula is 1 b3 4 5 b7.
Start with box 1, frets 10-13: the root D is under your finger 1 on the low E string. Play two notes on each string (three where the blue note falls), from the low E to the high E, then back down. The diagrams and tabs on this page show all 5 boxes.
On the low E string at fret 10, on the A string at fret 5. Those two root notes anchor most scale positions and barre chords.
The blues scale adds one note, the flat five, between the 4th and the 5th.
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