Minor Pentatonic Scale on Guitar: Play Your First Solo

The minor pentatonic scale is the go-to starting point for guitar solos. Rock, blues, soul and funk players all lean on it, and it's easy to learn. You can play your first solo with just one shape.

This guide covers the notes, the fingering and a few simple ways to make the scale sound like music instead of an exercise.

What is the minor pentatonic scale?

Pentatonic means "five notes". The minor pentatonic scale takes five notes from the full minor scale and leaves out two that can sound tense. That's why it works over so many chords.

The notes in A minor pentatonic are A, C, D, E and G. In any key, the scale uses the root, flat third, fourth, fifth and flat seventh.

The A minor pentatonic scale: box one

Start with the shape at the fifth fret. It's the most popular position on the neck, so it makes a solid home base.

Here are the notes, string by string, starting from the thickest:

• Low E string: frets 5 and 8
• A string: frets 5 and 7
• D string: frets 5 and 7
• G string: frets 5 and 7
• B string: frets 5 and 8
• High E string: frets 5 and 8

Use your index finger for fret 5, your ring finger for fret 7 and your pinky for fret 8. Play the shape slowly up the strings, then back down. Listen for a clean, even sound.

Next, find the root notes. A sits on fret 5 of the low E string, fret 7 of the D string and fret 5 of the high E string. These notes sound like home in a solo, so get to know them.

How do you move the minor pentatonic scale to other keys?

The shape is movable. Find your root note on the low E string, then place your index finger on it. The rest of the box follows. Whatever that first note is (root note), is the key of the scale.

• Root on fret 3: G minor pentatonic
• Root on fret 5: A minor pentatonic
• Root on fret 7: B minor pentatonic
• Root on fret 8: C minor pentatonic
• Root on fret 10: D minor pentatonic

Easy ways to start soloing with the minor pentatonic scale

Running up and down the scale is good practice, but it isn't a solo yet. Try these ideas to turn the notes into phrases.

1. Choose a backing track. Pick a slow A minor or minor blues track. A steady groove gives your notes something to land on.
2. Use only two or three notes. Make a short phrase and repeat it. Then change one note.
3. End on the root. Finishing a phrase on A sounds settled and satisfying.
4. Leave space. Silence is part of the solo. Think of it as a singer taking a breath.
5. Add a bend. Bend the note at fret 7 on the G string up by a tone. It lands on E, another note in the scale.

Keep time with a metronome or backing track while you do this. My post on why timing matters so much explains how to build it.

Which chords does the minor pentatonic scale work over?

A minor pentatonic fits A minor chords perfectly. It's also a staple over blues in A, including the classic 12-bar blues.

Here's a neat extra. The same five notes also form the C major pentatonic scale. Play over a C major chord and lean on C instead of A. You'll hear the same notes take on a brighter mood.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Playing the scale like a ladder instead of making short phrases
• Rushing, which turns clean notes into a blur
• Ignoring the beat of the backing track
• Staying in one box forever (there are five boxes to learn over time)

Where to go next with the minor pentatonic scale

Once box one feels natural, learn the other four boxes one at a time. A warm-up routine from my free guitar exercises post will keep your fingers loose and accurate.

For listening, try B.B. King's Live at the Regal. It's a masterclass in saying a lot with a few notes, and I explain why in my post on the best blues album of all time.