Pentatonic trainer

The five pentatonic boxes in any key, how each joins the next, and a backing track that walks you through them.

The pentatonic scale is the first scale most guitarists learn, and the one they keep using: five notes, two on every string, in five box shapes that cover the neck. This trainer shows each box in any key, minor or major, with the root notes picked out and the finger for every note, so you learn the shape and where the roots sit inside it.

Then it shows how the boxes join. “Box 1 → 2” puts two neighbouring boxes on the neck together: the notes they share are marked, and the route up plays box 1, slides up one string into box 2 and finishes there. Learning those joins is what turns five separate shapes into one map of the neck. “Whole neck” shows all five joined.

Add the blue note (♭5 in minor, ♭3 in major) to turn the pentatonic into the blues scale. Play any box up, down and in patterns at your own tempo, with each note lighting up as it sounds.

Then play with a band: drums, bass and rhythm guitar from the backing track engine, in the same key, in a blues, rock, funk, country or pop style. Turn on “Move to the next box” and the trainer moves you up a box every few bars, in time, so you practise travelling the neck the way you will when you solo.

How to use it

  1. Pick a key (A minor is the classic) and Minor or Major.
  2. Learn box 1: play it with Play box 1, slowly, until you can play it without looking.
  3. Start the backing track and improvise inside box 1.
  4. Pick “Box 1 → 2” and learn how they join, then box 2.
  5. Turn on “Move to the next box” every 4 bars to travel the whole neck.

Common questions

What are the 5 pentatonic positions?

Five box shapes, each starting on a different note of the scale on the 6th string. Together they cover the whole neck, and the fifth joins back onto the first 12 frets higher.

Are minor and major pentatonic shapes the same?

Yes: A minor and C major pentatonic share the same five notes and the same five shapes. Only the root changes, so box 1 of A minor is box 2 of C major.

What is the blue note?

The ♭5 in the minor pentatonic (or ♭3 in the major). Add it and you have the blues scale. It is a passing note: slide or bend through it.

How long does it take to learn all five boxes?

With ten minutes a day, most players know one box a week. Learn the joins as you go, and the whole neck comes together in about a month.

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