Minor pentatonic scale: all 5 positions
The five box shapes of the minor pentatonic scale, shown in A. Learn them one at a time, then link them up the neck.
The 5 positions of A minor pentatonic
Open the scale to hear each position and loop it.
Printed
Start with position 1
Position 1 is the box most players learn first. In A it sits between the 5th and 8th frets, with the root under your first finger on the low E string. Play it up and down until you can do it without looking.
Each position overlaps the next. The right side of one box is the left side of the next, so you can slide from one to the other mid-solo.
Play it in any key
The shapes don't change between keys. Find the root of your key on the low E string and start position 1 there. For E minor that is the open string or the 12th fret. For G minor, the 3rd fret.
The same notes make the relative major pentatonic. A minor pentatonic has the same notes as C major pentatonic, so these five boxes cover both.
