COOL Pentatonic Trick EVERY Guitarist Should Know

Here's a cool pentatonic trick that every guitarist should know - and this lesson just might change your playing FOREVER!
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Want to shred over chord progressions but overwhelmed by complex scales? This lesson unlocks the power of pentatonic scales for soloing! Go beyond the "one-scale-fits-all" approach. Learn how to switch pentatonic scales to perfectly match each chord, and explore the connection between pentatonic scales, triads, and chord tone soloing. We'll also show you killer practice exercises that will have you soloing like a pro in no time! This video is perfect for guitarists of all levels looking to take their soloing to the next level!
Backing track by the always fantastic Elevated Jam Tracks - Full Digital Discography Vol 3!
0:00 - 0:40 Intro
0:41 - 1:35 Explanation and Playthrough
1:36 - 3:05 Changing Your Perspective on Pentatonics
3:06 - 6:36 Theory Breakdown - Matching Scales and Chords
6:37 - 11:40 Practice Exercise 1 - Switching Scales in All 5 Boxes
11:41 - 13:00 Practice Variation 2 - Descending Scale Patterns
13:01 - 13:58 Practice Variation 3 - Alternating Between Ascending and Descending
13:59 - 15:37 Practice Variation 4 - Shifting Positions for Each Chord Change
15:38 - 22:59 Writing Licks - The Importance of Highlighting Chord Tones
23:00 - 23:33 Recommendations

[@Myguitar-951]

I have to say ive learnt more from you in two days than years of other youtubers, you really explain it so well, and ive been playing a few years, but have been a bit stuck on a few things your videos are great, thank you so much keep up the good work....

[@bobbdobb2876]

been playin 55 years yety still striving for the connection with really knowing what the hell im doin..It is rocket science to me!

[@Apodicticus]

Rocket science is easy. Rocket ENGINEERING gets tricky.

[@akathecops]

Back before the turn of the century we ordered each lesson out of the back of mad magazine or Rolling Stone. We wore out that book then sold it to the next guy. You players now have the world at your fingertips and some use it to grow. To be a better player. Most will watch cat videos. 😢 Thank you for this lesson.

[@redbloodedamerican2346]

Got mine from guitar world in the 90s and had to save up money to get strings. Beg my parents for a ride to the music store for strings. A month later they'd take me. Had been playing all that month with no high E string lol. How times have changes. Order online

[@danobrien8407]

It’s crazy that I found this lesson, I’m just figuring this stuff out over the last couple of months but I wasn’t 100% sure I was doing it correct. Thanks for the affirmation and great explanation. Now to really get it locked in.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

I love hearing that!! Go crush it!! 🎸🔥🎶

[@hansfriesen8971]

Very good reminder as to why knowing the whole fretboard brings freedom 👍

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Exactly!! 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@andrestrat]

this video is like finding a gold mine! maybe an end to my forever using one single minor penta on a full song....Thank you.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

That’s awesome! So glad it’s something you can use 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@Kazi_Tamaddun]

I wait for your video every week ❤ I will sit down with my strat to practice this tomorrow. Thank you, sir!

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

So cool! Thanks for the support and best of luck with your playing 🎸🎸🎶🎶

[@lifestyle.hobbies]

thanks for your great sharing!❤

[@FirstLast-nn2bj]

Charlie - good lesson! Awesome!

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for taking time to comment! 🎸🎸🎶

[@hitesh_blues2353]

Every single exercise was an AHA moment for me! I have been wondering for a long time now about how to change soloing in relation with the chord changes. You just made it absolutely clear for me. Thank you very much 😀 liked and subscribed!!!

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

What a great comment. Thanks for letting me know!!!

[@BK-lx5mo]

I also have a Tim Jauernig Kollmanation pedal (just under his left hand in closeups). Love it.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Great catch!! Love Tim’s pedals and have a few different ones…guess he quit the biz??? Too bad!

[@jbin2756]

Great video....Thank you. Great lessob

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thank you for watching 🎸🎶🔥

[@Web4Panama]

That’s a great lesson. Cheers.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Awesome - so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@servantoyea9272]

This is an awsome lesson. Thank you

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for the great comment. Glad you enjoyed it!! 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@jansafranek2212]

Great Lesson 🎸

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thank you!! Glad you liked it 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@haroldkingsumaway7228]

Thanks for this!👍👍👍

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for watching and commenting!! 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@SRHMusic012]

Good stuff. What's cool is the pentatonics for diatonic chords are all diatonic (somewhat obviously), but when you realize all these notes are from the key, you see we can mix in runs, slides, etc. using other chord tones. Triads and pentatonics are good to focus on, too, to really know where the chord tines are. Cheers

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Great comment! All the best with your playing!!

[@Porkchop975]

This is a solid video with content that has a lot of mileage. I’m going to incorporate this practice method into my routine, as I’m learning how to improvise solos. I’ll be spending a lot of time watching this over and over again. Thank you so much for putting this together!

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Wow what a great comment - really happy its something you can use!! 🎸🎸🎶🎶🎶

[@kenkelly382]

Hi Charlie, This was a very important lesson for me. Once I got it under my fingers you just start feeling it and it's like your fingers know where to go like magic. Thanks for such great content. Ken

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Wow Ken - thanks for the great comment 🎸🎶🔥

[@hugokappes4077]

Thanks Charlie, I always wondered why i play what I do,, now i know,, a little,,

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for watching and taking time to comment 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@martynspooner5822]

Another brilliant lesson but they all are. How I wish I could have met someone like you when I was a young guy but hey still making the most of it now.. Thanks a lot for sharing your limitless guitar knowledge it is truly appreciated.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

The benefit of being an old guy is I can share things I think are important in the way I wished I’d been taught as a young guy! 🤣🤣🤣🎸🎶🔥

[@user-ko4iy1pp9j]

Thanks Charlie 🎸💜🤍💙❤️👏

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for checking it out! 🎸🎸🎸

[@yazulubrown]

hello really this is the best way to improvise on chord changes and remains melodic

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for watching and commenting 🎶🎸❤️

[@josephdalessandro9724]

Very cool….. back to the fret board 😎👍🎸

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Get after it!! Thanks for the comment! 🎸🎶🔥

[@Fastlane05]

Wow, what a terrific lesson. Thank you very much. This is Exactly what I need to work on. Right now I am working on mastering the Nashville Numbering System, Chord Progressions and the Circle of 5 ths. This is just what the Dr. ordered. First time to your channel and you have earned a new subscriber.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

So cool! Glad it compliments what you’re working on! 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@Fastlane05]

@@CharlieLongGuitar I definitely have other things that need work as well, but this is a high priority. My problem is I can't learn it all at once and can't learn it fast enough. Practice, practice, practice!

[@dieselman7453]

Great video I do think everyone should take the time to learn every note on the fret board it leaves you that you know we’re u are cheers from Ireland 🇮🇪 Charlie take care .. Brian

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks Brian and all the best with your playing 🎸🎶🔥

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Lots of food for thought. Burp. Merci beaucoup.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Ha! Thanks for the comment and rock on! 🎸🎶🔥

[@javieroldan]

Amazing lesson! But with my low-intermediate level I will need to revisit it again and again to get the most of it. 😉

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Stay with it and before you know it you’ll own it!! 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@xBlitzerx]

I think it would really help to add the chord progression (name and number of the chord) while showing the penta pattern. That way we can tie the chord to the pattern.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

That’s a good suggestion! Thanks! 🎸🎶🔥

[@Aluminata]

Any progression you want in the key of A.

[@xBlitzerx]

@@Aluminata But I mean I/IV, IV/II V/III have specific penta patterns.

[@paulclarke4099]

Thanks Charlie, really fantastic lesson, your videos are great. Would like to see a video covering making up a very simple solo using this same concept but limiting yourself to no more than 3 notes per chord change. Would love to see a solo over both a major and minor chord progression. I think that would really emphasize how important the note choices you make are and also how to make phrases sound nice and resolved at the same time 💯😄👍

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

That’s a great concept for a video! Thanks for the idea 😎🎸🎶🔥

[@paulclarke4099]

@@CharlieLongGuitar Just out of interest I consider the progression you played to be in the key of F# minor since the progression clearly resolves to F# minor, you even ended the first solo on the F# note, why do say the progression is in A Major, it would clearly sound wrong and unresolved (to my ears anyway) if you ended the progression on the A Major chord ? I do realize the F# minor and A major are relative keys with the same notes but to me it sounds like the main context is F# minor and not A Major. Cheers 👍

[@dgdg4164]

Thank you Charlie, this is a great lesson that deserves 100,000 subscribers right away.

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

I wish it worked like that! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸

[@robmag6156]

Great lesson. Once again the challenge becomes how to quickly reckognize which pentatonic pattern to play for the chord in any given neck position. I know its practce but is there a way to make your recall better? Some visualization?

[@TheOilcan5]

also your A ionian and your E mixolydian are the same

[@eugenekeyser139]

Hi Charlie...i understand exactly what you say..but me...still playing pentatonic ..box 1and 2..for all my chords...

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

I always say crawl before you walk, and walk before you run!! If you can just add a little here and there to what you already know - your playing will keep growing!!! 🎸🔥🎶🔥🎸

[@m.vonhollen6673]

How about adding in 3 from Mixolydian, only up from b3, and b5 from the Blues scale? 1-2-b3/3-4-b5-5-6-b7?

[@ThePhotomusicguy]

Sounds good, but it seemed to me that the first 4 bars were played with feeling and the next 4 you going for more quantity than quality. Just to be clear, the second 4 bars didn’t sound bad

[@hotwheels1838]

I thought they both sounded good.....

[@hammingus]

Great stuff. I can‘t see the link to the other video you mentioned at the end, though. Is it yet to come or am I just overlooking something?

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Thanks for letting me know!! I’ll fix it!!

[@hammingus]

@@CharlieLongGuitar Thanks, it works!

[@silviopimentel7247]

😮

[@ScoobyDoo-kt9pv]

Is there an advantage to switching pentatonic scales over playing a major scale that has all the chord tone arpeggio? Context - Ok - why do we not just play the major scale since that has every note you mentioned? I currently feel stupid because I switch pentatonic scales right now. The relative same major minor 4th and 5th are exactly what I use to practice as a backing. But they are all in the major scale. What am I doing - am I an idiot?

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

I think you’re on the right track… the difference to me is the SOUND of the different tools. Pentatonics and arpeggios have gaps between the notes; to my ears they sound open and airy compared to running a major scale or one of the modes. Ultimately yes all the notes are the same BUT you’ll play differently with each tool

[@ScoobyDoo-kt9pv]

@@CharlieLongGuitar That’s such a great comment! Yeah - I love your Dorian pentatonic lesson by the way! But yes - the pentatonic scale has that purpose!! If all the chords mean that you are just playing the major scale - It’s teaching you to sweep longer gaps and it sounds really bluesy when you improvise. But for like some rock and metal you might want to use a major scale to go even further gaps. But still you get kind of a feel and longer gaps with the pentatonic and get to change the feel with each chord well. That’s a good retire point that’s much appreciated. There are a lot of good lessons online I’m glad you’re out there you’re good 👍🏾 😃

[@bobbdobb2876]

due those scales daily...its the turn aroud Im having difficulty

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

You’ve got this!! Keep up the good work 🎸🎶🔥

[@bobbdobb2876]

I've been trying but you can't fix stupid. Guess that's why I'm more of a singer songwriter. Will continue following your exercises

[@paullennon8586]

Is this not just caged ?

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

Nope

[@wjmildfelt9369]

Don't see subcribe

[@CharlieLongGuitar]

There’s a red subscribe button in the bottom right corner of the video. Thanks for checking things out 🎸🎶🔥🎶🎸