Scales & Tales - The Pentatonic Highway

Here's the next episode of Scales & Tales with The Pentatonic Highway.
This episode focuses on a very common pentatonic-based fretboard path (or pattern) that countless legends and giants of the guitar have utilized in their soloing and career. This includes complete legends such as Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Michael Schenker, and many more.
Once you begin weaving between and connecting different pentatonic positions like this, you can start shifting and sliding around the fretboard and combine positions and different octaves with ease. As I mentioned earlier, this is a very common concept in rock, blues, jazz, metal, and various other styles, so once you start refining this fretboard strategy, you'll begin noticing some movements and shifting on the fretboard that some of your favorite players probably use.
Needless to say, this is an important part of learning more about the fretboard and pentatonic scales in general, so aside from the demonstrations of connecting and navigating the neck, this lesson also features plenty of useful licks, phrases, and variations of these ideas to help you see how you can create some new ideas of your own design and begin adding this type of playing to your music and playing style.
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[@LateNightLessons]

Hey gang! A few folks pointed out that I (randomly) added a "C" (on the high E string) to the fretboard diagram of The Pentatonic Highway I flashed in this lesson, instead of the proper "B" (on the B string). Whoops! That was the last graphic I created before I shot this lesson, so I have no idea what I was thinking and must have been in a hurry, but I goofed - I'm only human and I TOTALLY make mistakes. The rest of this lesson is correct and the PDF/Guitar Pro lesson files on Patreon are 100% correct too, so just a minor error on my part. Just a head's up and THANK YOU - ROCK ON\m/

[@peteyuckly4628]

No worries Robert! It happens. Actually, it was a good lesson for me to play it and go.... "that does not sound right." I think that it may have inadvertently taught some folks to trust their ear a bit! Always great content! Rock on!

[@if6turnedouttobe9]

Billy Gibbons is one of the tastiest guitar players ever...iMHO...He's not the fastest, but that's what makes him so good...

[@MisterPoppy-sc1sj]

merci David

[@thebruckners]

The efficiency and restraint of your picking hand is really inspiring. Would love to explore this as a future topic.

[@hansenmarc]

“The Frying Pan” (and the upside down frying pan) are definitely my favorite shapes. Thanks for the great introduction. Also never noticed until I heard you play it, that Don McLean’s Vincent/Starry Starry Night starts with this pattern.

[@markroylance1584]

You're lessons are incredible Davy boy! .. So much sense!! That BFG lesson in GP with this lesson... Mmmm!! And yesterday my latest GP arrives and you're there again explaining Marcus King! 10/10

[@julianschulz1620]

This is THE best lesson, because beginner's to advanced, can get so much mileage out of the Pentatonic highway. And for jamming purposes alone, with other people, you NEED to learn this, before you start mastering sweep arpeggios.

[@lueysixty-six7300]

So true

[@carlospellot2426]

Back after 3 years.....! Thanks again! I do have those magazines in storage.😅

[@rigmormortis164]

I have played guitar of and on for 30yers now,but i allways learn somerhing new every time i watch your Chanel,you are a so awesome dude,thanks for charing,🇸🇪

[@George-pt7uv]

Another great episode David. This is really key to learning to solo. You can't hang in one box, you need to move up and down and you've just explained it perfectly. Build on this one!

[@innocentoctave]

Excellent lesson. Very musical examples, too, which isn't always the case when dealing with theory. I particularly like the way that this approach builds progressively in complexity, but the simplest version still sounds like a full musical phrase. The use of slides to connect positions is undoubtedly one of the techniques that separates the older school of guitar players from more modern approaches that tend to use a one-finger-per-fret approach. It's a looser, greasier feel.

[@timothyworkman4423]

Very cool. Ended up taking the "pentatonic highway" from your Ace Frehley lesson to end up here. Good info. Something new for me to work on. Thank you!

[@bertgetner9397]

Great lesson. Gettin' into groove again. Love the Tejas album on the wall! Arrested for Driving While Blind.

[@lueysixty-six7300]

That was a good topic. I knew most of it, but it's always good reinforcing things. But you added some interesting scale patterns at the end of each idea (intervals, octaves..)'that was new to me, and good fun. I will revise this video in a few days and see how much I caught and how much I lost...that way I'll get the most from it.. but I would like if you did a Part 2.. A Pentatonic Highway Sequel, if you will! That way we can really build on this stuff that I feel I have been stagnating on my whole life. Let's do a Part 2,"and who knows...it could lead to a Part 3, or even a mini series! You can learn new stuff as we go maybe - if you feel you are reaching your knowledge ceiling...and if not, let that wisdom flow, Baby!

[@chogumchonsa]

This lesson is exactly what I needed. I've been stuck in a rut with expanding ideas. Thank you, sir.

[@edwardarata6995]

Great demonstration of the pentatonic scale and its possibilities Thank you so much

[@riffgrindergeneral]

It's great to see this get some spotlight time. I ran into this particular scale pattern way back in about 1987 or 88. Back when I first started playing. It was in one of my books I was learning from as a way of joining up the pentatonic boxes. I've been using it, and finding it in solos, ever since

[@Stereostupid]

Love the finish on that strat! The sunburst looks so good with or when you can see more of the red in there instead of most yellow and brown

[@Taylorxswifte]

Thank you David - this really really helped me break out of the box. Excellent lesson and video as usual!

[@chongdaoTJ]

Perfect! i've for sure loved so many of your "chords of..." series episodes. but your "scales and tales" and "just the tip" episodes stick with me most, and this one is definitely a jem that will stick with me for life. more lessons like this please! and thank you again for all ur great stuff!

[@ThrashRebel]

“Your Time Has Come” - Audioslave Morello is all up & down that highway.

[@drew4931]

Dude I read your article in Guitar Player about three years ago when started taking my guitar playing more seriously. Crazy how I’ve come around this circle. Lmao you’re a great teacher man

[@LewisDalton]

Great lesson and very helpful. Thanks 👍

[@voronOsphere]

Thanks again, David, for another great lesson!!!

[@MikeCindyWhite]

Another great lesson! Thank you much bro 🎸🎸👍

[@uncleremus5046]

For me started stealing Johnny Winter riffs years ago. As a kid his speed & attack were amazing to me. Love everything about Gibbons playing & especially his great phrasing & tone.

[@if6turnedouttobe9]

Right on...Love Johnny and Billy...Not Now..! Hit it on Four..!

[@andymellor9056]

Thanks Dave. I had a teacher a couple of years back and I asked him how to move up and down the fretboard with ease This is the lesson I wanted. 🧡

[@gerardoconnor7148]

As an acoustic musician coming back to both electric and acoustic gtr this was a fabulous simple lesson so easy to follow and really tasteful playing , more please Thank you so much

[@rogerYT69]

awesome lesson, thx!

[@spwb2k]

so many nuggets. this could be my favorite LNL vid so far.

[@thedeadonmusic1]

You da man! Appreciate the practical nature of your lessons!

[@chikung]

David, this was really interesting and fruitful! I was wondering, since you know all the guitarists that were influential, have you ever covered Leigh Stephens (from Blue Cheer)? He had a style of his own, quite mysterious (especially on the second album "Ouside Inside"). Thanks for all the great insight!

[@khalilhabib9607]

Great lesson. Simple and powerful

[@brcarson99]

Nice lesson. I can use that!

[@KenHorror]

Keep up the good work. Really love your lessons. 😀

[@JeffCrowell11]

This is fantastic. Thank you for sharing.

[@guitinwidit]

Hay David, I've really been digging your lessons; the presentations and insights are great. Have you ever done a Late Night Lesson on Rik Emmet? Man, what an amazingly melodic and versatile guitarist - and singer - he was like Neal Schon and Steve Perry in one! Anyway, I loved the way he played a lot of classical pieces and then during their prog rock tunes he would wail on these fantastically emotive guitar solos. Was there a certain mode he preferred or was that, too, more often than not, pretty much pentatonic wizardry? Thanks again!

[@voronOsphere]

He has a Chords of Triumph Chordplay.

[@kevinhaynes47]

Got it, that's a good way to look at it. Thx.

[@jeremyp5210]

Been binging your channel. Love your work

[@jamessator5564]

Thank you, a great lesson!!

[@kennethbulmer8773]

The explanation of the pentatonic highway was a light bulb moment thank you so much

[@GPLP335]

Excellent video!

[@mrkrowley1]

Very cool man

[@shanewise4669]

Thanks again David!! another awesome lesson, love your fluidity on the fretboard, love your technique mate \m/

[@tonymikolich5873]

That flashing 2 is telling me, "you need a new guitar, you need a new guitar!"

[@Blue_3rd]

Love it. Thanks, Dave! 👍🎸

[@chrisb2535]

Sounds a lot like a run that Randy Rhoads does in the solo for I Don't Know (especially live), starting at the 15th fret. Since that solo is mostly in the key of G (bounces between G and F?), I'm guessing it's a G minor pentatonic?

[@simonrourke1978]

Love these lessons!

[@glassslide]

So many great ideas in one lesson, thanks Dave, that was really cool to see the approaches put into actual licks, Pentatonic Highway is a very apt name!

[@smokefan87]

xtremely helpful thanks so much man

[@douglassemian4049]

Fantastic lesson! Learned a ton! But in addition to the “C” mistake on the Highway diagram, the timing of the “dual C lesson” (going up with the C major pentatonic but then going down with the “pull offs”), it seems that that rhythm is off by a quarter note (to keep timing even.). Anyone else notice thing? As a “fix”, I added a D note (1st string, 10th fret) before the E (1st string, 12th fret) to keep the timing even.

[@michaelrobertson2381]

I love what you do. Let's get the chords of funk.

[@leechild4655]

chords of funk are some jazz chords. the funk part is the rhythm you choose.

[@voronOsphere]

He has a Chords of Funk Video

[@leechild4655]

@@voronOsphere boom!

[@michaelrobertson2381]

@@leechild4655I missed your page. I was thinking in depth tutorial of funk bands or the use of funk techniques.

[@seanlassiter7261]

C minor is my favorite 😋

[@jackharris8963]

really good stuff. But isn't there an errant C note in your Em pentatonic highway graphic?

[@haydendh09]

Yes I noticed too that so I played the B instead, might throw off a learning player or create some interesting phrases.

[@vinlander8484]

i saw that too!

[@LateNightLessons]

Yep - sorry for that typo guys! I'm only human! : )

[@frankiedonofrio5438]

Nice!

[@breathtimebreath4934]

Genius!!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@bws1billsimpson362]

This is an awesome lesson! I think I finally get it. Thank you! When you are improvising, do you think about chord changes, or just focus on soloing in the key?

[@KingGrio]

Oh yeah I accidentally learnt the pentatonic highway last week before seeing this video. Another lane of it starting on the 10th fret. It's the beginning of the solo of Love Gun, by Kiss.

[@satchrules101]

killer!

[@Snostrebla1]

Sooooo much goodness

[@yak9147]

Re the graphic. Pretty sure the dot on the first string should be on the 7th fret not the eighth, as part of pattern no 4. Although I notice that note doesn't get used :)

[@natemendsen1629]

Man that last comment was a joke lol BTW been really digging your stuff as of late.....

[@martymarquez68]

😝 That’s some Good Secret Sauce

[@image30p]

Down that voodoo highway.

[@hectoraguilar182]

What pick up is that, nice sound

[@austinfailz]

Pretty sure Ace uses something like this on the Love Gun solo.

[@austinfailz]

Also worth mentioning that like any highway, you can take an off ramp at any point.

[@paulflanz4242]

Looking at the diagram you post for the pentatonic highway, why do you include C on the high E string, when it's technically not part of the minor pentatonic? Wouldn't you want to use the B there instead? I understand that C is in the E minor scale, but I don't understand why you would use it compared to keeping it strictly pentatonic.

[@paulflanz4242]

Duh, I just read your post.....

[@HarlanHarvey76]

He already addressed this in a past comment... It was a typo. He's only human😉

[@yak9147]

sorry saw your comment after posting mine , apologies

[@carlloftin2850]

Can you please give us a chord backing track or the chord names to play over

[@hectorheath]

I haven't seen one bad tutorial from this guy.....

[@JGAbstract]

Who else got a commercial of a truck driving right after he said I'm gonna show you the highway.

[@gordon4385]

I wonder if this guy is related to Don Novello ?

[@Dan-zq5wt]

Jimmy Page runs up and down the Highway all the time!

[@edwardarata6995]

There’s a discrepancy on the B string

[@vinfreeman1602]

the volume is super low

[@jamesmarciniec4787]

Great lesson. Thanks 😃👍