"The One Pentatonic Per Chord" Approach to Melodically Solo over a Chord Progression

[@zombieguitar]

If you like these lessons, definitely check out www.zombieguitar.com/ It is a one-of-a-kind site dedicated to helping guitarists to understand the fretboard and create their own music. You will love it!!

[@paulchristie8452]

This approach almost covers the full arpeggios, all the notes of each chord doesn't it?

[@joshuapaul3177]

Late to the party here…this is absolutely brilliant. So many lessons go over the pentatonics but don’t discuss what happens when you go to the 4, 5, m2 and m3 chords. This does beautifully. I will add this to my arsenal and compliments triad playing quite well. Essentially you’re playing the “G” shape over the 1/m6 chord, the “D” shape over the 4/m2 chord, and the “C” shaped over the 5/m3 chord, but in an elegant way that brings out the chords tones of each chord. Really really well done.

[@westonlundquist9202]

How did I go 15 years of guitar playing without learning this... thank you!

[@rebeccaabraham8652]

The same way I spent 50 years trying to work it out, The books teach you the patterns and some simple licks and runs - in various styles (if you’re lucky)… but they didn’t teach the practical application; it’s why I became very good at rhythm playing and am only now starting to get the hang of soloing - thanks to Brian and others!

[@mikestroud9969]

One of the best detailed guitar instructors on KZbin. 👍👌💯

[@mlite84]

I can’t believe you don’t get more views. Out of all the guitar teachers I watch on KZbin I always comprehend your lessons the best. Keep it up brian and thanks!

[@zombieguitar]

Hey thanks a lot! I'm still new to the youtube thing. It's definitely growing! I just uploaded this video last night, and 12 hours later it's at 1.4K views! That's definitely way better than I was doing last year!

[@mlite84]

That’s awesome man, I hope it keeps growing for ya. In the mean time I will keep watching and hitting that like button!

[@vaner9283]

Really nice stuff. Of course when you start using the different pentatonic shapes to stay in one area you're back to caged where position I pairs with the e shape, IV with the A shape, etc. Or am I wrong? Also aren't your 3 expanded shapes at the end really modal positions? Am I too deep in the weeds here?

[@zombieguitar]

@@vaner9283 It's all just different approaches to the same thing pretty much. The goal is to know how to play "in key" and know where the chord tones are, wherever you are on the fretboard. This is just another approach to that. I avoid using the word "modal shapes" because people get confused about modes a lot. This lesson here is how I want people to understand modes: www.zombieguitar.com/introduction-to-modes/. The entire thing in thos video is in the "key of F# minor" or "F# Aeolian". The "mode" isn't changing every time there is a chord change. It's just a chord progression in F# minor. Make sense?

[@mridulm89]

@@zombieguitar you are the best teacher on the internet. The way of explaining things is crystal clear.

[@johnthomas9190]

Thee most underrated channel in KZbin history..

[@oliviajordan7716]

Your def one of the best instructors in KZbin. Thanks for all you do.

[@punkmusiclessons]

Brian you’ve been changing my life! i’ve been playing for way too long but i’ve finally started taking lead guitar seriously and learning all the theory i skipped over. you are the perfect teacher

[@zombieguitar]

Thank you! I'm glad to hear these vids have been helping for ya. I appreciate you following! 😀

[@philjames1019]

I always get excited when I get notification of a new video/post from Brian ... mainly because I am assured of musical tuition of the highest quality. Like a previous poster, I too am amazed why these unique lessons do not get more views. That being said, I am one of those who have followed Brian for quite some time now, and I am personally delighted at the way the subscription numbers have increased, almost trebled this last 12 months ..... Brians' efforts are truly deserving of such support and praise. Cheers my friend ......

[@TKDubya]

Incredible! It was almost as if you knew exactly what questions were coming up right after the next! Great teaching!

[@herbycandy]

wow now i get it finally after years of trying to figure this out... Thank you so very much

[@zombert6937]

Badass lesson man!!! Been playing 20 years and it finally made sense watching this. Best lessons on KZbin hands downs.

[@kodi3881]

Hey. I just wanted to say massive thank you for this video. I've owned a guitar for 13 years and taught myself how to play but I could never understand the concept of soloing/improvisation, so I was always just playing chords and sometimes tried to use pentatonic all over the place without really thinking but rather as you put it "playing one pattern over the whole neck and hoping that you will hit the chord tones". With that, I had many quits and was thinking that I just can't learn it.. Was giving up guitar for months sometime. Got a lot of bad habits because of watching probably thousands of 10-15 mins videos that go like "ONE PENTATONIC SHAPE TO SOLO IMMIDIATELY! YOU WON'T BELIEVE HOW EASY IT IS".. Fair enough, I learned the shapes but nobody ever talked about actually understanding it and applying over the chord changes etc. so thanks a lot because something in my head just clicked right now and it's like my excitement of playing came back and I want to learn some new habits, hopefully forget everything else I was trying to do the past years. Thank you.

[@GrahamMylett]

Another fantastic and very helpful lesson..You are the best Brian!!

[@rajeevkumria]

The last statement was beautiful and it just cleared everything. Great way of teaching.

[@mabblers]

Excellent lesson, this answers another question that I had. Thanks

[@dinoilcagnolino3213]

Great lesson Brian. Very deep and clear explanations.

[@richardkeltr0n149]

amazing teachings on this channel..

[@rforfert]

Surprisingly efficient! Ive understood more on pentatonic scales than i did in many years. Your lesson is really clear! Keep posting

[@illthinkofsomethinglater9095]

Wow bro. I'm an instant subscriber!!! This is exactly what I've been looking for. I'm glad that you focus more on the information than on your set, or selling your course enrollment. Very detailed and practical!! Thank you so much

[@robertpien8708]

Brian I really enjoyed your lesson I'm a piano and keyboard player . I love how the Pentatonic and blues scale can really create an emotional impact when you combine it with other types of voice leading and progressions . Learning diffrent options is a great way to develop your craft more fully .

[@Johnsalad]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[@adelinrapcore]

This is gold, the way that you are explining is very easy to understand, thx

[@mototheroad2566]

Fantastic.....I have never seen a better teacher...your patience is God-like.

[@mikecampbell6011]

Great lesson as always. Thanks Brian

[@jameshihihin1320]

That’s a cool way to look at things. Thank you for sharing this, as always awesome lessons!

[@raydanielz9408]

The most dedicated and effective teacher on KZbin

[@zombieguitar]

Thank you Ray! I really appreciate the words 😀

[@rmrfboy2951]

this is gold! seriously.

[@Robby24ish]

YOU ARE AN OUTRAGEOUS TEACHER I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING U A FEW YEARS...✌❤😉

[@garyeggleton1142]

what an awesome way to completely master all positions of pentatonics in all keys, by working out the positions for each chord , over each position....chord tones are easy to hit too

[@JohnnyGuitarRocks]

Outstanding lesson as always Brian!

[@jeremyacton4569]

This lesson is exactly what I do in my playing. Using the EMaj and Am open shapes as Barre chords downthe neck, I keep my Barre finger in place and use middle ring and pinky fingers to play the scale. Then I consider all other scales' fingerings in the 3 frets adjacent to my barre finger. I especially find that playing the scale note pattern found at the nut, that includes the open strings, anywhere on the fretboard next to my Barre finger as root/ chord, gives me my 'play space' for a choice of notes in the scale of my choice. (I don't 'fold back' scale fingerings to above my barre finger. Then I sometimes put a slide on my barre finger). Thanks very very much for your awesome lessons. This one resonated.

[@jeremyacton4569]

I also like playing all open chords shapes next to a barre finger that are easily possible with my middle ring and pinky fingers eg AM7, Am7, A7, B7 fragment, B dim, Cm7 , D7, D6, Em7 E, E7. Etc,. For notions of a 'scale of chords' that result from the barre/root note position. Not very scientific, but I'm still learning. :-)

[@mikestroud9969]

Very nice Big B. Thanks again as usual. Appreciated. 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸🎸

[@angryfrenchduck]

Thank you so much for this lesson, you are a fantastic teacher mate 🍻🍻

[@domenicomellone1086]

you are marvellous!!!

[@isaiah30v8]

Wow, I have watch hundreds of guitar instruction videos on KZbin. This is THE MOST comprehensive one I have ever seen! . Thank you! . .

[@zombieguitar]

Awesome thanks!

[@claudecoatie7250]

Coatie

[@maccarnold]

This is simply the best channel to learn the guitar. I have practised a lot this scale but without knowing te real usage. Thanks to these videos it makes a lot of sense now. Definitely subscribing to zombieguitar.

[@kingofthebongo200]

Brilliant stuff Brian . This really helped me. Thank you very much

[@shastabob56]

Excellent

[@jerbear57]

This is awesome. You ROCK Brian

[@tp5401]

I always thought this would work but never took the time to figure it out... Just played the patterns in the key and tried to land on the notes I wanted in whatever pattern I was in. This will make it easier to find those notes to clean up and add intention to that noodling.

[@John-hi2yi]

Lovely explanation and a great lesson. You are doing great work, thank you.

[@calvinto4120]

You are special, very difference than other teachings. simple explained and effective.Thank a lot.

[@roshansadeghi1955]

thanks man.. its the whole thing which i was confused about and you helped me

[@jimshowtovideos]

you are a gift to those of us learning on youtube, thanks a million.

[@zombieguitar]

You're very welcome!

[@johne.skaggs3793]

Nice clean guitar.

[@inthevillage2292]

Great lesson keep amazing👍👍

[@alexpurcell2012]

Excellent video dude. I’ve now done that for the first time 😎👍

[@Adam-em9rg]

very useful information I plan to use today.

[@tomjones4981]

Nice lesson

[@wormcultist6637]

Your an excellent teacher. In the sense you actually show what people want to learn or need to learn

[@theband6137]

Aha! the F#m and A are not only relative minor and major but relative minor and major mode - and not only are Aeolian and Ionian relative but Dorian/Lydian and Phrygian/Mixolydian too!! that makes things much simpler!! thanks, Brian!!

[@hankthompson2003]

Excellent. This is the way to learn this stuff.

[@azelmadmohammed4787]

easy to understand , straight forward , its the best

[@SteveJones379]

Superb lesson! Thank you.

[@gregschroer2314]

Great method for beginners to stay oriented I commend you on your Technique great lesson

[@terrybanks5063]

nice lesson there buddy, cheers for everything!

[@eaglebaldonetough4074]

Very good explained lesson!go ahead

[@sierraridgereaper]

Between Brian's channel and Nick Laytons Channel, Ive improved 100 fold and learned more in the last 5 months than I did in 30 yrs...

[@anthonyfaulkner3415]

your a good teacher well chilled and i can tell your a good man tanx a.d

[@zombieguitar]

Hey thanks man. I appreciate the words 😎

[@anthonyfaulkner3415]

@@zombieguitar i got the feeling when i play but been stuck with getting my head round the theory for years.but your the first teacher i discovered today that shows it simply and well enough for me to go forward with the giutar and finally get out of this block ive had for years it would mean so much to me.im not very disaplined,i need lessons.thanks man

[@zombieguitar]

@@anthonyfaulkner3415 ya it's like learning a new language. Over time you just start to understand it more and more until eventually you become fluent in it!

[@thiagoandes2951]

I have been playing guitar basically on chords. I could never understand those guys playing solo. I saw my co worker playing solo over a song without even thinking what key he's in., he knows instantly. Then I came across your videos and the light bulb turned on. Now I have the idea and with practice on your lesson I will be playing solo in no time. Chord playing is just getting boring. Thank you sir for all your lessons.🙏❤️

[@DetVen]

This is really good! Subscribed!

[@arielatanacio778]

Thank you finally i found how to connect the pentatonic shapes in good explanation. Please can you give us a turorial how to connect the Major scale + Rrlative minor of scale and pentatonic? I really appreciate your video sit. Thabk you so much. From Philippines

[@zombieguitar]

The major scale and the natural minor scale are the exact same "patterns". I have tons of lessons about that, here is one of them: www.zombieguitar.com/the-3-most-common-ways-to-visualize-the-diatonic-scale-across-the-neck/

[@johne.skaggs3793]

Freaking Amazing

[@allenbrininstool7558]

Key: A major Progression: 6-1-5-4

[@timothyclay3668]

Love it... explained really well.

[@timothyclay3668]

Could you do a similar tutorial on the method I've shared here.. same kinda thing as this video www.dropbox.com/s/a9p14g50hloh6n9/FB_IMG_1537467307613.jpg?dl=0

[@Hurtz2Pee123]

Ur awesome dude. Thx for the help

[@fabokorac1628]

you are the best teacher ever you opened up a whole new perspective to guitar playing for me.. i know that when you learn theory everything comes naturally afterwards, but can you make a video on how to let go of the theory at a certain point and just play with feeling because theory sometimes gets me stuck in a box

[@zombieguitar]

I'm trying to work on my "feel" these days, because I do feel that my playing tends to sound very mechanical. I'm trying to really pay attention to the players that have the "feel", and thats all I really pay attention to these days!

[@geoffhateley5253]

love your vids, just discovered them, had to comment on your humble reply. even Clapton said theres always someone faster or better, just try to be your best@@zombieguitar

[@bol.8749]

Great info!

[@guitarmemoir]

I agree with some others. This channel deserves more attention. Your video on the Circle of 5ths is the best/most complete one I have seen on YT. Good job.

[@zombieguitar]

Hey thanks! It keeps growing, so I'm happy about that!

[@guitarmemoir]

@@zombieguitar Hey you're welcome! You deserve it.

[@slickwillie3376]

I'm gonna try it

[@pierre6940]

Great lesson! Sharing on Facebook! Thank you!

[@zombieguitar]

Thank you!!

[@raydanielz9408]

All the other crappy guitar lesson channels should be scrapped and only this one should remain. This is the only, only channel that make sense in every sense of it

[@huynguyen-gt5um]

very good sir.

[@shelterdoe4894]

You are my GOAT💖

[@robinwagner8713]

too good man! like as you said...the caged system is just too much in the beginning of learning to target chord tones...i will definitely try out this approach! thx for the very understandable lesson 👏🏻

[@TheGodFatherBlasta]

Brian your approach is better than the CAGED system

[@33bricks25]

Can you do this on all chord progressions or just diatonic thanks

[@jojojoestar2746]

Hey..mister if you read this..thanks for the knowledge

[@zombieguitar]

Hey thanks for checking it out!

[@jjryan1352]

I'm at the point that these lessons are helping IMMENSELY. Thanks so much Adam Sandler. Your guitar playing is sooooo much better than your acting!

[@zombieguitar]

🤣🤣🤣

[@roosterillusion1985]

Why don't the KZbinrs with the huge channels explain things as thoroughly as this? Thank you, sir.

[@markyjames6082]

Great dude. Sounds a bit Thin Lizzy. No bad thing!

[@jimbeard2952]

im buying any beer any time when we meet thank you brother

[@zombieguitar]

Sweet! I would love a beer 🍻

[@phineus8397]

Hey Brian good to see you back on KZbin I thought you quit KZbin unstarted on some other media no?

[@zombieguitar]

Quit KZbin? No way! I did go through a major website migration though. However the website address has still remained the same 😁

[@phineus8397]

@@zombieguitar good to hear it Brian as one of the most likable and knowledgeable personalities on the guitar teaching KZbin scene I'm overjoyed that you're still with us. Really not sure about this zombie thing though I have recently purchased a BBC Doctor Who Dalek I was wondering if you might like to use this as your mentor/avatar instead?

[@zombieguitar]

@@phineus8397 I'm not sure that I understand?

[@phineus8397]

@@zombieguitarDaleks Brian ! Would you like to have a Dalek to use as your mentor/ avatar trademark for your guitar school?

[@zombieguitar]

@@phineus8397 you lost me dude. I don't know what a dalek is

[@33bricks25]

The one pentatonic per chord could you use that all the time or is it just to get used to finding chord tones ?

[@ginomi]

Wow... that blew my mind. Consideration nr1: at the end, if we consider a diatonic scale, when we overlap the proper pentatonic scale for each chord we can more easily find chord tones and/or other notes that fit well harmonically with that chord. Still being in a diatonic scale... Consideration nr2: if we focus instead on each pentatonic position 1 for each chord, and add notes from the main diatonic scale... man, I see modes now: it’s like you are playing either dorian or mixolydian erc. on every chord... and you can actually feel that flavor! Again, this blew my mind and hopefully I’’m right which means I’m finally putting together pieces....

[@zombieguitar]

Glad to help make some new connections for ya! Thanks for watching!

[@MrPlatinumfan]

Yes. Thank you. I needed to read this. I appreciate the input sincerely.

[@MrTelekes]

I know the pentatonic shapes using the caged system as far a s C shape A shape act.., So when adding the notes to make it diatonic, why doesn't the shape stay the same for each different chord?

[@zombieguitar]

You're not making the distinction between "layer 1" (the key scale) and "layer 2" (the underlying chords). If you remain in one single key, then the key-scale remains constant, but the underlying chords change. I did a video about this here 😁 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXrXZnljhNKdidU

[@vaner9283]

Great stuff. The zombie stuff doesn't do you justice. Your technique and music theory are superb. Berklee?

[@zombieguitar]

Hey thanks a lot! Nah, I'm self taught pretty much. I picked "Zombie Guitar", because it seems like an easy name for people to remember. But I've heard from other people that I should change the name. Unfortunately, I already have a year and a half invested into growing this name!

[@gnfnroses5470]

i have a qustion If im playing Dm pentatonic scale Over Dm chord why there is E tone in Dm chord but not in Dm pentatonic 🤷🏻‍♂️ can i still play it or avoid it cuz i can only use D and A tones

[@shaungray55]

So if I am seeing this right... you can play the corresponding major or minor pentatonic scale over each chord and it will always be in the main key? And this works as a rule for any key? Thank you for the lesson, awesome video! This is an awesome little "hack" if you want to call it that!

[@zombieguitar]

Yup that is exactly right!

[@luxus20]

bro does playing the notes on every scale required to play first the root note or it can be completely random as long you are hitting those root note in every chord in a chord progression?

[@mwfxtechnicalanalysis9136]

Dude, I got my 5 shapes down in Aminor. Wanted to get some more variety and do some chord chasing. I just got the chord tone thing thanks to your video. Do you have one that explains how to find them across the other shapes so I can work on that

[@zombieguitar]

Yessir...this is the lesson you want to watch. Watch and read it more than once 😀 www.zombieguitar.com/9-steps-to-fully-understand-the-caged-system/

[@rl7794]

Is this the same as the cage system only looking at it from pentatonic view? The caged system confuses me .

[@zombieguitar]

No this is not the CAGED system. if you want to understand the ins and outs of the CAGED system, I highly recommend that you go through this lesson. It covers the entire system from start to finish! www.zombieguitar.com/9-steps-to-fully-understand-the-caged-system/

[@tessallen6940]

Circle of fifths great explanation I made notes x

[@azmiarman]

By changing pentatonic scale per chord..would it be considered changing key?

[@zombieguitar]

Only if the underlying chord is also out of key as well. In this video, everything was 100% in key! 😀

[@denizhankaraca8862]

Hi. Thanks for the lesson. I think the description is a bit misleading. Throughout the whole progression, you're playin F#min scale, with various scale shapes. While you're explaining though, you speak as if you're playing E scale over E chord & D scale over D chord. But that's not the case. Other than that, cool video 😊.

[@zombieguitar]

No it definitely IS the case. There are 3 pentatonics found in every key. Some even call it 6, but it's actually 3 relative major/minor pentatonics in every key.

[@denizhankaraca8862]

@@zombieguitar Until you add the rest of the diatonic notes, yes they are pentatonics of each chord. With the added notes, they are all F#minor.

[@zombieguitar]

@@denizhankaraca8862 yes exactly! That is the main point of the video 😁

[@nigelmansfield5284]

What I don't understand about this is when you add the diatonic notes, for example to the E pentatonic position, you add the diatonic notes of the A major scale (or F# minor). My question is could you not simply add the diatonic notes of the E major scale to the E pentatonic position. Would this not make things easier because then there would only be one pattern to learn for any chord? You would be using the diatonic scale that matches each chord.

[@zombieguitar]

The thing is that the chord progression as a whole is in the key of A major, so if you add in notes from the E major scale, you will have one out-of-key note!

[@nigelmansfield5284]

Yes, I understand that but if you're playing the E major scale only over the E major chord would that not be OK? I thought that was the whole point of this lesson - changing the scale each time there's a chord change to match the chord you're playing over.

[@zombieguitar]

The 5 notes of the E major pentatonic scale are all part of the key signature of A major (as are the other pentatonics), but the 1 of the 2 additional notes from the E major scale are not "in key". The pentatonics are in, but the full diatonics are not!

[@hectorheath]

Does that mean if you play a 1-4-5 chord progression which means they are all Major then I can play the 1st minor Pentatonic box for each chord as long as I pick the correct tonal centre/root note ???

[@zombieguitar]

Yup ;)

[@jules633]

Hi Brian Plaese do lesson on rythm and lead guitar how do they split the job in a band like if I got a riff dose the rythm play it or lead with examples (like Faster Pussy Cat) I'm ready to pay for such lessons. Please let me know Julius P.S. Great stuff you teaching!!!

[@zombieguitar]

Jules I will do a lesson like that in the near future!

[@jules633]

How near?! There are no lead/rythm lessons on net I got riffs and need to learn how to compose for two guitars money to make Brian hope to hear from you soon !! you got talent! please help me

[@ryanmcdonald2027]

is it possible to actually do a different type of scale over every single chord in the chord progression of a song to create a lead guitar line for the whole song ? so if the chord progression was A , D and E could i do an A major scale over the A chord, then do a D major scale over the D chord then do an E major scale over the E chord while beginning and ending each lead guitar lick on the root note of each scale ? would this approach actually work for a lead guitar line for the whole song or not ? then for the solo for the song in the middle i could either stick to doing just an A major scale or just doing an F# minor scale or do an A minor scale over the major chord progression to do a 12 bar blues version of the rock and roll song ?

[@zombieguitar]

The problem with that is it will result in sour (aka. out-of-key) notes. With changing pentatonics over each chord, you are still remaining 100% diatonic to the key that you are playing in. The same thing doesn't apply with "one diatonic scale per chord"... That said, if you find that it sounds good to do what you are suggesting, then do it. However, I think you will find that you will have difficulty making it work!

[@ryanmcdonald2027]

@@zombieguitar ok thanks heaps Brian for your help ! very much appreciated indeed mate cheers :) will discuss with my guitar teacher :)

[@zombieguitar]

@@ryanmcdonald2027 it's when out-of-key chords are thrown into the mix that you switch to a new scale. However, when all chords are part of the same key...one scale over all of the chords 😁

[@ryanmcdonald2027]

@@zombieguitar by the way i have signed up for your free course ! if i like what i see i might just buy one of your other fancy courses here too on improvising for solos :) thanks heaps Brian ! you are a great teacher ! :)

[@zombieguitar]

@@ryanmcdonald2027 thanks Ryan! Much appreciated 😁