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Pentatonic Ideas: Super Boxes
When a student starts learning to solo, the first set of scales are usually the pentatonic scales. It
is a good place to start and they easily turn into blues scales. In my experience, most students at some
point will give up on these scales. Perhaps they are limiting in fretboard usage. Some complain the
patterns are difficult to play quickly because there are only two notes per string. Some students have
mentioned to me the scales are for beginners or they sound bluesy. I usually try to discourage this
thinking because the more one knows the better the solo. When I was, a teen developing my style of
guitar playing, I started to ponder the use of these scales. I too purposefully did not use these scales for
the some of the same reasons. I still felt they were relevant. One day I started to combine patterns into
what I called “Super boxes” with great results. Ok I borrowed the term but I was working on the same
idea. Let’s take a look at a fresh new way to approach the scales that make some nice and smooth
sounds.
Let’s start with the “solo boxes.” These boxes cover the fretboard in four fret sections. Example
1 demonstrates the most common box learned first.
The general rule is to stay in the four-fret section. There are also “blue” notes to be added in
example 2 to make this scale a blues scale.
The first finger is the root note as presented, the pentatonic and blues scale will work over a minor 12
bar blues. There are 5 patterns of this scale that will cover the fretboard. Once the aforementioned
pattern is learned, you can start using other patterns as well.
Another possibility was to create a run that combines the two patterns with a pre-set shift point.
If we take pattern1
And combine it with a pattern that is laid above pattern 1.
We can create a run that combines the two patterns
On the third string, slide up with the pinky from the top box to the bottom box. The slide point from the
first pattern to the second pattern is pre-set and practiced. I find that this is the next logical step in
utilizing more of the fretboard and also solves the one of the most common complaints of the
pentatonic patterns.
In trying to incorporate these scales and make them sound interesting, I started experimenting
with the patterns and discovered something new. I discovered that I could play two patterns
simultaneously. If we take example 1 and 2 and instead of making pattern that covers the fretboard for
the sake of utilizing more fretboard we combine and play the patterns at the same time.
This scale is challenging because of the stretches and is a great exercise for the same reason. It may
work better on the higher frets because the frets are closer together. This idea can be applied to all of
the patterns. When playing this pattern/scale notice how smooth it sounds because of the repeated
notes. The notes of the scale look like this
Notice that the last note of the 6th string is the beginning note of the 5th string. This pattern continues
across all of the strings except between the 2nd/1st string where it is a typical ½ step.
I believe that starting with pentatonic scales is a leftover relic of beginning to play rock guitar. If
you were starting to play in the 70’s, the most famous guitarists from the most popular band used these
scales exclusively. As the styles of music developed, the need for better sounding scales were needed.
This seemed to leave these patterns behind. With a little thoughtfulness, they can become relivent and
fresh giving you the new sounds you are craving.