The A Minor Pentatonic

Beginner Grade 2 Module 12: Rock Power Chords & Techniques
34

@Richard_close2u
Mmm interesting. If convention has it written starting with the high e string why do we play it starting with the low E string?

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35

Gordon, you play from bottom to top which is equivalent to low notes to high.
And back again of course.
:slight_smile:

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36

Hi
Thank you for the welcome.
Justin includes a backing tack to play the A minor pentatonic first position scale with is this played at 60bpm
He also talks about playing the top note in this scale once meaning when we reach the end of the scale to go back up we 5-8 from the B string which is not how I was taught how to play this.
I am new to string bending is the information you included to accompany Justin’s string bending course?
Many thanks.

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37

Martin

You play the 8th fret on the e string as the highest note on the scale once on the way up and then play the 5th fret on the e string next on the way down. You do not jump to the B string as you have said.

String bending techniques are taught in Grade 5 Blues Lead 1 which is part of the Intermediate course.

https://www.justinguitar.com/classes/intermediate-guitar-course-grade-five

https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/bending-technique-in-blues-bl-403

:sunglasses:

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38

Thanks

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39

11 posts were split to a new topic: I already know the blues scale, do I need to learn the minor pentatonic scale?

44

Are you sure that with string bendind my strings aint gonna break?
Because I already replaced the E string ( the thin one) twice and I am afraid that if I try string bending I will get to do another trip at my guitar shop =))

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45

Strings will break however careful you are with them. I was just taking my high E string down a semitone and it snapped.

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47

If you have string breakage when bending it is possible that you have a sharp edge on your saddle or you have an old and corroded string.
Under normal tension strings can bend a long way without snapping.

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49

I fitted Ernie Ball Extra Slinky 8-gauge strings to my strat when I started string bending, because the 9’s that were on it were murder on my fingers. I have broken two of the high-e strings while bending. I ended up buying a few individual EB 8-gauge strings, so I didn’t have to buy a whole set when I only needed 1 string.

50

After reading all these comments about how easy people find it I feel very discouraged. I can’t get my fingers to stay far enough apart to get in the right frets so I’m sliding around trying to reach with my pinky then sliding back to first finger and it sounds horribly uneven.

51

Don’t let any posts get you down. For every one that makes me feel awful, i find 10 in other topics that if feel better. This particular technique is just a weak one for you! no worries - you got lots you CAN do just fine!

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52

Don’t fret it (excuse the pun) as this will come as you stretch your fingers. Try the fingers gyms. It took me ages to get my fingers to stretch over four frets. It will come, but a bit of patience and plenty of practice is required :slight_smile:

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53

Finger Gyms???

54

Try this one https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/finger-stretching-exercise-te-101

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55

Thanks Stuart and Karende! Lol at the pun. It’s so hard to be patient, especially when practicing something boring like a scale…

58

They may be but opening up things to a whole new world!!

59

When playing two notes on one string, e.g. starting with moving from A (1st finger, 6th string) to C (4th finger, 6th string), you need to lift your 1st finger off of note A before fretting note C, correct? You can’t leave your 1st finger on A when you move your 4th finger to fret C?

60

@talank
It is perfectly fine to leave your finger down … often desirable.
Good luck practicing.
Cheers
Richard
:slight_smile:

61

Thanks. But by “down”, do you mean fretting? So at one point, you’re playing two different notes on the same string?