5 Jazzy Pentatonic Scale Patterns

As many guitarists begin playing rock, blues, and pop music before exploring jazz, one of the first scales we have under our fingers are the various positions of the major and minor pentatonic scales. To help you translate these commonly used scales to a jazz context, here are 5 jazz pentatonic scale patterns that you can work on in the woodshed as you bring your pentatonic knowledge into the jazz realm.

While the examples in this lesson are applied to the first position of a minor pentatonic scale, any of these patterns can be applied to any position of any guitar scale that you know or are working on in the practice room.

While each pattern in this lesson is written in ascending order only, you can also practice these patterns descending on any pentatonic scale that you apply them to.

Pentatonic Scale Patterns 1 – 123

The first pattern consists of a 3-note grouping that you play from each note in the scale. When doing so, you produce a 123, 234, 345, etc. pattern as you ascend the scale with this three-note shape.

As was noted in the intro, make sure to work this, and any, pattern ascending and descending the scale as you expand upon it further in your jazz guitar practice routine.

 

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Pentatonic Scale Patterns 1-png

 

Pentatonic Scale Patterns 2 – Left vs. Right 1

The next scale pattern is based on the left vs. right nature of any pentatonic scale shape. When you play the pentatonic scale using two notes per string, you have a left side of the scale (the notes closest to the nut) and a right side of the scale (the notes closest to the pickups).

You can use this construction to your advantage when working on pentatonic scale patterns by playing two notes on the left side of the scale followed by two notes on the right side.

When doing so, you are emphasizing a lot of 4th intervals within the scale, which produces a modern sounding pattern as you ascend and descend the scale in your practicing and jazz guitar soloing ideas.

 

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Pentatonic Scale Patterns 2-png

 

Pentatonic Scale Patterns 3 – Left vs. Right 2

You can also play 3 notes on each side of the scale, as you can see and hear in the next scale pattern.

When playing this pentatonic scale pattern, make sure that you make three-note group connected, yet don’t let them ring so much that they sound like a chord being strummed.

Aim for connected, yet not overlapping, sounds when playing each of these three-note shapes on either side of the pentatonic scale in your practice and soloing ideas based on this pattern.

 

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Pentatonic Scale Patterns 3-png

 

Pentatonic Scale Patterns 4 – Enclosures

This pattern applies a commonly used bebop concept, the enclosure, to each of the notes in a pentatonic scale.

There are many variations of the enclosure in jazz, but the one we’ll focus on uses one fret above, one fret below, and then the target note from the scale.

When applying enclosures to the minor pentatonic scale, as you can hear in the example below, there is an outside/tense sound that is created with the two chromatic notes, which are then resolved into each note in the underlying scale.

 

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Pentatonic Scale Patterns 4-png

 

Pentatonic Scale Patterns 5 – Side Stepping

The final pattern comes from a concept commonly used by saxophonist John Coltrane, among others, and it is called side-stepping.

This technique uses two pentatonic scales, your tonic scale and one a fret higher, to build an “inside-outside” or “tension and release” sound in your practicing and soloing ideas.

In this example, you will play 4 notes from the A minor pentatonic scale, followed by 4 notes from the Bb minor pentatonic scale, alternating between these two scales as you ascend all six strings on the fretboard.

This pattern can be a bit dissonant for some players, but give it a try as you might be surprised at how quickly your ears will adjust and this type of slippery, outside sound becomes normal in both your technical and improvisational patterns.

 

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Pentatonic Scale Patterns 5-png

 

After you have worked on these scale patterns, try putting on a backing track and soloing over that track using one or more of these patterns as the basis for your improvised lines.

Scale patterns are a great way to learn new scales, develop your technique on the guitar, as well as provide you material that you can apply to your jazz guitar solos at the same time.

 

 

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68 thoughts on “5 Jazzy Pentatonic Scale Patterns”

  1. jim

    One of the most usable in many genres lessons yet

  2. countthis

    Nice lesson, thanks! Also just had loads of fun jamming around with the two semitone separated scales – a really nice way into atonality.

  3. Garry

    Very helpful thanks for the lesson.

  4. Lewis M

    Matt & Dirk, the quality and variety you offer is amazing. Practice cannot be dull. Through your site I’m getting the sounds I want to hear me play. No waiting. Just, sigh, a shortage of practice time. Thanks ever so much.

  5. Whitster

    This web sight is one of the best Ive seen for jazz guitar. Its really informative and set up right who ever did this did everyone who likes jazz guitar a great service. many thanks!!

  6. Jimmy Townsend

    great exercises. Will be fun to apply them to the other Pentatonic patterns on the guitar neck. thanks and good job

  7. Mike C.

    Do you have a video showing fingerings for the enclosures? I assume one needs three fingers for these enclosures, unless there is a slide from the leading tone below. I guess there’s not much for options, but I’d be interested in how you make these happen smoothly.

    1. Matt Warnock

      Hi Mike, I like to do 2-1-1 on the “left” side of the scale, where you would normally play the notes with your index finger. For the other notes on the “right” side of the scale/string, I use 423. Cheers.

  8. huseyin tuter

    Thanks alot for the nice sharing. Jazz guitar has recently attracted my ears and I really found of your site. I am thankful to you for the basic ideas of sharing.

  9. robemazzoli

    Thank you Matt, i’m glad to use these suggestions!

  10. John M

    Excellent examples for someone like me who has been playing awhile but is still relatively new to jazz guitar improvisational concepts. Great way to show us blues and rock guys struggling to learn some jazz vocabulary how some simple ideas and techniques can open the door to using familiar patterns – like the minor pentatonic scale – in a jazz context.

  11. Chuckbluz

    Excellent transitional lesson for us blues/rock players. I can’t wait to work on this. I’m getting back to jazz late in life, and lessons like this give me the confidence that maybe I can learn this stuff before I forget how to even play a guitar!

  12. David

    For a beginning Jazz guitarist these patterns are quite useful.Scales straight up and down can get awful boring.

  13. jimmy

    awesome! i love the concepts of enclosures and side stepping!

  14. Rahul

    thank you much for this (y) 🙂

  15. johnnycockatoo100

    great stuff Dirk I don’t worry about the timing and just go loose and sloppy

    so free the notes give some construction

  16. Bernhard

    Hi Matt, I wonder how you do the fingering with that enclosure one. In real world playing (other than practising scales) I guess it is not an issue as you don’t use the concept in a constant row. but here? it’s kinda hard to find a fingering that feels “correct”..million thanks for all, btw. 🙂

    1. Matt Warnock

      Hey, I use 2-1-1 on the left side of the scale and 4-2-3 or 3-1-2 on the right side. Hope that helps

  17. ThatsEarlBrother

    Just now getting back to this lesson.Plain therapeutic fun.It really is stress release.Thanks these lessons just might add years to my life.Thanks Doc. TEB (ThatsEarlBrother)

  18. luci

    Exellent demonstrations! for budding guitarist learning to move clumsy fingers, these exercises are brilliant practice. So generous, thank – you

  19. Dang – as i go through your site i keep finding gems.Thank you abunch
    AL

  20. George

    The song link for the third part of the lesson (Pentatonic Scale Patterns 3 – Left vs. Right 2) is wrong. It’s the same link as for lesson 1 and doesn’t match the written music.

  21. steve neaves

    This piece of information is real cool and I am enjoying it and much thanks

  22. Con

    Hi Matt I assume you mean “2 for more notes” ?

    1. Matt Warnock

      Hey, I mean two or more notes. So if you have notes on the 5th fret 6th and 5th strings in a row, I would play both of those notes with one finger, probably my index. If you have 5th fret on the 6th, 5th and 4th strings I would do the same. That’s all.

  23. Bboyprs

    Thanks for the continued lessons which are motivating and interesting. I have a technical question regarding fingering. When playing the same fret on sequential strings (Bb, Eb, Ab) do you rely on one finger or alternate with others? I’ve heard the former can contribute to carpal tunnel issues.

    Great stuff!

    1. Matt Warnock

      Hey, I use one finger whenever I have more than one note on the same fret but on different strings, 2 or more notes. Cheers

  24. Pedro P.

    Thank you so much, it’s a great lesson!!

    Greetings!!

  25. Dante55

    As usual, excellent works perfectly synthetised in this small lesson…
    it honors you for sharing your knowledges that way …Thanks !
    A other teacher from somewhere on earth.
    Kaz1

  26. Percy

    Excellent patterns but why not in PDF to enable printing for filing ?

  27. Rick

    Dirk, Thanks again! I like to be able to put in a different sound. Very nice. If the chord progression is a 12 bar RandB, is there anything you can do to change the 4 and 5 chord improv in a similar way? Thanks. Rick

  28. Júlio CV

    Now I got the access to the sound. Simply fantastic. One question: In which harmonic situation you can apply the 4 and 5 patterns? Do they work well over all the altered chords?

    1. Matt Warnock

      You can use them over any instance where a pentatonic scale would fit. So you could play it over m7, 7th, 7alt, maj7 or other similar chords. Try it out, very cool sound!

  29. Tony Mangue

    Hi Dirk
    Thanks the pentatonic scale is a wonderful tool. Yes, as many, or all of musicians i started playing pentatonics without knowing is pentatonics and since i got some scale books, i lernt it. Great lesson!
    Dirk, is it possible to get pentatonic scale patterns from Steve Khan?
    I love the way he play the pentatonic, so i sugest you to put in this forum.
    Thanks Dirk.

  30. Jos Tuccillo

    Thanks the pentatonic scale is a wonderful tool. Learning how to better use that tool will make us all better players. Great lesson!

  31. Michael

    Your lessons are always great. It definitely gives you so many things to work on.
    It was also great to see that you don’t have to money to enjoy the wonderful world of music. Thanks Dirk

  32. Marlon Perera

    I tried it in several ways.. in several keys. also a good exercise. Tks

  33. Andre Watts Santos

    Great lesson, simple and useful ideas, thank you!

  34. Júlio CV

    Great Lesson. Thanks so much, man. I could not get access to the sound but I love your explanation.

  35. Tony

    I cannot make Sound Cloud work at all. Any suggestions?

    1. Matt Warnock

      What browser are you using? Might just need an update or plugin update.

      1. Tony

        I am using AOL with Internet Explorer. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

        1. Tony

          Thanks! That was the problem which has been overcome by using Google Chrome instead of IE. Great sound, great lesson!!!

  36. Dan

    Quite a change from using pentatonic scales in Blues and Rock. Thank you for the lesson

  37. dario

    Great!!! The
    pattern #5 is great!!!

    Manymanymany thanx

    Cheers

    dario

  38. dario

    Great!!! The 5 pattern is great!!!

    Manymanymany thanx

    Cheers

    dario

  39. JUANPILLO

    Super cool stuff and very useful, thanks a bunch.

  40. raulz

    Great lesson.

    Many thanks Dirk.

  41. Rick Winfield

    I believe that John McLaughlin,(back in the day) used the style of exercise #5,mixing them up at light speed!
    Very effective

  42. emefem

    Great lessons. For the beginners like me it would be better if you could add the proper fingers to be used in the patterns.

  43. Ilya

    Great lesson,The Teacher!

    IMHO also is interesting to know pentatonic’s chords (6 notes on each side of penta-tonik!), beacose :1) it make us remember pentatonic’s 5 shapes 2) it’s ready for cascading harmonics runs.

  44. Paul Gerards

    very nice to play on altered chords: thanx!!

  45. GeorgeK

    A great site wonderful lessons, tutorials and comments however the sheer scale of content in learning jazz guitar or any other jazz instrument, is overpowering. Not only where does one start but which strand does one follow after starting! Life is certaily NOT boring!

  46. Darrell

    Thanks so much for the valuable information that is helping me become a better player.

  47. WILHELM

    Hi Dirk,
    I was moved by “BILLY’S” comment (May 6th).It highlights the fact that your web site is not JUST a great resource for budding Blues/Jazz guitarists:it’s a great example of caring and sharing.Perhaps it’s the yardstick by which others should be measured.
    Billy wrote:
    “I am poor and can not afford lesson but it is because of your freely giving that I can learn. God bless you.”
    Amen, to that.
    Wilhelm

  48. sunny

    great lesson…, keep’em coming please..!!!

  49. billy

    Thank you soo much. I am poor and can not afford lesson but it is because of your freely giving that I can learn. God bless you.

  50. Asquared

    Great, thanks. Some simple yet effective ways to move from rock/blues to jazz. Just what I was looking for.

  51. JazzyBob

    As a basic jazz guitarist this set of scales is priceless and will be used by me in some way every time I play. Thank you so very much.

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