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Lesson 1 of 4

Pentatonic plus natural minor

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Slash's lead playing is rooted in the minor pentatonic, but he regularly adds the two extra notes of the natural minor scale. That turns a blues box into something more melodic.

We're in E minor at the 12th fret. E minor pentatonic is E G A B D. The natural minor (Aeolian) adds F# (the 2nd) and C (the 6th). In this box, F# is on the high e string at fret 14 and C is on the B string at fret 13.

Fingering and picking

  • Index on fret 12, middle on 13, ring on 14, pinky on 15. One finger per fret.
  • Alternate picking throughout, starting with a downstroke.
  • The bend is A to B on the G string, ring finger backed by middle.

The first exercise is a pure pentatonic lick. The second is a descending eight-note pattern that includes the F# and C, repeated, then a bend, release and resolution to E.

It should sound fluid and singing, not mechanical. The common mistake is letting the run speed up on the descent; keep each 16th note even and accent the first of each beat lightly, as marked with >.

Tone: a humbucker on the neck pickup into a hot, crunchy amp. A common trick with this much gain is to roll the guitar volume down slightly to keep notes clear.

Exercises

E minor pentatonic lick

60 → 100 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. high E string, fret 12
    2. high E string, fret 15
    3. high E string, fret 12
    4. B string, fret 15
    5. B string, fret 12
    6. G string, fret 14
    7. G string, fret 12
    8. D string, fret 14
  2. Bar 2
    1. G string, fret 12
    2. G string, fret 14, bend to fret 16, vibrato, vibrato
    3. G string, fret 14, bend to fret 16, release to fret 14
    4. G string, fret 12
    5. D string, fret 14

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Adding F# and C

50 → 90 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. high E string, fret 15, accented
    2. high E string, fret 14
    3. high E string, fret 12
    4. B string, fret 15
    5. B string, fret 13, accented
    6. B string, fret 12
    7. G string, fret 14
    8. G string, fret 12
    9. high E string, fret 15, accented
    10. high E string, fret 14
    11. high E string, fret 12
    12. B string, fret 15
    13. B string, fret 13, accented
    14. B string, fret 12
    15. G string, fret 14
    16. G string, fret 12
  2. Bar 2
    1. G string, fret 14, bend to fret 16, vibrato, vibrato, vibrato
    2. G string, fret 14, bend to fret 16, release to fret 14, vibrato, vibrato
    3. G string, fret 12, vibrato, vibrato, vibrato
    4. D string, fret 14, vibrato, vibrato, vibrato

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • The run at 90 bpm, four loops, alternate picking
  • Point out the F# and C in the run and name them aloud
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