This is a good suggestion. I’ve debated having interval-based boxes. There is always a balance of how much to read from the chart and recall. I will consider your suggestion. Thanks!

Thank you for your comment.

I am certainly a fan of starting with Pentatonic scales and adding notes. One example is the blues scale, which takes the minor pentatonic scale and adds the b5, also known as the #4 or tritone. If you read about the original blues musicians, they didn’t learn the blues scale first. The blues scale was more of a teaching device for those who wanted to emulate the blues. Even that is limited because blues musicians often bend the b3 up to a natural 3rd (due to the prevalence of dominant 7 harmonies). This gives the sense of mixing minor and major pentatonics plus adding the tritone.

I believe playing basslines is a great way to learn scales, which has many benefits for rhythm and lead guitar.

One tip I can give that you may already know is that if you are in a key (let’s say A) and the progression is a I-IV-V with diatonic chords (Amaj7-Dmaj7-E7). These are chords formed off the notes in the key’s major scale. You can play the chord tones off the major scale by starting on the root of the chord and playing every other note of the key’s major scale (A major scale). It’s a one-scale approach, but it is a sneaky entrance into using modes. It is limited, however, because many progressions do not follow strict diatonic scales.

Hi Robert,
Thanks for the question. Let me start by noting that pentatonic scales remove half steps from the scale, which removes the dissonant notes. Therefore you will sound consonant unless you add notes or a chord plays a note outside the pentatonic scale you’re playing.

If you are playing a Major Pentatonic Scale over a dominant 7 chord, adding the b7 makes a lot of sense because it is a chord tone of the dominant 7 chord. Example: You could add Bb over a C7 chord when playing C Major Pentatonic.

The 4th is generally omitted because it is a half step from the major 3rd, which is in every major and dominant chord. Playing it will clash with those types of chords. However if you want dissonance, go for it.

The #4 will clash with the 5th which is also in every chord major or minor unless purposely omitted. If you want dissonance, go for it. If you want consonance, perhaps play it when a chord voicing omits the 5th. This of course assumes your scale and chord have the same root note.

Adding an augmented 5th, or #5, also clashes with the 5th, which can be omitted.

For some styles, like the blues, the 2nd/9th and 6th/13th are often added, but it really depends on the harmonic context (the chords) and whether you want consonance or dissonance.

I hope this helps!

Thank you for posting your question! Blues songs can break some “rules” to create “tension and release”. Many blues songs use dominant chords for the I, IV, and V chords, which all have a major third in them. If they’re 7th chords, this means that they occasionally play a b7 and a b3 in the key. The minor pentatonic scale has a b3 and a b7 to highlight this distinction. Also, you can bend the flat note up a half step to put it “in key”.

Thanks for the kind words.

There aren’t many diagonal patterns because they cover so much distance up and down the fretboard. Some guitarists play more than two or three notes per string, which can extend the pattern farther down the fretboard. To play different keys, just move the root notes based on the key.

Linking single-octave scales can be done with other scales too. Similarly, the CAGED relationship is valid for major scales and minor scales too.

Are there other examples of diagonal patterns or do the above ones work for any key?

Thanks again! You rock!