2 String Scales

This is an exercise that is designed to help connect all of the patterns of a scale over the fret board. I personally have found that when I learn scales that I wound up trying to solo in the little pattern boxes. When I ran out of ideas I then would slide down to another pattern box. In turn my soloing efforts were pretty lame. I always admired the guitar players who seemed to seamlessly play over the entire neck. The conclusion that I came to was that I was visualizing the scale in little box patterns and not the scale over the entire fret board.

My intentions for this lesson are to re-condition your mind to seeing the entire scale over the entire fret board, and break you of these habits.

For convenience I will be using E Minor Pentatonic Scale. Keep in mind that this exercise can be applied to any scale, in any key, and will eventually cover all the patters of the scale. Here are the patterns

E Minor Pentatonic Position I



E|-----|-----|--G--|        

B|-----|-----|--D--|        

G|-----|--A--|-----|        

D|-----|--E--|-----|        

A|-----|--B--|-----|        

E|-----|-----|--G--|     





----------------------------------------------------0-----3-----

------------------------------------------0----3----------------

--------------------------------0----2--------------------------

----------------------0----2------------------------------------

------------0----2----------------------------------------------

--0----3--------------------------------------------------------





E Minor Pentatonic Position II



|-----|--G--|-----|--A--|     

|-----|--D--|-----|--E--|     

|--A--|-----|--B--|-----|     

|--E--|-----|-----|--G--|     

|--B--|-----|-----|--D--|     

|-----|--G--|-----|--A--|     





----------------------------------------------------3-----5-----

------------------------------------------3----5----------------

--------------------------------2----4--------------------------

----------------------2----5------------------------------------

------------2----5----------------------------------------------

--3----5--------------------------------------------------------





E Minor Pentatonic Position III



|-----|--A--|-----|--B--|-----|     

|-----|--E--|-----|-----|--G--|     

|--B--|-----|-----|--D--|-----|     

|-----|--G--|-----|--A--|-----|     

|-----|--E--|-----|--E--|-----|     

|-----|--A--|-----|--B--|-----|     





----------------------------------------------------5-----7-----

------------------------------------------5----8----------------

--------------------------------4----7--------------------------

----------------------5----7------------------------------------

------------5----7----------------------------------------------

--5----7--------------------------------------------------------





E Minor Pentatonic Position IV



|-----|--B--|-----|-----|--D--|     

|-----|-----|--G--|-----|--A--|     

|-----|--D--|-----|--E--|-----|     

|-----|--A--|-----|--B--|-----|     

|-----|--E--|-----|-----|--G--|     

|-----|--B--|-----|-----|--D--|     





----------------------------------------------------7-----10----

------------------------------------------8----10---------------

--------------------------------7----9--------------------------

----------------------7----9------------------------------------

------------7----10---------------------------------------------

--7----10-------------------------------------------------------





E Minor Pentatonic Position V



|-----|--D--|-----|--E--|-----|     

|-----|--A--|-----|--B--|-----|     

|--E--|-----|-----|--G--|-----|     

|--B--|-----|-----|--D--|-----|     

|-----|--G--|-----|--A--|-----|     

|-----|--D--|-----|--E--|-----|     





----------------------------------------------------10----12----

------------------------------------------10---12---------------

--------------------------------9----12-------------------------

----------------------9----12-----------------------------------

------------10---12---------------------------------------------

--10---12-------------------------------------------------------

It is really important to have a good understand of these patterns. You really should have them all or most of them memorized before going on. This is why I've included all the patterns.

Now in our exercise we will only be playing on 2 strings at a time over the entire fret board. At first just try and work on accuracy when you have it memorized then work on speed. Once you feel competent in doing this then move over to the next set of strings. Keep doing this until you have mastered all the strings in all the positions. Try and play a guitar solo, and see how your efforts have changed.

will start with the 5th and 6th strings (low E and A)

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------------0----2------------2----5-------------5----7-------------7---10---------10--12

----0----3------------3----5------------5----7-------------7---10----------10--12--------

Keep playing this pattern until you have them memorized. Play them out of order create new melodies and groves just with these 2 strings. Once you feel comfortable with the 5th and 6th string then move up one string to 5th and 4th, and progress until you have mastered all the strings over the entire fret board.

When you first start running though these patterns you may find that you don't know the scale as was well as you thought. Keep practicing, and you will master it in no time.

5th and 4th Strings



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---------0--2---------2--5---------5--7------------7---9--------------9--12---------------

--0--2---------2--5----------5--7---------7--10-------------10---12-----------------------

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4th and 3rd strings



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-----------0---2-----------4-----------4---7-----------7---9--------------9----12---------

---0---2-----------2---5--------5---7----------7---9-----------9----12--------------------

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3rd and 2nd strings



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-----------0---3-----------3---5----------5---8----------8---10--------------10----12-----

---0---2-----------2---4-----------4---7----------7--9------------9----12-----------------

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2nd and 1st strings



----------0---3------------3---5-----------5---7-------------7---10-------------10---12---

--0---3-----------3---5------------5---8-----------8---10-------------10---12-------------

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That wraps up this lesson. Now that you have mastered this scale, go back and try doing it in different keys. Whenever you learn a new scale, apply this exercise to it as well. I really hope this helped your playing out; I know it did on mine.