The Diagonal Pentatonic Method

Introduction 1

Important Basics and Notation Symbols 3

The Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale : 2-3 Pattern 7

The Diagonal Major Pentatonic Scale : 3-2 Pattern 10

Playing the Root on Any String 12

Playing the Scale in any Key from any Root Note 15

Single String Expansion 17

The 3-Fret Shift

Terminology / FAQ 20
Introduction
I am not a big fan of the guitar methods which say, “This is the secret to everything on the guitar. If you
buy my book...everything will be easy. These are the 3 secrets to playing the guitar that your guitar teacher
doesn’t want you to know. Blah blah blah.”

Well, here is the deal. Music takes work. I am a firm believer that with anything you do, the energy you put
in will equal the energy you get out, but what you get out of it might actually be delayed by six months to
a year, or even more. Sometimes you sow the seeds, and after lots of sowing, you finally reap the rewards
(freedom on the guitar neck). A dedication to music takes consistent effort on your part. However, I believe
that this method, the Diagonal Pentatonic Method, will help many guitar players access the desired notes
on the fretboard with more ease and less confusion than more conventional methods.

Guitar can be very confusing, due to lack of consistency in the note layout on the fretboard. We do not play
an instrument like the piano, where our notes are laid out the same way in every octave and color coded
with black and white keys. We are dealing with a complex system. I compare it to playing six keyboards at
once but without convenient color cues, like black and white keys. Each one of the strings has a different
starting point and layout of the notes. When you combine all the shapes, string sets, and different keys
there are thousands of variables. I believe that the Diagonal Pentatonic Method can bring some consis-
tency to scales in order to help guitarists play with more accuracy and more effectively on the guitar neck,
whether a beginner or an experienced player.

A couple of years ago, I was researching guitar methods, and I stumbled upon a guitar lesson about a
scale shape approach to playing one pattern of the pentatonic both ascending the strings and across the
fretboard, rather than just in positions. The concept was great but not very thorough, so I took to it and
began teaching it as an alternative to the five shapes method. I compared this scale to the playing of many
guitarists that I respect and love and realized that they were using this pattern and variations of it all over
the neck. Over time the concept has evolved into a fully fleshed out methodic approach to playing multi-
ple types of scales comfortably across the entire guitar neck. I continue to expand the concept on a daily
basis. I realize more and more how this concept can encompass the scales and licks used by many artists. I
have seen many of my students eyes light up when they realize the simplicity but vast implications of this
concept.

I absolutely encourage students to use multiple methods of scale shapes in order to master the fretboard.
There is no golden method that works the same for everyone. When I first began, I used the five shapes
method. Realistically, most students do not have time to master such a complex system with so many vari-
ables and less consistent patterns. If you want the most bang for your buck on your practice time, I recom-
mend spending time learning the Diagonal Pentatonic Method first. This will give you a flexible approach
and help you learn your guitar neck thoroughly.

One of the main reasons for my inspiration to share this concept is that I’ve taught hundreds of students,
and one unanimous feeling about the guitar and the way the scales are laid out on the neck is that they are
confusing and overwhelming. I feel like a guitar student at any level can master the Diagonal Pentatonic
Method and apply it fluently in basic and advanced ways. One goal of the Diagonal Pentatonic Method is
to create a scale that occurs in a consistent way across the fretboard. The five shapes method of learning
scales is a solid approach and will lead to expert knowledge of the fretboard, if practiced intensely. The
diagonal method is meant to simplify some of the inconsistencies of the five shapes method and present
the same notes in a more condensed and consistent fashion.

1
As we are discovering, the pentatonic scale is an integral part of being a musician, especially a guitarist.
It’s an integral part of playing music from any country, especially our Western Popular, Rock, Blues, Jazz,
Funk, and Country styles.

In its most basic form, the Diagonal Pentatonic is a scale shape with an alternating series of 2 notes per
string, and 3 notes per string. Each note on the given strings is separated by a whole step. The scale is not
different, note wise, from a normal pentatonic scale. It is only the layout of the scale on the guitar neck
that is different. I advise my students not to think only about what they are playing in regards to the guitar
but to think in relationship to music as a whole. The convenience of playing a Diagonal Pentatonic shape
with this method is that, unlike most scales, the notes always occur in the same order within each set and
look the same in each octave. This scale set can work equally well for both the major and minor pentatonic
scales and will free you up to play, write, or improvise up and down and across the entire guitar neck.

2
Important Basics and Notation Symbols
I have used some customary symbols to represent the fretboard, diagrams, strings, and fingers as well as
some unique to my method. Here is the description of how they will be written:

String Notation
Numbers in parentheses ( ) will indicate strings

(1) indicates the thinnest E string

(2) indicates the B string
(3) indicates the G string
(4) indicates the D string
(5) indicates the A string
(6) indicates the thickest E string

I regularly use the indications of thickest string and thinnest string. Often, people are confused on low to
high and high to low, in regards to strings. I feel like using the terms thickest and thinnest or using the
actual string number is much clearer.

Left Hand Finger Indications

I indicates the index finger
M indicates the middle finger
R indicates the ring finger
P indicates the pinky finger

Many methods include left hand fingers described by the numbers 1-2-3-4. Using your actual finger names
and the letters which reflect those finger names is simpler due to all the numerical values that we have to
deal with including: scale degrees, string numbers, and fret numbers. In this book we will refer to them as
I-M-R-P rather than 1-2-3-4

3
Diagram Indications
The diagrams in this book will be labeled with a thicker E string and a thinner E string. As with most dia-
grams and tablature the lowest string in relationship to the page is the thickest string (6th) and the highest
string in relationship to the page is the thinnest string (1st).

Ascending : Shifting
(towards the guitar body)

Ascending : Crossing
(playing across the strings from thickest to thinnest is also typically ascending)

What is up and what is down? Always describe your scales in a musical way, not how they are arranged on
the guitar. We should always aim to talk about pitch relative to high and low frequency, not to how it looks
on the guitar neck in relationship to the orientation of floor/ceiling/up/down/walls/right/left.

4
Half-Steps and Whole-Steps
What Is A Half-Step?

A half step on the guitar is movement from one fret up or down to the very next fret.

Example:
Moving from the 3rd fret to the 4th fret is ascending one half-step.
Moving from the 10th to the 9th fret is descending one half-step.

What Is A Whole-Step?

A whole step on the guitar is movement from one fret, up 2 frets, or down 2 frets

Example:
Moving from the 3rd fret to the 5th fret is ascending one whole-step.
Moving from the 7th to the 5th fret is descending one whole-step.

2 and 3 Note Sets

In this method there are two very important sets/sequences on the guitar neck. We will call them 2 and 3
note sets.

The 2-Note Set

The diagram shows two notes separated by a whole step. I recommend playing these notes with your index
and ring fingers. The notes in the diagram below are G and A on the thickest E string. A 2-note set can be
placed on any string you wish, at any fret position.

5
The 3-Note Set

The diagram shows three notes separated by two whole steps. The fingering in its most basic form should
be index and ring fingers, with a shift on the ring finger when ascending and a shift on the index finger
when descending. This set includes 3 different notes, separated by two whole-steps. The notes in this dia-
gram are C, D, and E on the A (5) String. The notes are a whole step apart whether you are on a 2-note set
or a 3-note set. A 3 note set can be placed on any string that you’d like, at any fret position.

The terms “scale” and “shape” will be used interchangeably throughout the book, to describe the arrange-
ment of notes in the Diagonal Pentatonic Patterns.

I recommend initially playing the scale with only your index (I) and ring (R) fingers in order to help min-
imize complexity in the fingering. This will give your brain less to think about and help you to retain the
information quickly.

We will start by looking at the minor pentatonic scale in a diagonal form, since it is the first scale learned
by most guitarists and can be used on both blues and minor key songs. This is what I call the 2-3 pattern
due to its recurring and alternating 2 and 3 note sets.

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The Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale : 2-3 Pattern
When playing a Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale, you must place your ring finger on the root of the scale
(darkened circle). You will begin with what we will call a 2-3 pattern which will contain a 2 note set and a 3
note set. The ring finger of the 2 note set is the root note. It is the higher of the two notes.

Important Guidelines

1. Start the scale on a 2 note set with your ring finger on the given root note (A). The scale below is an A
minor pentatonic scale because we are playing the minor pentatonic shape starting on an A root. This
is a great starting point because it is a common key and in a frequently used area of the fretboard on
electric or acoustic guitars. The root note of the scale will always be the ring finger on any given 2 note
set. To maintain the consistency of the alternating 2-3 pattern, we have included a bonus note, the flat-
ted 7th (b7) below the root on which the pattern begins.
2. The next string will have a 3 note set, as described in the diagram in the previous chapter.
3. These sets are the essence of the patterns we will use. These 2 and 3 note sets will occur across the entire
fretboard and give us access to the pentatonic scale anywhere we can find the root note.
4. Recognize the distance between notes on a 2 note set and a 3 note set and know when to shift or not.
You will not shift up the guitar neck on a 2 note set. Instead, cross to the next string for the 3 note set.
5. If you have just played a 2 note set, the following string will always contain a 3 note set. If you have just
played a 3 note set, the following string will always contain a 2 note set.

Playing the Minor Pentatonic

Step by Step for Beginners (or Less Advanced Players)

1. Find the root note of your scale on your thickest (6th) string.
2. Place your ring finger on that note (this is the root or home note of your scale).
3. You have a bonus note (b7) a whole step below the root note, which is played in order to maintain con-
sistency of the 2-3 pattern across the fretboard. This note is played with your index finger.
4. Play your index (I) on the G note and ring finger (R) on the A note.
5. The next string will have a 3 note set. In the A minor pentatonic these notes are C, D, and E.
6. Play the C with your index, D with the ring, and shift up to E on your ring finger.
7. This is one full 2-3 pattern of the diagonal pentatonic minor scale.
8. This 2-3 pattern will occur two more times across the fretboard and is notated in the Two Octave Dia-
gram and Three Octave Diagram below.
9. The 2-3 patterns will stack on each other to create a fretboard-spanning scale.
10. When you cross to the B string you must shift up one half-step in order to continue the scale correctly.
Due to the guitar’s tuning, the G to B string relationship is one half step shorter than the other strings.
This forces us to compensate for the tuning by shifting up one half-step when crossing to the B string.
Look to the three diagrams below for the examples.
11. View the one, two, and three octave Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale diagrams below to visualize this
more clearly on the fretboard.

7
 One Octave Minor Pentatonic - One Full Pattern of the 2-3 pattern

Two Octaves of Minor Pentatonic - Two Full Patterns of the 2-3 pattern

Three Octaves of Minor Pentatonic - Three Full Patterns of the 2-3 pattern

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Steps for More Advanced Players

1. Locate your root

2. Your ring finger is placed on the root. The root is played by your ring finger initially to maintain a
consistent fingering. The b7 is a whole step below this note, played by your index finger. I place the b7
directly below because it gives us unanimity among shapes across the fretboard.
3. Play these two notes, b7 and then 1, or root, A.
4. The next string will contain the 3 note set which includes b3, 4, and 5 of the scale. They are each sep-
arated by a whole step. Shift on the ring finger when you are ascending and shift on the index finger
when you are descending.
5. Initially, even for the more advanced players, I recommend simplifying the fingering and only using
the index and ring fingers. We will quickly expand this fingering with variations in motifs and order in
which we play the notes.
6. This 2-3 pattern is a full pentatonic scale. Repeat this 3 times across the full length of the fretboard as
you both shift up the neck and cross the strings.

Play these scales ascending and descending in order to get a feel for the sound and get them under your
fingertips. Specific exercises are shown in the online course.

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The Diagonal Major Pentatonic Scale : 3-2 Pattern
Knowing the major pentatonic scale is an essential part of being a versatile guitarist. The major penta-
tonic is the complementary counterpart to the minor pentatonic and has many similar uses as well as its
own unique applications. In its diagonal form, the major pentatonic scale is particularly easy to finger and
similar to the minor pentatonic. It is also a series of 2 and 3 note sets; however the major pentatonic starts
directly with index finger on the root and a 3 note set rather than a 2 note set. Below is one full pattern of
the major pentatonic scale. I call it the 3-2 pattern due to the repetitious nature of the alternating 3 note
sets and 2 note sets. I will refer to the Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale as a 2-3 pattern and a Diagonal
Major Pentatonic Scale as a 3-2 pattern.

The 3-2 Diagonal Major Pentatonic Pattern is the inverted version of a 2-3 pattern. Unlike the Diagonal
Minor Pentatonic Scale, you will start with your index finger on the root note and play a 3 note set followed
by a 2 note set on the next string.

Playing the Major Pentatonic

Step by Step for Beginners (or Less Advanced Players)

1. Find your root on the 6th string (thickest). The diagram below is a Diagonal A Major Pentatonic Scale.
It is a Diagonal A Major Pentatonic Scale because we are starting our Diagonal Major Pentatonic Scale
(3-2) on an A root note.
2. Start your index finger on the A note, which is the root of the scale.
3. Play a 3 note set from this note. Make sure each note is separated by a whole step.
4. The next string will be a 2 note set, 2 notes separated by one whole step.
5. This set of strings is one full 3-2 pattern which contains all 5 notes of the major pentatonic scale.
6. Follow the diagrams and continue the pattern across the fretboard, repeating your alternating 3 and 2
note sets. Always remember the required shift for the B string; it is always one fret higher than expected.
7. Always alternate your sets. A 3 note set always follows a 2 note set and a 2 note set always follows a 3
note set.

Steps for More Advanced Players

1. We will start with our A root on the 6th string.

2. To simplify our fingering make sure to play only index and ring fingers for now. Using only your index
and ring fingers is essential for internalizing the 2 and 3 note sets.
3. Play a 3 note set off of the A root note. A - B - C# which is 1-2-3 of the major pentatonic scale.
4. The next string will contain a 2 set. E - F# - notes 5 and 6 of the scale
5. The 3-2 pattern will continue across the fretboard as you shift up the neck. Always shift up one fret on
the B string due to the guitar’s tuning.
6. If you start the scale on the 6th string, the pattern will end on a high 2 set of E-F# on the thinest E string.
7. Play each diagram below slowly, using only the index and ring fingers.

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 One Octave Major Pentatonic - One Full Pattern of the 3-2 pattern

Two Octaves of Minor Pentatonic - Two Full Patterns of the 2-3 pattern

Three Octaves of Minor Pentatonic - Three Full Patterns of the 2-3 pattern

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Playing the Root on Any String
So far we have begun the scale on only the 6th string (thickest). One of the most exciting things about
the Diagonal Pentatonic Scale is that you can start the scale on any string, and descend or ascend in either
direction from that position. With a simple understanding of note location, you can start the Diagonal
Major or Minor Pentatonic Scales on any root note across the entire fretboard. As long as you can find the
root note, and start with the correct finger and note set, you can play a Diagonal Major or Minor Penta-
tonic Scale from any note across the entire guitar neck. The pattern will maintain consistency no matter
where your starting point is. If you start on a 2 note set, the following string, ascending or descending, will
contain a 3 note set. If you start on a 3 note set, the following string, ascending or descending, will contain
a 2 note set. Always pay attention to what set you are on and watch out for the B string alteration (shift).

Important Concepts To Remember

1. No matter where you start, if you start with your ring finger on the root and play a 2-3 pattern, you will
be able to play a Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale.
2. No matter where you start, if you start with your index finger on the root and play a 3-2 pattern, you will
be able to play a Diagonal Major Pentatonic Scale.
3. If you are playing a 2 note set on any string, the next string above (thinner) or below (thicker) will al-
ways be a 3 note set.
4. If you are playing a 3 note set on any string, the next string above (thinner) or below (thicker) will al-
ways be a 2 note set.
5. Always pay attention to whether you are on a 2 note set or a 3 note set. This will help you avoid any un-
intentional notes or “avoid notes.”
6. The B string can be a nemesis if you don’t get used to shifting up or down as you cross it. Always remem-
ber to make an alteration of one fret up to your scale if the B string is involved.

Two Important Notes

1. Don’t forget to practice your scales descending along with your ascending practice. It is important as a
guitarist to be able to think from your thinnest strings backwards in order to access your scales. Many
guitarists get stuck in the rut of always starting their scales from their thickest guitar string. The Diag-
onal Pentatonic is great for helping you unlock your descending scales and will help you access your
scales anywhere on the guitar neck, rather than limiting you to just one pentatonic shape that always
starts from the thickest string.

2. In some very low or very high positions a lack of frets on your guitar or lack of fretboard access (acous-
tic guitar with no cutaway) will not allow you to finish an entire set or pattern of the scale. That is OK.
Remember that this method is only to give you options across the entire fretboard. Because the scale
is not able to be completed in a certain position doesn’t mean that area is not useful for musical ideas.
The next chapter will also help to connect the different positions of the fretboard.

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A Minor Pentatonic starting with the roots on each string
Starting the Scale with Root on 6th String (Higher Octave)

Starting the Scale with Root on 5th String

Starting the Scale with Root on 4th String

Starting the Scale with Root on 3rd String

Starting the Scale with Root on 2nd String

13
A Major Pentatonic starting with the roots on each string
Starting the Scale with Root on 6th String (Higher Octave)

Starting the Scale with Root on 5th String

Starting the Scale with Root on 4th String

Starting the Scale with Root on 3rd String

Starting the Scale with Root on 2nd String

14
Playing the Scale in any Key from any Root Note
So far we have only played the Diagonal Major and Minor Pentatonic in the key of A major pentatonic and
A minor pentatonic. The flexibility in the diagonal approach is evident when you modulate to other key
centers.

Obviously in our music a scale shape has to be flexible in order to be played in different keys and styles.
You can take the 2-3 and 3-2 patterns and start them on any root note, on any string, creating the Diagonal
Major or Minor Pentatonic Scales from that starting note. The same principles outlined in the previous
chapters will work in any key that you approach.

Following are examples in other keys besides A minor and A major. Play these examples and also try the
scale in the other common keys that you play. I recommend using jam tracks online or ones included in
the practice sessions/lick book. Make sure to practice playing the scale off of each string so that you don’t
get stuck playing from the thickest E string all the time. All keys are useful and important, so I recommend
keeping track of what keys you have practiced in and make sure that you work through all possible majors
and minors.

Other Complicated Multi-Stringed Guitars

What if you happened to pick up a 7 or 8 string guitar....?

The same concept of a 2-3 pattern or a 3-2 pattern would apply to any instrument in 4ths tuning.

What if you decided to start playing 4, 5, 6, or 7 string bass?

The Diagonal Major and Minor Pentatonics would still apply in the same way, making them useful for
many stringed instruments. This concept will be applicable to any instrument in the guitar/bass family as
long as they are in standard tuning or tuned in 4ths.

15
Diagonal Pentatonic Scales in Common Keys
G Minor Pentatonic

C Minor Pentatonic

F Major Pentatonic

E Minor Pentatonic

Bb Major Pentatonic

16
Single String Expansion
The 3-Fret Shift

Whole Fretboard Knowledge and Fluency

Full Neck Access For Creativity-Improvising-Soloing-Writing

After learning the Diagonal Pentatonic Scale from any starting note on any string, and getting comfortable
moving through Diagonal Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales, the next step is to realize that you can shift
up or down a single string to expand these Diagonal Pentatonic Scales across the entire fretboard.

Rather than always crossing to the next string when playing a Diagonal Pentatonic, you can shift up or
down a single string to grab the next 2 or 3 note set of the Diagonal Pentatonic Scale. At any point that you
reach the highest or lowest note of a 2 or 3 note set, rather than crossing to the adjacent string to play the
next set, you can choose to shift up or down three frets to play the next 2 or 3 note set on your current string.

This shift can be made at any point on the guitar neck and will help you to free yourself from being stuck
in “standard” five shape guitar positions. The single string three fret shift gives us unlimited range across
the entire fretboard, using the Diagonal Pentatonic Concept. This shift works whether you are playing the
Diagonal Major Pentatonic Scale or the Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale.

In this section, I will walk you through several examples of the three fret shift on one string. We will play
the shifts in multiple keys in order to get used to the concept and the movement it takes in order to be
fluent.

3-Fret Shift : 2-note set to 3-note set

3-Fret Shift : 3-note set to 2-note set

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Step by Step : The 3-Fret Shift, Ascending (up the neck towards the guitar body)

1. Pick a root for your scale.

2. Pick a quality for your scale - major or minor pentatonic.
3. For example, we will use a G minor pentatonic scale (2-3 pattern) starting on the G at the 3rd fret of the
6th string.
4. Play all the notes in this 2-3 pattern from the 6th to the 4th string.
5. Once you finish the 2 pattern on the 4th string, instead of continuing onto the 3rd string for the next
3 note set, shift up 3 frets from the last note (G at the 5th fret) to Bb (8th fret) and start your 3 note set
from that Bb note.
6. Continue to the G string for your 2 note set, B string for your 3 note set, and finish with a 2 note set on
the 1st string.

G Minor Pentatonic : 2-3 Pattern

Step by Step : The 3-Fret Shift, Descending (down the neck towards the headstock)

1. Pick a root high up the neck for your scale.

2. Pick a quality for your scale - major or minor pentatonic.
3. We will use the F minor pentatonic scale with the highest note at the 13th fret of the 1st string
4. Play a descending 2-3 pattern from the F. There is a trick here, the high F is actually the root note of
your 2 note set. Come down the scale and play a 2 note set on the first string and 3 note set on the 2nd
string. When you finish the 3rd note on the 2nd string, stop playing.
5. Instead of moving to the 3rd string for the next 2 note set, shift down the 2nd string by three frets from
the 9th fret to the 6th fret. The 6th fret will be the higher note of your 2 note set.
6. Continue your pattern by playing a 3 note set on the 3rd string and a 2 note set on the 4th string. We
will finish the scale here.

F Minor Pentatonic : 2-3 Pattern

Shifts up or down the neck can happen on any string or in any major or minor key. In the first example we
shifted on the 4th string in the key of G minor and in the second example we shifted descending on the
2nd string in the key of F minor. Here are more examples of shifting on different strings and in different
keys. The main principle to take away from this part of the method is that you can shift across the entire
guitar neck using 2-3 and 3-2 patterns by going to the next string or shifting up and down a single string in
three fret increments.
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Single String Expansion in Common Keys
A Major Pentatonic

D Major Pentatonic

Bb Major Pentatonic

E Minor Pentatonic

C Minor Pentatonic

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Terminology / FAQ
In writing about the Diagonal Pentatonic Method, I had to create certain language to describe some techni-
cal devices and concepts. Here are some clarifications of terms as well as some frequently asked questions.

What is a Diagonal Pentatonic Scale?

The Diagonal Pentatonic Scale is a term that I coined in order to describe a scale shape that is neither a
static positional nor a single string scale. The “standard” five pentatonic shapes or “boxes” are all positional
scales, meaning that they occur across the fretboard in a particular position (between frets x and y - typi-
cally within a four to five fret range). A single string scale would be played by shifting up and down a single
string - the single string scale would be played, of course, with all the notes contained on one string. The
Diagonal Pentatonic Scale shifts up the strings and crosses the fretboard simultaneously. The Diagonal
Pentatonic Scales are a combination of positional and single string scales created both to simplify and
expand the five pentatonic scale shapes.

What is a shift/shifting?
Shifting is the term used to describe the movement up and down a single string. An ascending shift means
to move up the neck, from low frets (low fret numbers) to high frets (high fret numbers), towards the body
of the guitar. A descending shift means to move down the neck, from high frets to low frets, towards the
headstock of the guitar.

What is a cross/crossing?
Crossing is the term used to describe the movement across the frets from thickest string to thinnest string
or from thinnest string to thickest string. I use the language of “thickest to thinnest” or “thinnest to thick-
est” to orient the player and aid in describing which direction to move across the fretboard. Many guitar
players, even advanced, get confused using the numbers 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to describe the strings. I use a combi-
nation of the “thin vs. thick” language as well as the number system. Always remember the biggest number
is the thickest string (6), and the smallest number is the thinnest string (1).

What is a set?
A “set” in the Diagonal Pentatonic Method is a group of 2 notes with a whole step between the notes, or a
group of 3 notes with a whole step between each note. The initial concept of the method is based on 2 and
3 note sets. Check out “The Basics” chapter to see diagrams of 2 and 3 note sets.

What is a pattern? What is 2-3 and what is 3-2?

I use the term “pattern” to describe the combination of 2 and 3 note sets. In the Diagonal Pentatonic Meth-
od, there are two initial options. The Diagonal Minor Pentatonic Scale is a 2-3 pattern, and the Diagonal
Major Pentatonic Scale is a 3-2 pattern.

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What are I M R P?
In my teaching, I use I-M-R-P to describe index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers on the left hand rather
than the standard 1-2-3-4 number system. I chose to use the letters associated with our finger names to
simplify and limit the references to numbers used in describing guitar music. As guitarists, we have to deal
with fret numbers, string numbers, scale degree numbers, chord numbers, and several other combinations
of numbers. Simplifying this concept will make terminology easier for the student.

What does the letter H stand for and what is a half step?
The letter “H” represents the interval of a half-step, when describing scales and chords. A half-step is the
measurement (interval) of space between two notes, equaling the distance of one fret up or down on the
guitar neck. The guitar fingerboard is built of half steps. In order to move in half-step increments on the
guitar neck, play any note and move one fret up or down that same string, ascending towards the body of
the guitar or descending towards the headstock of the guitar. By moving one fret up or down, you have
moved the interval of one half-step up or one half-step down.

Examples:

Play the 10th fret of the B string. Move one fret up to the 11th fret of the B string towards the body of the
guitar. You have ascended one half-step.

Play the 5th fret of the A string. Move one fret down to the 4th fret of the A string. You have descended one
half-step.

What does the letter W stand for and what is a whole step?
The letter “W” represents the interval of a whole-step when describing scales and chords. A whole-step is
a measurement (interval) of space between two notes, equaling two frets. A whole-step is the combination
of two half steps. In order to move in whole steps on the guitar, play any note and move two frets up or
down on that same string, ascending towards the body or descending towards the headstock. By moving
two frets up or down, you have moved one whole-step up or one whole-step down.

Examples:

Play the 5th fret of the high E string (thinnest). Move two frets up to the 7th fret of the High E string, to-
wards the body of the guitar. You have ascended one whole-step.

Play the 2nd fret of the D string. Move two frets down to the open note of the D string. You have descended
one whole-step.

*Note - Open strings count as notes, just like fretted notes. Don’t forget that you can move in intervals to
and from open strings. You can ascend from an open string by a half-step or whole-step to the 1st or 2nd
fret. You can also descend to an open string by a half-step or whole-step from the 1st or 2nd frets.

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What is a Major Pentatonic Scale?
I will cover this concept at greater length in my theory book, but a major pentatonic scale is essentially
a five note scale, or what I call a “subset” of the major scale. A major scale is built on a formula of whole-
steps and half-steps. The formula for a major scale, in ascending steps, is W - W - H - W - W - W - H or
Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half. This scale contains seven notes that are numbered
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 1.

The major pentatonic scale is a subset of this scale because it is built via the same major scale formula, but
excludes the 4th and 7th notes from the major scale. The major pentatonic scale is built by using 1 - 2 - 3 - 5
- 6 - 1. The first note of the scale is counted only once, even though the scale starts on the first note, follows
the formula, and returns to the first note at the end of the scale in the next higher octave. This makes a five
note scale, hence the name the major pentatonic scale, using the prefix “penta,” meaning five.

What is a Minor Pentatonic Scale?

The minor pentatonic scale is likely the most popular scale on the guitar. I will cover this concept at greater
length in my theory book, but a minor pentatonic scale is a five note scale, or what I call a “subset” of the
natural minor scale. A natural minor scale is built on a formula of whole-steps and half-steps. The formula
for the natural minor scale is W - H - W - W - H - W - W or Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Half - Whole
- Whole. This scale contains seven different notes that are numbered 1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7 - 1. The first
note of the scale is counted only once, even though the scale starts on the first note, follows the formula,
and returns to the first note at the end of the scale in the next higher octave.

The minor pentatonic scale is built by using 1 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7 - 1. The minor pentatonic scale is a subset of
the natural minor scale because it is built via the same formula as the natural minor scale but excludes the
2nd and 6th from the scale. This makes a five note scale - hence the name “The Minor Pentatonic Scale,”
using the prefix “penta,” meaning five.

What is a subset?
A subset is a partial scale of fewer notes that is derived from a parent or diatonic (7 note) scale, such as the
major or natural minor scale. The pentatonic scales are subsets because they are derived from their parent
major or minor scales. Typically a subset is only a portion of the parent scale. The pentatonic scale consists
of five out of the seven notes from its parent scale.

What is the difference between a Diagonal Pentatonic Major or Minor

Scale and a regular major or minor pentatonic scale?
The only difference between the Diagonal Pentatonic Scales and standard pentatonic scales is their lay-
out on the fretboard. Both types of scales contain the same five notes. The Diagonal Pentatonic Scales
sequence the notes across the fretboard in a more simple and repeatable fashion than box based shapes.
Either method will give you the exact same notes to play in your music whether you are composing or im-
provising. One of the real beauties of the Diagonal Pentatonic Method is the fluidity with which you can
move between positions and octaves, maintaining similar looking and feeling shapes.

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