The Theory & Scales

Let's kick off with the theory side of this lesson. Dan uses the combination of the major pentatonic and the minor pentatonic to play over a 12 bar blues. In this case, we are using the C major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic across the neck. The key to understanding why this works lies in the structure of the dominant 7th chords. They are built using the major 3rd and the minor 7th, which allows the use of both the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic. We also love the tension in the blues, so the more times you can play an 'out' note and resolve it, the better!

Check out these fretboard diagrams to see the 5 shapes of C major and C minor pentatonic across the neck. It will help to reference these when learning the tab below.

C Minor Pentatonic

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C Minor Pentatonic 5 Shapes

C Major Pentatonic

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C Major Pentatonic 1-5

The Tab

Here is the full tab for you to learn. Remember to always learn the licks with the scale shape in mind, and try to play them in your own style. This means to play them in a way that works for you (whether that's changing the fingering, the rhythm or even the odd note). Have fun!

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