Pentatonic Scale Exercises
Contents
Stepwise Motion
Simple stepwise motion - just an ascending or descending scale.
C Position
E---------------------0-3-0--------------------- B-----------------1-3-------3-1----------------- G-------------0-2---------------2-0------------- D---------0-2-----------------------2-0--------- A-----0-3-------------------------------3-0----- E-0-3---------------------------------------3-0-
A Position
E---------------------3-5-3--------------------- B-----------------3-5-------5-3----------------- G-------------2-5---------------5-2------------- D---------2-5-----------------------5-2--------- A-----3-5-------------------------------5-3----- E-3-5---------------------------------------5-3-
G Position
E---------------------5-8-5--------------------- B-----------------5-8-------8-5----------------- G-------------5-7---------------7-5------------- D---------5-7-----------------------7-5--------- A-----5-7-------------------------------7-5----- E-5-8---------------------------------------8-5-
E/G Position
E-------------------------8-10-8------------------------- B--------------------8-10--------10-8-------------------- G----------------7-9------------------9-7---------------- D-----------7-10--------------------------10-7----------- A------7-10------------------------------------10-7------ E-8-10----------------------------------------------10-8-
D Position
E------------------------------10-12-10------------------------------ B------------------------10-13----------13-10------------------------ G-------------------9-12----------------------12-9------------------- D-------------10-12--------------------------------12-10------------- A-------10-12--------------------------------------------12-10------- E-10-12--------------------------------------------------------12-10-
Intervalic Motion
4ths
Ascend through the scale stepwise, but between each note, play the 4th above the last note. In other words, asecend a 4th, descend a 3rd, ascend a 4th, descend a 3rd... For descending we do the opposite: descend a 4th, ascend a 3rd, descend a 4th, ascend a 3rd...
C Position
E-----------------------------------0---3- B---------------------------1---3-1---3--- G-------------------0---2-0---2----------- D-----------0---2-0---2------------------- A---0---2-0---2--------------------------- E-0---3----------------------------------- E-3---0----------------------------------- B---3---1-3---1--------------------------- G-----------2---0-2---0------------------- D-------------------2---0-2---0----------- A---------------------------3---0-3---0--- E-----------------------------------3---0-
A Position
E-----------------------------------3---5- B---------------------------3---5-3---5--- G-------------------2---5-2---5----------- D-----------2---5-2---5------------------- A---3---5-3---5--------------------------- E-3---5-----------------------------------
E-5---3----------------------------------- B---5---3-5---3--------------------------- G-----------5---2-5---2------------------- D-------------------5---2-5---3----------- A---------------------------5---3-5---3--- E-----------------------------------5---3-
G Position
E-----------------------------------5---8- B---------------------------5---8-5---8--- G-------------------5---7-5---7----------- D-----------5---7-5---7------------------- A---5---7-5---7--------------------------- E-5---8----------------------------------- E-8---5----------------------------------- B---8---5-8---5--------------------------- G-----------7---5-7---5------------------- D-------------------7---5-7---5----------- A---------------------------7---5-7---5--- E-----------------------------------8---5-
E/G Position
E-----------------------------------------8----10- B--------------------------------8---10-8---10---- G-----------------------7----9-7---9-------------- D-------------7----10-7---10---------------------- A---7----10-7---10-------------------------------- E-8---10------------------------------------------ E-10----8----------------------------------------- B----10---8-10---8-------------------------------- G--------------9---7-9----7----------------------- D----------------------10---7-10----7------------- A--------------------------------10---7-10----7--- E------------------------------------------10---8-
D Position
E--------------------------------------------------10----12- B--------------------------------------10----13-10----13---- G----------------------------9----12-9----12---------------- D----------------10----12-10---12--------------------------- A----10----12-10----12-------------------------------------- E-10----12-------------------------------------------------- E-12----10-------------------------------------------------- B----12----10-13----10-------------------------------------- G----------------12----9-12----9---------------------------- D---------------------------12---10-12----10---------------- A--------------------------------------12----10-12----10---- E--------------------------------------------------12----10-
5ths
Ascend through the scale stepwise, but between each note, play the 5th above the last note. In other words, asecend a 5th, descend a 4th, ascend a 5th, descend a 4th... For descending we do the opposite: descend a 5th, ascend a 4th, descend a 5th, ascend a 4th...
C Position
E-------------------------------0---3- B-----------------------1---3-----1--- G---------------0---2-----0---2------- D-------0---2-----0---2--------------- A---3-----0---3----------------------- E-0---3------------------------------- E-3---0------------------------------- B---1-----3---1----------------------- G-------2---0-----2---0--------------- D---------------2---0-----2---0------- A-----------------------3---0-----3--- E-------------------------------3---0-
C/A Position
E-------------------------------3---5- B-----------------------3---5-----3--- G---------------2---5-----2---5------- D-------2---5-----2---5--------------- A---5-----3---5----------------------- E-3---5------------------------------- E-5---3------------------------------- B---3-----5---3----------------------- G-------5---2-----5---2--------------- D---------------5---2-----5---2------- A-----------------------5---3-----5--- E-------------------------------5---3-
G Position
E-------------------------------5---8- B-----------------------5---8-----5--- G---------------5---7-----5---7------- D-------5---7-----5---7--------------- A---7-----5---7----------------------- E-5---8------------------------------- E-8---5------------------------------- B---5-----8---5----------------------- G-------7---5-----7---5--------------- D---------------7---5-----7---5------- A-----------------------7---5-----7--- E-------------------------------8---5-
E/G Position
E-------------------------------------8---10- B----------------------------8---10-----8---- G-------------------7---9------7----9-------- D---------7---10------7---10----------------- A---10------7----10-------------------------- E-8----10------------------------------------ E-10---8------------------------------------- B----8-----10---8---------------------------- G--------9----7------9---7------------------- D-----------------10---7------10---7--------- A--------------------------10----7------10--- E------------------------------------10----8-
D Position
E--------------------------------------------10----12- B---------------------------------10---13-------10---- G----------------------9----12-------9----12---------- D----------10----12------10----12--------------------- A----12-------10----12-------------------------------- E-10----12-------------------------------------------- E-12----10-------------------------------------------- B----10-------13---10--------------------------------- G----------12----9-------12----9---------------------- D---------------------12----10------12----10---------- A--------------------------------12----10-------12---- E--------------------------------------------12----10-
Grouped Motion
Stepwise Group of 3
C Position
E-----------------------------------------------------0---0-3- B-----------------------------------------1---1-3-1-3---3----- G-----------------------------0---0-2-0-2---2----------------- D-----------------0---0-2-0-2---2----------------------------- A-----0---0-3-0-3---3----------------------------------------- E-0-3---3----------------------------------------------------- E-3-0---0----------------------------------------------------- B-----3---3-1-3-1---1----------------------------------------- G-----------------2---2-0-2-0---0----------------------------- D-----------------------------2---2-0-2-0---0----------------- A-----------------------------------------3---3-0-3-0---0----- E-----------------------------------------------------3---3-0-
C/A Position
E-----------------------------------------------------3---3-5- B-----------------------------------------3---3-5-3-5---5----- G-----------------------------2---2-5-2-5---5----------------- D-----------------2---2-5-2-5---5----------------------------- A-----2---3-5-3-5---5----------------------------------------- E-3-5---5----------------------------------------------------- E-5-3---3----------------------------------------------------- B-----5---5-3-5-3---3----------------------------------------- G-----------------5---5-2-5-2---2----------------------------- D-----------------------------5---5-2-5-2---2----------------- A-----------------------------------------5---5-3-5-3---3----- E-----------------------------------------------------5---5-3-
G Position
E-----------------------------------------------------5---5-8- B-----------------------------------------5---5-8-5-8---8----- G-----------------------------5---5-7-5-7---7----------------- D-----------------5---5-7-5-7---7----------------------------- A-----5---5-7-5-7---7----------------------------------------- E-5-8---8----------------------------------------------------- E-8-5---5----------------------------------------------------- B-----8---8-5-8-5---5----------------------------------------- G-----------------7---7-5-7-5---5----------------------------- D-----------------------------7---7-5-7-5---5----------------- A-----------------------------------------7---7-5-7-5---5----- E-----------------------------------------------------8---8-5-
E/G Position
E---------------------------------------------------------------8----8-10- B-------------------------------------------------8---8-10-8-10---10------ G------------------------------------7----7-9-7-9---9--------------------- D---------------------7----7-10-7-10---10--------------------------------- A------7----7-10-7-10---10------------------------------------------------ E-8-10---10--------------------------------------------------------------- E-10-8----8--------------------------------------------------------------- B------10---10-8-10-8---8------------------------------------------------- G---------------------9---9-7-9-7----7------------------------------------ D---------------------------------10---10-7-10-7----7--------------------- A------------------------------------------------10---10-7-10-7----7------ E---------------------------------------------------------------10---10-8-
D Position
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------10----10-12- B----------------------------------------------------------10----10-13-10-13----13------- G-------------------------------------------9----9-12-9-12----12------------------------- D-------------------------10----10-12-10-12---12----------------------------------------- A-------10----10-12-10-12----12---------------------------------------------------------- E-10-12----12---------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-12-10----10---------------------------------------------------------------------------- B-------13----13-10-13-10----10---------------------------------------------------------- G-------------------------12----12-9-12-9----9------------------------------------------- D-----------------------------------------12---12-10-12-10----10------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------------12----12-10-12-10----10------- E----------------------------------------------------------------------------12----12-10-
- Stepwise Group of 4
- Stepwise Group of 5
- Stepwise Group of 6