Pentatonic SHRED Strategies with Ben Eller

instagram: BenEllerGuitars #weekendwankshop274

Hey guys and gals!!!! Its Ben Eller, back with another episode of Weekend Wankshop thats gonna give you some crazy new phrasing concepts to get you shredding the minor pentatonic scale harder than ever!!! Behold the power of my ShapeShifter phrasing ideas!!!
When it comes to hot pentatonic licks in the styles of Eric Johnson, Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, and Eric Gales, i prefer to phrase my licks in such a way that there are two or four notes happening on every string; doing it this way keeps my picking moving in a predictable and efficient manner, without any awkward "flipping" or inverting of the picking patterns like you sometimes encounter when playing an odd number of notes on a string. One of the ways i do this and get maximum cool phrasing is to simply shift up OR down a scale pattern of the pentatonic, which gives me a direct highway to more 2's or 4's!!! If you are a downwards pickslanting player like myself, this is going to be the key to keeping your momentum up during the hottest of high speed licks. Plus it helps you learn to see those other scale shapes better and better and conquer the neck!!!
In this lesson, i'll show you 3 different pentatonic patterns, the basic idea of the shape shifter concept, then a super sick lick that utilizes them so you can practice up! Its exactly what you need to bring the heat to your rock, metal, blues, or jazz playing!
Playing my G&L Legacy with @BKPickups Veneer Board set into the Fractal Axe FX 3! Love this setup!
Thanks for watching! Let me know what you want to see next in the comments section!

[caseyallen]

The term “stepdad speed” never gets old. I have me a chuckle every time.

[seanandben]

Ben, you're a monster player, awesome teacher, and you must easily be the wittiest instructor on YouTube! However, hidden behind that rapier-sharp wit is a lot of wisdom that only comes from experience. Love from Ireland.

[Sixxiron]

Ben is easily the best teacher on YouTube. Signing up for his Patreon just a THANKS for all the free stuff he has dropped on me!

[alexei]

Another way to do it, which is way more frustrating but gives you more freedom in the long run is to play the scale starting on upstrokes for each string. Feels counterintuitive and involves many months of stepdad speed, but you do not have to break down phrases as far as turns and stick to an even number of notes per string.

[xhead]

Your philosophies make the lesson. You are a great teacher.

[dougarnold]

6:40...so awesome you're covering this. Many guitar players don't focus on pick strategy and the pick is really the secret to speed...🤘😘

[TheSillyPiglet]

This happened to me literally two days ago. Uncle Ben has impeccable timing.

[SarangaBora]

When I come across a youtube video by uncle Ben I never skip...From learning to tune my first floyd rose to alternate picking & sweep picking exercises & developing palm muting techniques, these lessons are just absolutely invaluable & super helpful!!!
Can u please make a video explaining different time signatures, how to count them, how to distinguish between 3/4 and 6/8, how to get a feel for them in general as a guitar player....especially the odd time signatures...
I've watched several youtube videos, but I'm still not quite clear about them. I bet I'll be able to get a good grasp on them after following a tutorial of yours ;))

[TeaspoonUlysses]

I need a full movie of Uncle Ben's skits.

[thewoolycontacts]

Man.. whenever I see uncle Ben kenobi upload a video.. I cant help but thrust my hips off the couch, through the living room wall and out onto the front yard, yelling " SHWING!"

[millerc]

I'm not even up to stepdad speed yet although I'm old enough to be you stepdad. Having just started learning all the different shapes of the pentatonic scale I was having a hard time visualizing them linking together but this lesson with the small chunks then the shift somehow got me clicking them together a lot better. So this didn't really help with the speed aspect of my playing it helped me gain a bit more fretboard knowledge. Thanks Uncle Ben.

[Yes_buh]

My god I have been stuck in that picking hole for 15 years - thanks man, I’ve noticed considerable progress in an hour after practising this stuff

[billybudd]

Great lesson, best teacher on YouTube hands down

[TTumlinson]

First I put new strings on the PRS, then a new vid from my favorite uncle!! Best day ever!

[traciscott]

LOL, Wow, I never realized why I have always had such a hard time rolling back down a scale until I saw this! I obviously have the same picking "style" because once you pointed it out, I got up and down this riff with out issue from my right hand. Thank you!

[thescream]

this dude is such a great instructor, truly one of the best on the tubez

[asherplatts]

Played bass with a pick for 20+ years, and upright bass with a bow (classical music has all sorts of wacky combinations of ■V markings, all over the beat), so the alternate picking doesn't trip me up, but those top two strings sure do. This was a great lesson just for the shapes associated with the position shifts! Super helpful! Position shifting is where it's at!

[artytoney]

Mr Ben not only does this help my up n down pic tech, it also helps me slide around through the diff positions on A key and learn a variety of road maps, thanks for all your help have a great week

[waynejohnting]

Love you humor Uncle Ben!! I’m a stepdad kind of speed player usually but even my wife who’s always telling me to turn that s**t down has been telling me lately that I should go start a band . Lol I’m 54... Thanks man, I’ve improved so much from watching your videos!!!

[tehmessiah]

From a stepdad guitarist this was an eye opener but now I see it I realise it’s so logical! Thanks uncle Ben!