Do I only need to know the pentatonic scales on guitar?

The Bobby McFerrin video I mentioned:

The pentatonic lesson deep dive that I mentioned:

If you've ever wondered what scales you need to learn to start improvising on guitar, this video and upcoming lesson will be of interest to you. The pentatonic scale (major & minor) just may be the perfect solution for you.

[skunkfive]

Thank you for your work. For 30 years I've plucked around, learned a few chords, but never really considered myself a guitar player. Your videos have really inspired and helped me get so much more satisfaction out of this old guitar! I'm no longer feeling like I'm still playing the same things I always have, or that I'm trying to express myself in a language I understood but couldn't speak. I really appreciate your generosity in sharing these lessons. THANK YOU!

[paulkelly]

Paul from Ireland here hi active melody I think 3 years ago. had been trying to learn how to improvise for 20 years a few months of joining active melody I was improvising away no problem after 20 years of frustration at not being able to a pentatonic player all the way and love it

[gritsguitar]

I rarely comment ...but....this is so well done. I am a pentatonic lead player...blues and psychodelic I do is pentatonic....been playing over 50 years....all I need....It makes me happy....it makes others happy....it's simple....flexible....how you play the scale means everything but really I only play the pentatonic blues scale....that's it....happy to find your video. It's real. thank you

[nesta]

Mate, there is so much to learn. It is never enough. Paying attention and learning are keys to life. Love how you help me grow.

[dennisregaller]

I've had very good success learning and playing the pentatonic scales. I started learning them within my first year of playing the guitar, and I’ve been practicing and playing them now for almost 9 years. I can do exactly what you were talking about in this video, listening to a song, finding the key, and then playing along with various melodic lines of notes within the pentatonic scales. It is a lot of fun and has really opened up my ability to development my own solos and improvise on guitar what I’m hearing in my head. I’ve always felt I needed to learn my dominant 7th arpeggios to add to my knowledge of the pentatonic scales, but so far I haven’t done that. One thing I did do for myself a couple of years ago that help me greatly in knowing my guitar neck, visualizing the pentatonic shapes, and moving around on the guitar neck during a solo, was to make a map of all 5 shapes of both the minor and major pentatonic scales, to see how they overlap one another along the entire length of the neck. In my professional career I am an expert in computer aided drafting (CAD), so I created my own colorized visual map, a sort-of roadmap to blues soloing, which changed everything. That led to discovering multiple pathways around the neck, which makes it much easier to get around on the guitar neck using only the pentatonic scales. I don’t even have to look at the map anymore. I could post a picture of it if this forum supported it, but I don’t think it does. Be glad to share it with you if you’re interested.

[PhilippeGasquet]

I have been a premium member for a couple of years now and i am learning, learning, and learning. The pace is slow, one lesson takes me 4 to 6 weeks, i find each lesson i focus on of incredible value and always look forward to what next! I recently went over (actually still going over) the essential theory course which kind of helps the learning though definitely like the combo practice inter mixed with theory. From there i got into EP 362, the essentials triad. I feel like the lesson on Pentatonics will be another major breakthrough. Thanks Brian,

[ronawood]

This is exactly the kind of content that got me to sign up for your premium membership. I love how you breakdown the theory but yet always keep it in the context of actually playing songs. I'm exactly the kind of player that could be happy just playing pentatonic scales. For the amount of time I've got to play the guitar each week, it helps to just concentrate on one thing and really try to understand it. Really looking forward to this lesson.

[richgray]

I learned the 5 pentatonic shapes about 3 months into learning guitar. It made it so fun to be able to go up and down the fretboard in any key and jam along with backing tracks and tunes. So I learned the roots and blue notes. Now a year later I see the benefit of modes and adding two more notes to the shapes. Now I realize it would help my playing to be more aware of what tone in the scale I want to head to. Learning some licks and knowing there place in the scale is probably my next target. So developing my ear, and picking up some licks is this years plan. Your "playing the chord changes with one scale " video was an eye opener for me.

[BlackBearSixTV]

100% true. Thanks for your manner of presentation. Simple excellence - I'm a 71-year old man that was musically illiterate 18 months ago. Day-in-&-day out study of music theory has eliminated a large chunk of my illiteracy - my conclusion: what you say is absolutely correct. Never will be a virtuoso: never wanted to be; do want to make music, though, at my age the real challenge seems to be hand-finger coordination, finger speed, muscle stiffness in my hands, and whole body as a matter of fact (at least compared to my 20-50 year old self). The pentatonic scales give me a creative place to practice as I work on smoothing out my old-man/beginner finger clumsiness and incoordination between left & right hands. Pentatonic provided me with that sliver of progress that kept me going and now inspire into other scales & techniques. Still plugging along on learning something that I've admired my whole life - parting the mystery/magic of musical composition into relatively simple friendship with keyboards & strings. Really nice to have this new friendship with music/instruments to accompany me into the winter season of my life ---- cold days will be made warmer for me now. Thanks. L. Bland.

[jameswalsh]

Thank you so much! I've been watching your videos for about 6 months now and this is the first time I've felt like you were talking to ME! Not saying this is your fault as I understand you are trying to reach anyone and everyone who is interested. I'm the guy you just described. I consider myself a "beginning intermediate" player. I just want to do what you described as your favorite pastime. I'm 74 years old and I'm self taught. Sadly, the boat to rock star status has sailed without me. I'd be happy to sit in my den and play along with my favorite bands from the 60's and 70's. I have been using the minor pentatonic scale for a while now. I think the major pentatonic will get me where I want to be. Thanks again.

[Robbyish]

YES!!! Love Minor, The Blues Pentatonics were the 1st Pentatonics I learned by YOU!! Mr.Actuve Medley! 😉☮️🌺

[blakeanderson]

Thanks for all the time you put into these videos! I look forward to Friday's lesson. 🤘

[richarddelavega]

I'm an intermediate guitar player, singer songwriter if you will, more bass player than anything and I love and like guitar more and more The pentatonics are becoming more clear to me the more I watch your videos, just became a member a couple of weeks ago...today is the 10th of Nov.2022..Love your weekly lessons...😎

[BenStrings]

Pentatonic player all day.. occasionally throw in some modal stuff but 99.9% pentatonic and not ashamed at all lol

[pieterharmse]

Hi Brian, I always appreciate your mini lessons. You're really in a league of your own

[OUEddie]

Thanks Brian, I feel my guitar journey is in a stand still. All I have learned are major and minor pentatonic scales. However, listening to what you had to say really helps. I love playing guitar and your insight really helps with the creativity.
Thanks again

[felipemartinez]

Hi Brian. Greetings from Bogota, Colombia. I'm a huge fan of your lessons. Had tried a lot of other guy's lessons, and yours are the best

[derekmayell]

Great idea absolutely spot on. I was getting older and more demoralised about how much I had to learn and where I was going and struggling to remember everything and feeling overwhelmed and contemplating giving up. sounds right up my street . put stake in ground and just play pentatonic . Can’t Wait for the deep dive lesson. Thanks Brian

[realjumper]

I know my pentatonic scales reasonably well, although not fluently enough if I'm honest. I would like to learn about modes, but it's not a 'burning desire'. If I can be fluent in the pentatonics, major and minor scales (natural) and the aeolian scales and how to mix them, I will be a very happy camper.

[medinad]

Yes, Yes, Yes! Looking forward to this lesson!