...Gw XXVII. Arpeggios...	Welcome to Guitarweek! the 'other' Music Education!... ----------------
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Hungarian Scale...

   The minor pentatonic scale is simply the 'first position' of the pentatonic scale which spans twelve frets, The reason you may not want to think in 'major' or 'minor' is because it only references two parts of the pentatonic scale...

   The first position of the pentatonic scale can be moved to any 'minor' position of a key, The key of C has three minor positions (E, A, D) so you can move the first position of the "E pentatonic" scale up to "A" and "D" to create the "A pentatonic" and "D pentatonic" scales...

First position pentatonic scale (E minor pentatonic)...

First position pentatonic scale (A minor pentatonic)...

First position pentatonic scale (D minor pentatonic)...

   You should notice that the 'minor pentatonic' scale is only about a 'four fret' peice of the 'twelve fret' pattern, Even if you add the 'minor' and 'major' positions together you still lose half of the 'entire pattern'...

First and Second position of the pentatonic scale...

All five positions of the pentatonic scale...

   The 'minor' pentatonic naming scheme was probably derived from the basic fact that it start on "E" and "E" is the minor, With this theory then the pattern starting on the "A" sits on a minor tone as well...

Third position pentatonic pattern...

   The "D" is also a minor tone so why wasn't this pattern bundled in the minor category...

Fifth position pentatonic pattern...

   The truth is that you won't find the answers to these questions so just learn the 'pentatonic pattern' and not the 'minor pentatonic pattern', The pattern that loses out the most is the 'fourth position' pattern which in old fashion terms would be the 'diminished pentatonic' (not really)...

Fourth position pentatonic pattern (E pentatonic)...

Fourth position pentatonic pattern (A pentatonic)...

Fourth position pentatonic pattern (D pentatonic)...

   When you learn the pentatonic scale as 'positions' then its easier when it comes time to move them, Hopefully these lessons have shown why you shouldn't use the terms 'major' and 'minor' when talking about pentatonic scales...