| Guitarists are often tuning their guitar down a | | | | thirteenth fret, fifth string |
| semitone so that the standard chord shapes of 'E','A' | | | | Db - first finger, eleventh fret, fourth string |
| and 'B' sound in the pitch of Eb. | | | | Eb Minor pentatonic scale pattern |
| It's true that each key evokes a different emotional | | | | -------------------11--[13]- |
| response from the listener, the key of Dm to | | | | -----------11--13----------- |
| represent night or darkness, the key of B minor to | | | | -[11]--14------------------- |
| represent sadness and sorrow and of course our | | | | Keynotes indicated as [ ] |
| new friend the key of Eb the most natural sounding | | | | The same scale one octave higher. |
| key of all. | | | | Eb minor pentatonic one octave higher: |
| It's the old story "I don't know what I want... but I'll | | | | ---------------------[11]- |
| know it when I hear it", guitar players instinctively | | | | --------------11--14------ |
| searching for a relaxed, natural sounding key | | | | ------11--13-------------- |
| invariably end up in the key of Eb. | | | | -[13]--------------------- |
| Experienced music composers write music in the key | | | | Here's another way to play the Eb minor pentatonic |
| of Eb when they want to represent nature scenes | | | | scale: |
| i.e., if the classical composer Richard Wagner wanted | | | | ------------------------11--[13]- |
| to write music for an pastoral setting there's a good | | | | -------------9--11--13----------- |
| chance it's in the key of Eb. | | | | ---9--[11]----------------------- |
| Whether you are listening to a opera or watching | | | | Keynotes or root notes are your reference points in |
| "Lord of The Rings" if it's a nature setting that's your | | | | the scale, they are the notes that the scale takes it's |
| clue for the key. | | | | name from e.g., the note on the sixth string, eleventh |
| Minor pentatonic scale system - Eb minor | | | | fret is called Eb, similarly the note on the fourth |
| The notes in the Eb minor pentatonic scale are: | | | | string, thirteenth fret is also called Eb these notes act |
| Eb - Gb - Ab - Bb - Db - (Eb) | | | | as keynotes for the Eb minor pentatonic scale. |
| If you played these notes anywhere on the guitar | | | | Now for a few chord progressions to get you |
| fingerboard you will be playing the Eb minor | | | | started these progressions are based on the notes |
| pentatonic scale. | | | | of the Eb minor pentatonic scale. |
| Here's the most common fingering pattern for the | | | | Eb - Gb - Ab - Bb - Db - (Eb) |
| scale | | | | Typical chord progression(s) would be: |
| Eb - using your first finger behind the eleventh fret, | | | | Eb /// | Gb /// | Ab /// | Bb /// ||or |
| sixth string | | | | Eb /// | Gb /// |Bb /// | Ab /// || |
| Gb - played with the fourth finger, fret fourteen, | | | | Now it's over to you, compare the sound of the Eb |
| sixth string | | | | scale with some of the pentatonic scales you have |
| Ab - first finger, eleventh fret, fifth string | | | | learn previously and as always enjoy playing your |
| Bb - played with your third finger behind the | | | | guitar. |