In this lesson, we'll explore the A minor pentatonic scale on adjacent string pairs. Having done the single-string work in Part 1, you'll be well prepared for what's ahead — and understanding how notes connect across string pairs is where things start to get really musical.

Think about it: if you can connect every pair, it's not much of a stretch to connect one pair with another. Do that across all five pairs and you'll be linking pentatonic lines across the whole fretboard.

The 5 Four-Note Patterns

We're going to look at groups of 4 consecutive notes within the pentatonic scale — 2 notes on one string, and 2 on the adjacent string directly below. Move that pattern through the scale and you get these 5 combinations:

A C D EC D E GD E G AE G A CG A C D

If this isn't making sense yet, don't worry — just follow along and play through the exercises. Do the practical stuff first and the understanding will come.

The E & A String Pair

Here are all the pentatonic notes across both strings. Start by playing 4 consecutive notes ascending (e.g. E–G on the 6th string, then A–C on the 5th), then shift the pattern up and repeat. Play each group 4 times before moving on.

E A 0 3 5 7 8 10 12 15 17 19 20 E G A C D E G A C A C D E G A C D E
E & A string pair — A minor pentatonic

Once you can play through the ascending pattern, reverse it. Then try alternating direction every second bar: ascend, descend, ascend, descend. Maintain even volume, articulation, and note length throughout.

Permutations of 4 Notes

You can also change the order of the notes within each group. Take the group ACDE — instead of playing them in order, there are 24 possible arrangements:

ACDEACEDADCEADECAECD AEDCCADECAEDCDAECDEA CEADCEDADACEDAECDCAE DCEADEACDECAEACDEADC ECADECDAEDACEDCA

Focus on ADCE — you skip C and come back to it. This creates intervals of a 4th, which is where things start sounding really musical. Combined with the alternating direction approach, apply this permutation across the E & A diagram above.

The Rolling Technique

With the 4ths permutation, you end up with lots of notes on the same fret across adjacent strings. The best solution is a technique called rolling.

Try it on the 5th fret: start on the 6th string with your finger bent on the fingertip, then roll off the tip onto the pad to sound the 5th string. Your fingertip should end up lightly muting the 6th string. It's much easier to see than read — check the video for a demonstration.

Reverse Rolling

You can also start on the pad (lower string) and roll up onto the fingertip (higher string). It's harder but equally useful. Practise both directions in different positions and with different fingers.

New Intervals — 4ths and Major 3rds

In Part 1, we covered the major 2nd (2 frets) and minor 3rd (3 frets). Now that we're skipping notes, two new intervals appear:

Interval
Distance
Major 2nd
2 frets
Minor 3rd
3 frets
Major 3rd
4 frets
Perfect 4th
5 frets

Skip a note in the pentatonic scale and you almost always get a perfect 4th (5 frets). The one exception: C to E is only 4 frets — a major 3rd.

On adjacent strings, perfect 4ths almost always fall on the same fret. Notice how many notes in the diagrams line up vertically — that's the 4th at work. The G & B pair is the exception.

The A & D String Pair

Same process, new strings. Start with the consecutive ascending pattern to get your bearings:

A D 0 2 3 5 7 10 12 14 15 17 19 A C D E G A C D E D E G A C D E G A
A & D string pair — A minor pentatonic

Once you can get through this forwards and backwards without looking, try the 4ths permutation (ADCE) on this pair too.

The D & G String Pair

D G 0 2 5 7 9 10 12 14 17 19 D E G A C D E G A G A C D E G A C D
D & G string pair — A minor pentatonic

The G & B String Pair

Now for the tricky one. Everything looks one fret different on the G & B pair because the guitar is tuned in perfect 4ths between every string pair except G to B — which is a major 3rd. Look at the diagram and notice how the notes on the B string are shifted one fret higher compared to what you'd expect:

G B 0 1 2 3 5 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 17 19 20 G A C D E G A C D C D E G A C D E G
G & B string pair — A minor pentatonic (note the shifted positions)

On every other string pair, perfect 4ths sit on the same fret — but here they don't. Major 3rds now look like 4ths, and 4ths take on a new shape. Spend extra time with this pair.

Fun experiment
If the guitar were tuned entirely in perfect 4ths, the tuning would be E A D G C F instead of E A D G B E. Try retuning the B string to C and the high E to F, then attempt a six-string barre chord. You'll quickly see why the standard tuning exists.

The B & High E String Pair

B E 0 1 3 5 8 10 12 13 15 17 20 C D E G A C D E G E G A C D E G A C
B & high E string pair — A minor pentatonic

Final Thoughts

This lesson is dense — it could easily have been split into two or three. Spend real time with it rather than blasting through everything at once. And don't be afraid to go back to Part 1 to revise the note names on each string.

  1. Start with consecutive 4-note groups on every string pair. Play each group 4 times before moving on.
  2. Pick 4 different permutations and apply them to one string pair. Over time, transfer them to other strings. Write them down.
  3. Improvise using only material from this lesson. Pick a string pair, improvise on just that pair. Then pick another.
  4. Combine with everything you already know. Use this lesson's material plus any other A minor pentatonic language you've acquired.
  5. Keep naming the notes. Knowing where they are on single strings will significantly improve your fretboard confidence.

When you're ready, move on to Part 3: Connecting the Pentatonic Scale with Slides.