STUDY

GUIDE

Claudio Pietronik
The Rock Pentatonic
Roadmap

JTCGUITAR.COM
Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap 2

INTRODUCTION

Hello and welcome!

As you might have already guessed, this masterclass is all about

the minor pentatonic. Specifically, I want to help you develop your
pentatonic soloing with a methodical, step-by-step approach. We’re
going to go beyond the usual “box shapes”, increasing our vocabulary
of melodic shapes, working in all directions across the fretboard and
adding other flavour notes in a conscious and controlled way.

We’ll be focusing on a rock style, but these concepts can easily be

applied to blues, metal and fusion. As you’ll see from the videos, I
mostly use hybrid picking, but most of the content can be played with
whatever picking techniques work for you. For a few of the exercises,
we’ve notated the hybrid picking, as this is a fundamental part of how I
play those particular exercises.

On that subject… although all video and tab files are labelled as
“exercises”, they’re not simply for motor skill practice. They’re all proper
musical licks and phrases that demonstrate lots of my pentatonic
soloing ideas.
Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap 3

CHAPTER 1

PENTATONIC GROUPINGS
This chapter is based on how we group notes in the
pentatonic shapes.

This is one of the first things most people do after learning a new scale –
you run up and down a few times, then experiment with the classic groups of
three or four, building little sequence patterns. However, we can take this a
lot further.

All examples are in A minor pentatonic (A C D E G) and use a fixed pattern,

moving it up or down through the pentatonic shape. I’m only using Shape 1
here (5th fret) but I recommend that you practise these patterns in all five
pentatonic shapes.

On that subject, it’s worth spending some time thinking about the physical
properties of the standard 2-note-per-string pentatonic shapes. Think about
the simplest three-note ascending sequence (1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5 etc)…

If we play a line of three notes starting from the low A root (6th string, 5th
fret) we have two notes on the 6th string (A and C) and one note on the 5th
string (D). Shifting the sequence up to the next starting note (C) we now have
one note on the 6th string (C) and two notes on the 5th string (D and E). And
this pattern continues as we move up through the strings.

It’s easier to think numerically: in the above example, we’re playing a 2-1
pattern followed by a 1-2 pattern, and these two patterns repeat across the
strings.

Another example: if we have an ascending sequence of five notes, again

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CHAPTER 1 4

starting from the low A, we’ll have A-C-D-E-G, then C-D-E-G-A and so on.
Expressing this numerically gives us 2-2-1 and 1-2-2, again alternating the
two patterns as we move across the strings.

Of course we can then mix different types of groupings, like three notes up
from the first note and then four notes up from the second note. It’s well
worth working at this theoretical level, as it can generate some surprising
and interesting melodic lines when you apply the numeric sequences to a
scale.

There are fourteen exercises (tab and video: Ex 1-14) in this part…

EX 1: Ascending groups of three.

EX 2: Descending groups of three.

EX 3: Ascending groups of four.

EX 4: Descending groups of four.

EX 5: Ascending groups of five.

EX 6: Descending groups of five.

EX 7: Ascending groups of three + four.

EX 8: Descending groups of three + four.

EX 9: Ascending groups of three + five.

EX 10: Descending groups of three + five.

EX 11: Ascending groups of four + three.

EX 12: Descending groups of four + three.

Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap 5

EX 13: Ascending groups of four + five.

EX 14: Descending groups of four + five.

CHAPTER 2

SLIDES
The obvious limitation in Part 1 is that our patterns are all
moving in a vertical direction – across the strings while
remaining in the same fretboard position.

For the next set of exercises, we’re going to add slides, enabling us to shift
quickly between shapes. Of course, you don’t HAVE to slide; you can always
just jump to a new shape. However, the slide gives a more controlled, tactile
sense of the position shift.

By adding a slide, we can continue using the same note groups from Part 1,
but moving between fretboard positions. One thing to remember is that you
have to consider the slide as a connection between two distinct notes. This
is not a “grace note slide” where you slide quickly into a note, only playing the
starting note very quickly.

There are ten exercises (tab and video: Ex 15-24) in this part…

EX 15: Starts with a group of four notes, then goes to six (with a slide in
the middle), five, six (with slide), six (with slide) and then ending with a
descending line.

EX 16: Now mixing ascending and descending groups of 3/4/5 notes, with
and without slides.

EX 17: Notice how we’re using the slide to change direction (from
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CHAPTER 2 6

descending to ascending) as well as to change position.

EX 18: A more complex line, moving away from the idea of fixed note groups,
giving more melodic freedom.

EX 19: Mostly based on groups of 5 in both directions, but we’re playing

steady 16th notes (4 notes per beat) so the patterns are always starting on a
different part of the beat.

EX 20: It’s important that you can slide accurately with all four fingers.

EX 21: Sometimes it’s necessary to experiment with the fingering. If you

instinctively play the fourth note in bar 2 (D) with your 1st finger, you then
have a problem with the next A note. You’ll have to use your 2nd finger for
the D note!

EX 22: One of the cool results of this technique is that you can work on a
small number of notes, but in several positions, and therefore on different
strings, creating different tones.

EX 23: This one really focuses on your third finger, using it to start and end
the lick, and for all slides.

EX 24: Moving down through the strings, while moving down and up through
three positions.
Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap 7

CHAPTER 3

ADDING INTERVALS
We can now move around the basic pentatonic shapes with a
considerable range of melodic freedom.

Let’s now start adding some more melodic colours around the pentatonic
shapes. These “colours” come from other scales or simply from chromatic
notes between the regular scale notes.

Doing this brings us a little closer to the full diatonic (7-note) scales but the
mindset is totally different. We’re thinking “pentatonic PLUS a colour note”,
not “Aeolian/Dorian with a note missing”. It’s also a great workout on your
knowledge of the intervals; don’t forget that you can also mix different colour
notes with the pentatonic in the same phrase.

For this kind of work, it’s important that you learn to identify notes note just
by their names (A, F#, Bb etc) but also by their FUNCTION. This is shown by
their interval (distance) from the root note.

For example, the exercises in this part are based around G minor pentatonic
(G Bb C D F), so the root note is G. Every other note is then expressed as an
interval from that G note. So, for example, Bb is the minor 3rd, D is the 5th
and F is the minor 7th.

We’re going to work with five “colour notes”, identified here by their intervals
from the G root. There are five examples for each interval.

1. DIMINISHED 5TH: DB (TAB/VIDEO: EX 25-29)

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CHAPTER 3 8

Also called simply the flat 5th (b5th), this is the classic “blue note”. You’ll
also see it referred to as the sharp 4th or augmented 4th (#4th). There are
differences in music theory, but don’t worry too much about that. Just as
long as you realise which note it is: Db (or C#) in the key of G.

In these examples you’ll hear me using that note in different ways. It can
work as a temporary tension leading down into the 4th (Db-C) or a temporary
tension leading up into the 5th (Db-D). In the latter case it would more
correctly be described as the sharp 4th (C#) – see above! I can also simply
be a passing note, connecting the 4th and 5th (C-Db-D). We’ll be looking at
that concept in more detail in Part 4.

2. MAJOR 2ND: A (TAB/VIDEO: EX 30-34)

The major second (also called the 9th) is almost always a safe note to add to
the minor pentatonic, and it really adds some cool melodic possibilities. We
can consider it coming from the Aeolian (G A Bb C D Eb F) or Dorian (G A Bb
C D E F) modes.

Of course, you could argue that we’re now playing “Dorian or Aeolian without
the 6th” rather than “minor pentatonic plus the 2nd”, but as I said above, I
think there’s a difference. Here, we’re still focused on the pentatonic 2-note-
per-string framework. Same notes but a totally different mindset.

3. MAJOR 6TH: E (TAB/VIDEO: EX 35-39)

The major 6th is often described as having a “sweet” sound, and it can also
contribute to a bluesy sound. The major 6th is not quite as flexible as the 2nd
– it will only work in a Dorian tonality, not Aeolian.

4. MAJOR 3RD: B (TAB/VIDEO: EX 40-44)

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CHAPTER 3 9

We’re playing in the key of G minor, so you wouldn’t normally expect to hear
a major 3rd, but we can use this as a subtle outside flavour in a couple of
ways. The simplest use is as a chromatic passing note between the minor
3rd and the 4th (Bb-B-C). But if you’re willing to take some risks, it sounds
really amazing if we use it as an outside note in its own right, mixing it up
with the minor 3rd or using both and omitting the 4th altogether. It gives a
kind of hybrid Dorian/Mixolydian sound (in Mixolydian context, the minor 3rd
is often added as an outside flavour).

5. MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIO: G BB D F (TAB/VIDEO: EX 45-49)

Here we don’t add anything new, we just remove the 4th (C) from the minor
pentatonic. It’s a way of focusing specifically on the chord tones, but it’s also
fun to focus your melodies on a smaller palette of notes. That’s kind of what
we do when we choose minor pentatonic instead of Aeolian or Dorian.
Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap 10

CHAPTER 4

ADDING CHROMATICS
The same concept as Part 3, but instead of adding notes from full 7-note
scales, this time we’re adding the “outside” notes from the chromatic scale.
We’ll be using these chromatic notes in conjunction with some of the other
intervals we added in Part 3, creating a set of fast legato lines.

You could look at the chromatic notes as “filling in the gaps” between the
scale notes, and this approach is also helpful for creating some 3-note-per-
string shapes.

The theory here is pretty simple. We’re just looking for the “whole-tone gaps”
between notes: for example, from Bb to C, from C to D and from F to G. Then
we simply add the chromatic note in the middle.

We can play them in both ascending and descending direction, but in both
cases, we’re playing the chromatic notes as passing notes, rather than
isolating or emphasising them. Of course, you can start trying to break the
rules in future, and see what you find, but for now let’s keep the dissonance
fairly subtle!

Within the minor pentatonic, we also have two three-fret gaps (minor 3rd
intervals). In G minor, those intervals are between G-Bb and D-F. We have two
choices: add all the chromatic notes (G-Ab-A-Bb and D-Eb-E-F) or just add the
2nd or 6th like we did in Part 3 (G-A-Bb and D-E-F).

There are five exercises (tab and video: Ex 50-54) in this part…

EX 50: Uses chromatics and added major 2nd.

EX 51: Starts with the minor 3rd gaps in the minor pentatonic, filling in all the
Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap
CHAPTER 4 11

chromatic notes, and then moves to the whole-tone gaps with the added 2nd.

EX 52: Built mostly around Shape 1, adding the major 2nd (A) on the 1st
string, major 6th (E) on the 2nd string and b5th (Db) on the 3rd string. Then
we add the chromatic notes in the whole-tone gaps on the 4th and 5th
strings, ending with the added major 2nd (A) on the 6th string.

EX 53: Only minimal chromatics here, plus the added major 2nd.

EX 54: The same concept as Ex 53, but at a lower position, so watch that
stretch on the first phrase.
Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap 12

CHAPTER 5

RHYTHMIC EXERCISES
This part is a little different. It’s all based on short groups of
notes, looped over the backing track without a break.

We’re going to use phrases of different lengths so the repeats will happen on
different beats or different parts of the beat. For example, if we play a phrase
of 7 notes (as in Ex 55) in regular 16th notes, the first repeat will land on the
fourth quarter of beat 2. This makes it a great workout for your rhythm and
timing skills!

This whole masterclass is designed to be “technique non-specific”, as we’re

focused primarily on note choice. But for these exercises, I thought you
might like to see how I use hybrid picking. The picking directions are shown
for the first instance of each pattern.

There are fifteen exercises (tab and video: Ex 55-69) in this part…

EX 55: Seven-note loop, in 16th notes.

EX 56: Thirteen-note loop, in 16th notes.

EX 57: Nine-note loop, in 16th notes.

EX 58: Eighteen-note loop, in 16th notes.

EX 59: Thirteen-note loop, in 16th notes.

EX 60: Sixteen-note loop, in 16th note triplets (sextuplets)

EX 61: Fifteen-note loop, in sextuplets.

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CHAPTER 5 13

EX 62: Seventeen-note loop, in sextuplets.

EX 63: Sixteen-note loop, in sextuplets.

EX 64: Thirteen-note loop, in sextuplets.

EX 65: Sixteen-note loop, played first in 16th notes, then in sextuplets.

EX 66: Fourteen-note loop, as above.

EX 67: Sixteen-note loop, as above.

EX 68: Fifteen-note loop (with slides), as above.

EX 69: Twenty-one notes – try not to get lost.

Claudio Pietronik / The Rock Pentatonic Roadmap 14

CHAPTER 6

THREE NOTES PER STRING

Thinking back to the basic pentatonic scale, we almost
always play it in 2-note-per-string shapes, but we can find
some fresh melodic ideas by expanding it to 3-note-per-
string shapes.

The first thing to consider: this is a five-note scale, so if we play three notes
on just one string, we’ll covered the whole scale over two strings. This is a
powerful concept. Given the guitar’s layout, we can then take this shape and
repeat it on the next pair of strings, an octave higher.

Secondly, if we play 3 notes per string but remain within a standard box
shape, we’ll repeat the same note on two strings. For example, in Shape 1 in
G minor pentatonic, we’d have D-F-G on the 2nd string and G-Bb-C on the 1st
string. This can create some interesting melodic shapes on guitar.

Of course, we don’t have to play three notes on every string just because
we can; it’s a concept we can use to taste. We can also use the three-note
fingering, but omit the middle note, giving some wide intervals of major 3rd
or 4th. Feel free to experiment!

There are five exercises (tab and video: Ex 70-74) in this part…

EX 70: Here’s a good way to get started. It’s a classic rock descending line,
but I’ve occasionally added the 3rd note on the E and B string, just to give a
little extra legato smoothness.

EX 71: Moving to a lower position, I’m using 3nps on the 1st, 3rd and 4th
strings here.
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CHAPTER 6 15

EX 72: This one is a bit more advanced, using some vertical arpeggio-style
fingering, so it’s more of a test of your pentatonic shape knowledge. I also
added the b5th in a chromatic passing-note idea at the end.

EX 73: Here’s an example of using the 3nps position, but missing out the
middle note, so we have a series of perfect 4th intervals. Look out for the
repeated notes over two strings.

EX 74: Using the 3nps groups in two ways: first with three different fingers,
and then with a slide and position shift.

FULL SOLO: TRAIL BLAZER

Finally, here’s an extensive example of how I use all these pentatonic
concepts in my playing. The backing track is in G minor, so I’m using G minor
pentatonic (G Bb C D F) as my basic framework, adding a wide range of extra
diatonic colours and chromatic notes.

It’s up to you how you use the solo. If you’re really ambitious, you could learn
the whole thing, or you could isolate your favourite licks, or just use it as
inspiration for your own solos over the backing track.

Have fun!

Claudio P
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Claudio Pietronik
20 MODERN UPLIF TING LICKS: BOX SE T

Channel modern melodies that embrace emotive vibes across 60 licks and
three complete solos. Uplifting, technically rich and packed with lessons to
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Uplifting Licks” series.

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