A minor pentatonic scale — position 1
Position 1 of the A minor pentatonic scale, widely used in rock, played around the 5th fret using the same fingering shape as the E minor version (shifted up 5 frets).
Tips
Once position 1 feels comfortable, try adding a few string bends on the second string for a more expressive sound.
Understanding this type of exercise
Why start with this position
Position 1 of the minor pentatonic is the most used shape in blues and rock because it's the easiest to locate: two notes per string, one fingering to memorise, and the root sits on the low string. It's the entry point to improvising, not an end in itself — see position 1 vs CAGED positions for what comes next.
How to work the ascent
- Alternate picking from the start, not just downstrokes: the habit is built now, not in six months.
- One finger per fret, each finger staying close to its fret even when it isn't playing.
- Find and name the root out loud every time you play it: it's what "resolves" a phrase.
- Don't loop up and down mechanically — as soon as it's fluent, move to 3-4 note fragments (see the riff sheets).
The fingering is identical in all 12 keys: only the starting fret changes, the shape slides along the neck unchanged.
Fretboard position
root note other scale note
Suggested progression plan
The same exercise in other keys
- E minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- C minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- G minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- D minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- B minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- F minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- F# minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- C# minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- G# minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- D# minor pentatonic scale — position 1
- A# minor pentatonic scale — position 1
Related sheets
- Rock in A minor — advanced (Level 4)
- Rock in D minor — syncopated rhythm (Level 4)
- call and response power riff — C (Level 4)