C minor pentatonic scale — working the descent
Same position 1 of the C minor pentatonic scale as the initiation sheet, but worked exclusively in the descending direction.
Tips
This position sits higher up the neck (fret 8): the descent is often trickier there because of the fret spacing, so slow down more than at lower positions.
Understanding this type of exercise
Why isolate the descent
Most players climb a scale confidently and hesitate coming down, simply because they've never worked it separately. This sheet takes position 1 of the minor pentatonic in the descending direction only.
Practical tips and common mistakes
- Start each repetition on the high root and finish on the low root — not "somewhere in the middle".
- Alternate picking on the way down too: the tendency is to use only downstrokes.
- Keep fingers down behind the one that's playing and lift them one by one as the descent goes.
- Once the descent is fluent, connect ascent and descent straight away with no pause at the hinge.
Fretboard position
root note other scale note
The same exercise in other keys
Related sheets
- Blues in G — syncopated rhythm (Level 4)
- Blues in G — syncopated muted strums (Level 4)
- Wide exploration riff — F# minor (Level 4)