Pentatonic scale

[gaz]

Hello from Texas,  going thru this initial exercise for the Pentatonic scale.  I'm curious why, when starting on "B", the back track suggested is B Minor.  

any clues to help me understand better ?   

thanks much.  

[Yves Cadieux]

Hi! If I remember well, the first Pentatonic scale shown by Jonathan is the minor Pentatonic scale. So that is why it is practiced with a minor backing track.

There are 5 Pentatonic patterns taught in the "Pentatonic fluency course" which is a great course! The minor Pentatonic pattern corresponds to Pattern 5 and works great against minor backing tracks using it as starting on the Root note of the backing track.

The fingering for this Pattern is, for B minor, from 6th string to first string: 

7 - 10   Low E string

7 - 9     5th string

7 - 9     4th string

7 - 9.    3rd string

7 - 10    2nd string

7 - 10.    High e string

If this corresponds to the pattern you have been practicing, then it is normal for the backing track to be in B minor.

Hope it helps,

YC🎸

[Hal]

This may answer your question. Check out "How to Play in Minor Keys" in Module 3 of the Ultimate Guitar Grid Mastery course.  If you are playing in a major key, start the major scale pattern 1 on the Key Note (in your case, the B) on the low E string.  If you are playing in a minor key, start the pentatonic scale on the Key Note on the low E string. Since you wanted to start playing the pentatonic scale on the B note, they suggested the Bm backing track.  Hope that helps.

[Craigt61]

Yes, starting pattern 5 puts your root note under your pinky and that is now playing in minor scale.  If you put root note under 1st finger moving the same shape down 3 frets, you're playing major pentatonic scale and would play a B major backing track