[marinoFret]

Yesterday I downloaded major pentatonic scale lesson from audio-guitar-lessons.com....

I read that if you know the minor pentatonic scale, you know the major too (all you have to do is to shift it 2 frets down...).

Since I already know the minor pentatonic scale (all patterns-I'm not boxed in), do I have to learn major pentatonic scale? I don't want to overload my brain with unnecessary things because it takes me a lot of time to remember all those patterns.

By the way: Is there any way to learn those other patterns faster?

Thanks for help!

[Fretsource]

As the lesson says, if you know the minor pentatonics, then you already know the majors.
But to find the major from the minor containing the same notes, you start three frets up - I don't know what they mean about "2 frets down"
A minor pentatonic = A C D E G A
C major pentatonic = C D E G A C
Same notes, different starting point.

[bmurnahan]

Hi marinofret,

As Fretsource said, you already know the majors if you know the minors. It just comes down to knowing the locations of the tonics for the scales. Take the typical A minor pentatonic at the 5th fret that everyone learns. If you play that same scale but consider the note C at the 8th fret as the tonic you know have a C major pentatonic scale.

You do not have to learn a new fingering, just start and stop the scale in a different place. Try it and listen to the difference in tonality. Start from the A and play the scale up and down and stop on the A. Then leave off the A and start on the C and play the scale up and down. Even though they are the same notes changing the start and stop point shifts the tonality.

The difference in application comes down to how you think about the scales. Thinking in major vs. minor can lead to different uses of the scale. This is a big topic. In the end it still always gets down to how the scales relate to the chords you are playing over and centering your lines around the chord tones. That's why many players like the pentatonic scales. They are mainly comprised of chord tones with a couple of color tones thrown in.

Best Wishes,

Bob

[marinoFret]

So, you say that every minor pentatonic scale can be a major scale (on the same fingerings) by just changing the tonic.

Now I really can't see a reason for learning a major pent scale.
Thanks!

[bmurnahan]

That's right. Just to be sure you understand...if you already know the minor scale fingerings then you also know the major scale fingerings.

Bob