The John Mayer pentatonic sound is switching between minor and major pentatonic shapes over one chord to create more tension, something blues players like BB King, Albert King and John Mayer do. Take the A minor pentatonic box, move it down three frets and start on A, and you have A major pentatonic. Add the sharp 4 to the minor box for the blues scale. That’s three colors over A or A7.
This lesson shows how to get three distinct sounds from one shape you probably already know, and how to hear each note so you’re not just running a position.
What is the John Mayer pentatonic approach?
When blues artists like BB King, Albert King and John Mayer play the blues, they shift between minor shapes and major shapes to create more tension. So it’s using both the minor and the major pentatonic over the same A or A7 sound, and moving between them.
You all know this one: the good old A minor pentatonic box. If I have an A chord or an A sound and I play that box, I get the minor pentatonic. What’s super cool is that the same box, moved, gives you the major pentatonic too. And one extra note gives you a third color, the blues scale. If you want the box itself in all its positions first, the pentatonic scale guitar lesson covers that.
How do you get the major pentatonic from the minor box?
Move the A minor pentatonic shape down three frets. That’s the F sharp minor pentatonic position, and if you start on A instead of F sharp, you have A major pentatonic.
Same shape, same fingering, different center. The A major pentatonic is 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 (A, B, C sharp, E, F sharp), and those are the colors that give it the major sound.
Before going further, make sure you hear and feel the difference. The A minor pentatonic has that bluesy sound, way darker, with some pain included in the package. The major pentatonic feels happier, a lot of positive and great energy. Going back and forth between those two colors over A is the move those blues players use to create more tension.
What’s the third color: the blues scale?
Take the A minor pentatonic position and add one note, the sharp 4. That note is what we call the blue note, and the scale it makes is the blues scale: 1, flat 3, 4, sharp 4, 5, flat 7.
The sharp 4 is a chromatic note. Chromatic comes from chroma, which means color, so it’s a colorful note that connects the 4 and the 5. There’s a lot of tension in that flat 5, or sharp 4, and that’s one of the reasons it’s called the blue note.
There are three spots in the blues scale that carry a lot of this tension:
- The flat 3. C, in A.
- The flat 5, or sharp 4. The blue note you add to the box.
- The flat 7. G, in A.
So over an A major or A7 chord, you’ve got three colors from one area of the neck: the major pentatonic, the minor pentatonic and the blues scale. The blues scale guitar lesson goes further with that third one.
How do you hear each note instead of just the shape?
Tag every note by its relationship to the center. One of the ways to learn music faster and deeper is understanding the relationship to the center, so as you play the A minor pentatonic, say and feel each degree: 1, flat 3, 4, 5, flat 7.
Play it really slowly and try to feel each note. Even though I’m just playing the pentatonic position, I’m aware of what note I’m playing in relationship to that A. I also sing it in solfège (la, do, re, mi, sol), and that works without the instrument too. You can just imagine the color of those notes against the center.
Do the same with the major pentatonic (1, 2, 3, 5, 6) and with the blues scale: sing the root and feel all the colors against it. Once the notes are clear, you can start seeing them and the positions all across the neck, and you can be more free.
By understanding the notes that you’re playing, you’re one step further in your musical exploration.
Rotem Sivan
I know a lot of people feel stuck in one position and can’t get out of it. Being able to sing, hear and understand the notes really helps with that. It might take a couple of minutes, or some time, to feel it. But if you’re serious about the instrument, this is a great use of your time, because you internalize the colors and learn way more than by playing the positions again and again.
A three-color practice idea for today
- Minor. Play the A minor pentatonic box slowly, naming each note: 1, flat 3, 4, 5, flat 7. Sing a few of them.
- Major. Move the box down three frets, start on A, and name 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.
- Blues. Back in the minor box, add the sharp 4 and listen to the tension it carries.
- Switch. Over an A or A7 sound, play a short phrase in minor, then one in major, and hear how each one feels.
If you want a signature John Mayer move broken down, Famous Artist Phrasing takes one signature move each from BB King, Clapton, Derek Trucks, John Mayer and Stevie Ray Vaughan, each over its own blues jam. If you feel stuck in one box, Solo Vision works on hearing each sound and singing the note names in the position. And for something to play over a blues today, grab the free 5 Licks Cheat Sheet, a PDF of five licks that work over any blues or rock track.
Frequently asked questions
Is the major pentatonic the same shape as the minor pentatonic?
Yes. Move the A minor pentatonic box down three frets and you’re in the F sharp minor pentatonic position. Start on A instead of F sharp and it’s A major pentatonic: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.
What notes are in the A minor pentatonic scale?
A, C, D, E and G. As degrees that’s 1, flat 3, 4, 5 and flat 7. In solfège it’s la, do, re, mi, sol. Try to feel each one against the A, not just the shape.
What’s the blue note in the blues scale?
The sharp 4, also called the flat 5: the chromatic note between the 4 and the 5. Add it to the A minor pentatonic and you get the blues scale, with a lot of tension in that one note.
Can you play major and minor pentatonic over the same chord?
Yes. Over an A major or A7 sound you can play the A major pentatonic, the A minor pentatonic or the blues scale. Blues players like BB King, Albert King and John Mayer shift between minor and major shapes to create more tension.
Pick up the guitar, play the box you already know, then slide it down three frets and listen to what changes.
