Pentatonic Guitar Picking Techniques

This guitar lesson demonstrates right hand alternate picking technique consisting of sequences of four notes. These four note groups are more difficult that the three note groups taught in the DVD Getting Started with the Pentatonic Scale.

Heavy Metal Guitar Tab Bang Your Head Verse Chord Inversions

This guitar lesson is a great example of using chord inversions and shapes derived from the CAGED guitar system and played in the style of "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" by Quiot Riot. This is the verse chord progression which uses partial "A form" barre chords and a pedal tone. Suitable for beginner level players and up. Get free tab for this song excerpt when you sign up for a preview of the book Fretboard Theory at: http://guitar-music-theory.com

Cult of Personality Tab C Major Scale Guitar

"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour is a great example of using C major scale patterns for guitar. The main riff uses G Mixolydian mode (a.k.a. the "Dominant scale"). Additionally this example demonstrates how to develop alternate picking (or cross picking) technique, accuracy, fluidity and speed. Get free guitar tab when you sign up for a free preview of Fretboard Theory at: http://guitar-music-theory.com

Phish Tabs Tweezer Minor Pentatonic Scale Guitar Pull Off

This free guitar lesson is a great example of using A minor pentatonic scale patterns played in the style of "Tweezer" by Phish. This is the opening guitar riff which utilizes a lot of pull-off technique. Suitable for intermediate level players and up. Get free tab for this song excerpt when you sign up for a preview of the book Fretboard Theory at: http://guitar-music-theory.com

Major Soloing Scales and Pentatonic Lead Patterns

"I have learned the pentatonic scales up and down and connect them well but always revert to patterns 1 and a bit of 2 and 5 when guitar soloing. Any tips to ensure I don’t always fall into this trap?"

There is nothing wrong with favoring certain patterns. In fact, you really need to simplify things and get good at phrasing in one position at a time before you try to fly all over the whole fretboard. So it sounds like you're on the right track. And many accomplished players favor the same lead pattern you have put together.

"How essential is the major scale? Could I not get by soloing with just the pentatonic scale?"

About half of popular guitar melodies, riffs, lead solos and bass lines are played in major scale patterns. Just take a look at all the major scale song references in my guitar theory book. And music theory in general stems from the major scale and its structure. So you definitely want to know and play it well. But don't get ahead of yourself. I recommend focusing on the easier pentatonic scale patterns first. Be sure to learn lots of pentatonic scale songs while you're at it. Give yourself plenty of time to get comfortable with using the patterns and develop good technique. Then move onto the major scale patterns and repeat the whole process.

Playing Major Scale Patterns Over Minor Keys

So to confirm what you said when playing over a minor key, I can still use the major scale without flatting any note or without raising any note.  The same applies with other modes.  Is that correct?

Yes. Minor keys use the same scale patterns and chords as major keys, you just phrase everything around a different scale degree like vi. Em is simply G major scale patterns. Am is C major patterns, etc. This is covered in Fretboard Theory Chapter 7: Roots, Keys and Applying Scales.

Rush Tab The Spirit of Radio Guitar Chord Inversion Lesson

This guitar lesson is a great example of using chord inversions and shapes derived from the CAGED guitar system and played in the style of "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush. This is the chord progression that begins at 0:27 and is based on a partial "D form" barre chord. Suitable for intermediate level players and up. Get free tab for this song excerpt when you sign up for a preview of the book Fretboard Theory at: http://guitar-music-theory.com