The Scale Trick That Doubles Your Playing Power
So there I was, two years into playing guitar, confidently ripping through my minor pentatonic shapes…
…until someone asked me to play the same lick in a different key.
Crickets.
I had no idea how to adapt what I was playing. Sure, I could shred in A minor all day, but ask me to shift into C major using the same pattern?
It felt like trying to speak another language with only five words in my vocabulary.
Turns out I wasn’t alone.
Most of us learn a scale shape and stick to it like it’s gospel without realizing that we’re sitting on a goldmine of possibilities if we just shift our perspective a little.
| 🚨 Heads Up: If this blog post feels like a refresher, that’s on purpose. Sometimes revisiting the basics is what clears the fog. |
The Easiest Way to Expand Your Fretboard
Remember when you first learned that A minor and C major use the same notes?
I thought it was just a random theory fact.
Turns out, it’s one of the biggest unlocks on the guitar fretboard.
Every minor pentatonic scale you already know is also a major pentatonic scale, you just need to start from a different root note.
Let’s take your A minor pentatonic shape (5th fret on the low E string). Slide it up 3 frets and start from the 8th fret instead.
Boom. You’re now playing C major pentatonic using the exact same shape, but with a totally different feel and sound.
Switching from Minor to Major Without Learning Anything New
You’ll notice that the relative major feels bright and open while the relative minor feels moody; but it’s the same pattern.
Let’s take another example:
- E minor pentatonic = G major pentatonic
- D minor pentatonic = F major pentatonic
- C# minor pentatonic = E major pentatonic
Knowing these connections lets you flip the feel of your solos instantly.
Grab Your Guitar & Try This
- Choose your favorite minor pentatonic box (any position you know well).
- Shift the root note up three frets to play its relative major, or down three frets to go from major to minor.
- Focus on resolving your licks to the new root note.
- Play over a backing track in both keys: first the original, then the relative.
- Pay attention to how the mood shifts, even though your fingers are doing the exact same thing.
Guitar Life Hack of the Week
Your phone’s voice memo app is your best friend for capturing those random licks you play at 2AM that disappear forever by morning.
Built-in Options (That Are Free):
- Voice Memos (iPhone)
- Voice Recorder (Android)
- Google Recorder (Pixel phones)
Do you already do this? Hit reply and share your favorite guitar life hack –> I might feature it in next week’s newsletter!
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to learn a thousand new scales to sound like you know what you’re doing.
You just need to connect the dots between the scales you already use.
Relative scales are like secret doors between musical moods, and they’re all over your fretboard.
Once you start seeing them, you can’t unsee it.
Rock on,
Ben
Intermediate Guitar
