Extending Box 1 Pentatonic
Okay… so I can hear it now, “why on earth do we need ANOTHER way to look at the pentatonic scale?”
It’s my simple mantra that you’ll hear me say over and over and over again, “The more ways you have to look at the same group of notes, the better off you’ll be.”
For some people, one way just clicks better than the others. For some people, a different way just clicks. So as your teacher it’s my job to put as many possibilities in front of you so that you can grab bits and pieces of what works for you and put it to use.
This particular pattern is very common when I look at solos by Clapton, SRV, and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. In fact, I’d say that with box 1 and these extensions, you probably cover about 85-90% of what those guys play. So it’s worth your time 
Downloads
This Video (MP4)Mac users should use the MP4 version to download the video
- This Video (WMV)
Windows users should use the WMV version to download this video.
If you need it, here’s the TAB for it.
As always, thank you
THAT WAS THE FIRST WAY I LEARNED HOW TO SOLO. FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP. I DID GET SOMETHING OUT OF THIS THE D STRING AT THE 12TH FRET SOUND GREAT. THANK,S ALWAYS .
Griff thanks for reruns! That is right where I got stuck.Just watching once … a light bulb started to glimmer. I have the boxes down to the point of that’s all I play sometimes. (noodling through them) hitting the blues notes getting funky, but couldn’t figure this out. gonna watch and play for a few days. Like playing 2-3 x /day for 10-20 mins. Thanks for ur coaching. DH
This really sweeetens up box 1! Thaks Griff. YOu are the best.
If you move the camera more to your left it will be easier for us to see which finger or pick is being used.
Good to know thanks
G…for some reason could not access. Am located in the southeast – NC. Can you resend to see if that helps. Thanks, John g
I religiously study your lessons as an intermediate piano/clarinet player. Hope you don’t mind! Thanks, John g
Hello Griff. I haven’t sent you a note before, mostly because I’m a diehard country fan. But I’ve watched you’re emails & videos for quite some time now and I really like the way you teach.I really wish I could have found this kind of course back in the 70s when I was in my 30s. Now I learn slower &play slower,however there’s a lot I could use when I get you’re courses . It will happen. God bless you & yours. Hugh
Great video! Thanks.
I learned a similar slide from one of your other emails and this is great to add to my memmory of Griffs Tricks….GREAT TRICK….I have Daprofe fretmap on one ofmy guitars…the one I practice with the most…my squire HSS and I study as I practice but this trick is another great one….
How about a lesson showing all 5 boxes with riffs, technique (bending,etc) within those boxes
Nice, I’m a beginner. I have severe short term memory loss but I can hear something and find it . Wish I could just pick up n think it and actually remember where to go. Thanks
If there was to be one thing that I would add to this, is that the extension on the high strings at Frets 8 & 10 (ie the BB Box or the house pattern) can move back 3 frets to 5 & 7, you can add the Major to the Minor and really get a Clapton sound. It’s an extension to the extended Box 1 Minor Pentatonic.
I’ve been using this but now I understand it better. Thanks Griff.
yes thanks from UK Wales thanks again pete
Lots easier to remember because it is root centric rather than five box centric. Marty and Stich will be proud. You are a wonderful teacher and musician. Would love to see tabs or guitar pro moving tabs under all your videos and lessons.
I love your courses and these videos. This one is finally opening the length of the fret board.
Thanks for what you do.
Great video, and a refresher from March 2015..
Michael-Sydney-Australia Sept 2017
Great lesson. Combining short lessons into longer. Repition at my age is appreciated.
Great lesson. Nice beginners solo. Have a great new year and thanks for all fantastic lessons.
Love your teaching technique and your sharing of information. However, I’m also one who would like to see all of the boxes and the extensions,where I can visualize the whole fretboard.Keep up the good work!!
Very interesting lesson.Like the way you explain things
Love your videos, I learn more by watching than trying to read and understand!
Yep it’s actually close to the intro for “blue sky” by the alman brothers . Love that song
Could not open link
Downloading windows but also could not open
Could you please send again
Mike Skyba
Thank you
Thanks Griff. I really liked the way you showed us how to play the pattern on 5th string 12th fret as well as the more common 6th string 3rd fret. These little additions make all the difference to me. Will try and use it with my friends on our next jam session.
So, this is A minor pentatonic. Does this go over a jam track in C (F&G), or over jam in A? I presume it goes over C jam (diatonic notes). For jam in A, where to play it? Down three frets?
The A minor pentatonic scale should be played over a jam track in the key of A
Excellent lesson as always, Griff. Bookmarked this so I can refer to it when necessary. Gives you the whole fret board to solo with!
Very nice Griff and not too difficult for relative beginners like me. Gotta 😊
Very nice Griff and not too difficult for relative beginners like me. Gotta love it 😊
Fun exercise … I always like to noodle on the pentatonics and stumble across little riffs every time … thanks for the additional food for thought !
That is the first scale I ever learned without knowing it was really a scale. It just worked, and I used the heck out of it. Now I know why it worked. Thanks for all of your help.
Played along with you Griff, this a great refresher since I know this but , when you showed the 5th string, 12th fret scale, it turned on the lightbulb for me, these videos you do for us has a ton of information made simple…Thank you!
What an eye opener this is. It definitely opens up a whole lot of the guitar neck.
Another great instructional video. It really helps in knowing that you have all that real estate on the fret board for that key. Thanks again
Alexander
hey Griff, that’s a really cool lick you showed in that video. So, in combining box 1 and 2 you’ve created more fret board. if you wanted to could you combine box 3 and 4 as well by using the same pattern?
thank you,
Alexander
Coming back to this makes it more helpful and more interesting. Thank you
This is great esp. for me who is just starting to look at soloing with box 1.
Thanks Griff.
This is exactly how I got to sounding so much better in my soloing. My younger brother doesn’t want to learn music theory IE the V boxes I can’t get him to understand that to get where you want to go you have to know where to step. Griff does a great job of explaining this. Keep up the work Griff you’re the best teacher out there thanks :-)… PS I gave my brother the bgu 2.0 course and he still fighting me what do I do now pass him up? He’s the one in the band not me LOL rock on my friends.
Griff could you please send me the video again it’s not playing on my computer
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Griff, You have me confused. You said in the video that 8th fret high E which is C note was in Box 1 but 10th fret D note is not ….??? Am pentatonic does have the D note.
I’m sure you didn’t mean to say that or am I missing something?
As always a great lesson.
I use this interconnecting scale form often but, I never thought of that pinky hammer/pull on the bluenote. Nice!
THANKS.
I know scales are an important factor when it comes to soloing. But for me (a slow learner) with very limited creative musical skills the whole concept just doesn’t come together. A few years back I purchased your course, CDs, tabs and the complete lesson learning process. I didn’t get very far before I dumped the whole idea. Sorry Griff it’s not your fault. I really need guitar lessons for dummies type of thing.
Your truly,
James Losurdo
Great lesson Griff. I love extensions, so many places to explore. Thanks always for your insight.
will definatlly try to use this.
Back in 1966 a group called the Blues Magoos did a song called “We ain’t got nothing yet” The guitar lead solo part is very close to the pattern you have shown us today.
thanks…. you can pull it up on the web,, I just did
Video would not play
Great lesson. I had learned the expanded pentatonic scale before but your explaination is far superior from what I had learned.
Great lesson
Brilliant lesson. So inspiring. Thanks
Brilliant lesson. So inspiring, thanks
Looks very useful. Unfortunately it won’t open here in southern Ontario Canada.