Step 1: The blues scale is a variant of the minor pentatonic scale, which in turn is a cut-down version of the natural minor scale. Just like a major scale, a natural minor scale is defined by its own ...

The blues example features an upward sliding sound, which covers five pentatonic scale shapes, whereas the rock example takes a string skipping approach. Finally, the shred example stays in one ...

The blues, early jazz, then rock, are all about the pentatonic, with a few altered notes for good effect. But kids, in the early 1960's, something happened to pentatonic and its name was McCoy Tyner.