Fretboard Playground - Pentatonic Extensions

Level-5-Scales

The BB King Box

Time to learn about one of the all time great areas for soloing – the BB King box. Four simple notes, an unlimited array of sounds.

Level-5-Riffs

Black Crowes Style BB King Box Riff

The Black Crowes have a bluesy, old school rock sound and love using pentatonic extensions to create some wailing solos. We’ll show you how.

Level-5-Riffs

SRV Style Riff Using the BB King Box

Learn a SRV inspired riff using the BB King box in this pentatonic blues lesson.

Level-5-Scales

The Chuck Berry Box

Time for another pentatonic extension, this one named after the immortal Chuck Berry. Many a great lick can be played using this box, so let’s get started.

Level-5-Riffs

Chuck Berry Style Riff Using CB Box

What better way to study the Chuck Berry box than with a Chuck Berry style riff? We’ll show you the rock n’ roll legend would use his own box.

Level-5-Scales

Clapton Box

We’ve got another pentatonic extension for you guys, this time it’s the Clapton box. You can make some killer chunky riffs with this pattern, so let’s get started.

Level-5-Riffs

Cream Style Riff Using Clapton Box

The Clapton box is known for its low, grungy sound, and many bands, including Cream, have used it to create timeless riffs. We’ll show you how they might use it.

Level-5-Riffs

Joe Bonamassa Clapton Box Riff

Now that we understand how the Clapton box works, we’re going to learn a juicy rock blues in the style of Joe Bonamassa to get some practice.

Pentatonic Boxes Part II

Level-5-Scales

The Hendrix Box

Today’s pentatonic extension is built off of the root 5 pentatonic scale. This simple 6 note box is home to many of the greatest riffs of all time, so let’s get started.

Level-5-Riffs

Queens of the Stone Age Style Hendrix Box Riff

Today we’ve got a Queens of the Stone Age style riff to get some practice with the Hendrix box. So let’s get started!

Level-5-Scales

The Zakk Wylde Box

The Zakk Wylde box actually consists of several other boxes strung together to give us one area to effortlessly create blistering riffs. We’ll show you how it all works!

Level-5-Riffs

Cake Style Zakk Wylde Box Riff

We’re going to change gears here and learn a super funky, dancy riff in the style of Cake that uses the Zakk Wylde box.

Level-5-Riffs

Tony Iommi Style Riff Using The Zakk Wylde Box

Tony Iommi was an early hard rock pioneer and often used pentatonics to craft his solos. We’ll show you how he might use the Zakk Wylde box to create a fluid lead line.

Level-5-Riffs

Zakk Wylde Box Riff

Now that we have a handle on the Zakk Wylde box we’re going to learn a riff in the style of Zakk Wylde to show how you can use this box in a metal/blues style.

Level-5-Scales

The Chuck Berry Box Repeated

We’re going to learn yet another Chuck Berry box, but this one is mostly used to connect positions. This is super handy and will give you complete fretboard fluency.

Level-5-Riffs

Leslie West Style Riff Using the CB Box

Leslie West of Mountain combines the best of rock and blues, often using pentatonics. We’ll show you a riff in his style to demonstrate the repeated Chuck Berry box.

Level-5-Scales

Looking for Soloing Positions

A major part of soloing is creating a game plan of where you can solo. We’ll show how to do this so that you can be confident as you rip up the fretboard.

Intro to Fingerpicking

Level-5-Technique

Basic Fingerpicking Technique

Today we begin a new technique – fingerpicking. This timeless playing style is used in acoustic and folk music, but can really apply to any soft music.

Level-5-Technique

Fingerpicking Thumb Movement

As your fingerpick, your thumb should always be plucking the lowest note of the chord. We’ll show you how to move your thumb to different strings and give you an exercise to practice.

Level-5-Exercises

Must Know Fingerpicking Patterns

Now that you guys have a handle on fingerpicking, we’re going to learn a few more must know patterns that you can apply to progressions and songs.

Level-5-Riffs

Band of Horses Style Fingerpicking

Finger picking isn’t just limited to folk guitarists, even indie rockers like Band of Horses will use this technique for their ballads.

Level-5-Riffs

James Taylor Style Fingerpicking Riff

James Taylor is one of the great fingerpickers of all time, so it would be a shame not to learn a riff in his style!

Level-5-Riffs

Johnny Cash Fingerpicking Riff

The man in black was known to use fingerpicking for some of his most timeless riffs. We’ll show you how he might use this technique.

Any Chord Anytime - The CAGED System

Level-5-Theory

CAGED Intro

Welcome to the CAGED system! This fairly advanced concept will open up your chord vocabulary many times over and truly expand your musical mind. Let’s get started.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Red Hot Chili Peppers Style CAGED Riff

Today we’ll be looking at the softer side of the Red Hot Chili Peppers to learn how they might use CAGED shapes to create a progression.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Everclear Style CAGED Riff

We’re going to put those CAGED chords to work with a poppy Everclear style riff. We hope you guys enjoy it!

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Maroon 5 Style CAGED Riff

Maroon 5 combines the best of funk, pop, and rock into a very catchy package. Today, though, we’ll be looking at the ballad side of Maroon 5 for this CAGED riff.

Level-5-Exercises

Same Chord Different Shape Exercise

Here’s a great exercise that will really reinforce those new CAGED shapes. Get ready to flex those mental muscles!

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

John Lennon Style CAGED exercise

Let’s make the CAGED system musical! We’ve got an awesome riff in the style of John Lennon to practice the idea of playing the same chord in different shapes. Enjoy guys!

Less Is More - Reggae Chords

Level-5-Chords

Intro to Reggae Chords

In this lesson we’re going to start a study on something called reggae chords. These are smaller shapes that work very well in band settings. So let’s get started!

Level-5-Chords

‘A’ Shape Reggae Chords

We’ve got another batch of reggae chords for you guys, this time they are derived from an open A. So grab your guitar mon and let’s go!

Level-5-Chords

D Shape Reggae Chords

Today we’re checking out the D shape reggae chords, one of the most popular shapes to play for reggae, rock, and many other styles.

Level-5-Chords

F Shape Reggae Chords

We’re checking the F shape reggae chords today, a super common shape that all guitar players need to know!

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Bob Marley Reggae Chord Style Riff

Learn how the reggae master Bob Marley might use reggae chords in this super groovin’ lesson.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Aerosmith Style Reggae Chord Riff

Welcome to the boneyard everybody! Today we’re looking at a super cool Aerosmith riff to get some work with our reggae chords!

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Sublime Style Reggae Chord Riff

To get some practice with our reggae chords, we’re going to learn a super cool riff in the style of 90′s reggae/ska powerhouse Sublime. Enjoy guys!

Inversions

Level-5-Theory

Intro to Inversions

Welcome to the world of inversions! By taking chords we know and changing the lowest notes, we can get a host of new sounds! We’ll show you how it works.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

John Mayer Riff Using Inversions

Inversions are an awesome way to make your chords sound more emotional, intense, or heavy. We’ll show you a John Mayer riff to demonstrate.

Intervals

Level-5-Theory

Intro to Intervals

Welcome to the world of intervals! An interval is basically playing two notes at once, and by combining certain intervals together, you can create some amazing riffs.

Level-5-Riffs

Korn Style Minor 2nd Riff

The minor second is one of the most grinding intervals in music, but can sound cool within a metal context as we’ll show you in this Korn style riff.

Level-5-Riffs

Jimmy Buffett Style Riff Using Maj/Min 3rds

We’ve got two new intervals to learn today: the major and minor third. And then to get some practice with these intervals we’ve got a sweet Jimmy Buffett riff for you!

Level-5-Riffs

Black Sabbath Style Tritone Riff

The tritone interval is the darkest and most brutal in all music, making it a favorite among metal players. We’ll show you the interval then show you how to use it.

Level-5-Riffs

Dio Riff Using 4th and 5th Intervals

We’ve got two new intervals which are often played together, the perfect 4th and perfect 5th. In conjunction these intervals can be used to create some truly rockin’ riffs!

Level-5-Riffs

George Harrison Style Riff Using 6ths

We’ve got two classic guitar intervals up today: the major and minor 6th. Then, to practice these intervals, we’ve got a super tasty George Harrison riff.

Level-5-Riffs

John Mayer Riff Using Maj/Min 7ths

We’ve got two more intervals today: the major and minor 7ths. These are dissonant yet jazzy intervals, and we’ve got a John Mayer style riff to show you one way to use them.

Level-5-Riffs

Eric Johnson Octave Riff

Our last interval is one we’ve already learned before – the octave. We’ve got a great Eric Johnson riff to help challenge you a little bit!

Expand Your Mind With Modes

Level-5-Theory

Modes From A Scale

Welcome to the world of modes! Don’t be scared though, we’ll break down this traditionally intimidating topic and make it super easy to grasp.

Level-5-Theory

Modal Keys

Now that we understand the basics behind modes, we’re going to see how we can create modal keys in order to write and understand music on a new level.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Phoenix Style Ionian Progression

Phoenix is an awesome pop band from France that often uses the Ionian mode to establish their catchy, groovy hooks. We’ll show you an example to illustrate their use of this mode!

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Santana Style Dorian Progression

The Dorian mode is well known for its Latin sound, making it the mode of choice for a player like Carlos Santana. We’ll show you how he might use the Dorian mode.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Metallica Style Phrygian Riff

The Phrygian mode is a favorite among metal players for it’s dark, heavy quality. This Metallica inspired riff will show you how to get your metal on using this mode.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Filter Style Lydian Progression

The lydian mode is often seen as the dream-like, spacy scale, and is used from time to time by alternative bands like Filter.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Foo Fighters Style Mixolydian Progression

The mixolydian mode has long been a standby for rock music, and this Foo Fighters riff will give you a glimpse into what you can do with this versatile mode.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Shinedown Style Aeolian Progression

The Aeolian mode has a dark quality making it perfect for a hard rock band like Shinedown. We’ll show you how these guys might use this mode.

Level-5-Chord-Riffs

Joe Pass Style Locrian Progression

Joe Pass is perhaps the greatest jazz guitarist of all time, so we choose to honor him with a tasty Locrian riff. Enjoy guys!

Modes for Lead Guitar

Level-5-Theory

Modes For The Lead Guitarist

Up until now we’ve been looking at modes from a chord perspective. In this section, however, we’re going to change gears and study modes from a lead guitar point of view.

Level-5-Scales

The Ionian Mode

The first mode we’ve got is the Ionian scale. While the actual scale won’t be anything new, the pattern will be!

Level-5-Riffs

Smashing Pumpkins Style Ionian Riff

There’s no limit to what you can do with the Ionian mode, so today’s lesson in the style of The Smashing Pumpkins is only the beginning!

Level-5-Scales

The Dorian Scale

We’ve got one of the most popular and grooviest modes up next – the dorian scale.

Level-5-Riffs

James Brown Style Riff Using the Dorian Mode

The Dorian mode can be super funky, and we’ll show you how with this James Brown style riff.

Level-5-Scales

The Phrygian Scale

We’ve got another scale up today, this time it’s the Phygian mode. This scale is used in classical Spanish, metal, and more. So let’s get started!

Level-5-Riffs

Children of Bodom Style Phrygian Riff

The phrygian mode is a favorite among heavy metal players, and today we’ll be looking at a Children of Bodom style riff to illustrate how heavy this mode can get.

Level-5-Scales

The Lydian Scale

Next up we’ve got the Lydian scale, often called the dreamy scale for its air like quality. However, it’s also very common in jazz and progressive rock!

Level-5-Riffs

Rush Style Lydian Riff

The Lydian mode is a favorite among progressive rockers because of its futuristic, advanced sound. We’ll show you how a band like Rush might use this scale.

Level-5-Scales

The Mixolydian Scale

The Mixolydian scale is a great tool for soloing in classic rock, blues, jazz, southern rock, and pop styles. It’s extremely versatile and a must know for guitar players.

Level-5-Riffs

Brian Setzer Style Mixolydian Riff

Brian Setzer is a master of swing, rockabilly, and jazz guitar playing. Secret to many of these style is the mixolydian mode, and we’ll show you how to use it.

Level-5-Scales

Aeolian Scale – Dark and Heavy

Believe it or not, but this is a mode you already know! Take this lesson and find out why!

Level-5-Riffs

Richie Sambora Style Aeolian Riff

Today we’ll be looking at riff in the style of Bon Jovi axeman Richie Sambora to get some practice with the Aeolian scale.

Level-5-Scales

The Locrian Scale

Today we’ve got one of the weirdest sounding scales out there – the Locrian mode. It’s the last mode of the major scale and will let you get some out there sounds!

Level-5-Riffs

System of a Down Style Locrian Riff

The Locrian mode can really help give your song a chaotic, heavy sound, making it a good choice for a metal band like System of a Down.