This lesson talks about the Minor Pentatonic Scale adapted to the Drop C Tuning. Before reading about this adaptation, get your theory from good sources, like Applied Guitar Theory , Justin Guitar , or Ry Naylor Guitar .
From here on, I will assume you know your theory, and we will talk specifically about the two problems we will face when porting any scale from Standard to Drop C Tuning:
- The notes: Do we favor the scale notes or the physical comfort?
- The name: Do we keep the Standard name or we rename for Drop C?
Let’s see this two problems in detail.
Problem 1: A missed note
Based on Applied Guitar Theory , the Position 1 of the minor pentatonic scale starts with the root on the Sixth String (which, by Standard tuning magic, is the same note as on the First String).
Thus, and using C Minor Pentatonic as example, the Position 1 on Standard Tuning looks as shown in Figure 1.
If we want to preserve the same notes as the Standard Tuning on Drop C, the fretboard would look something like Figure 2.
The problem is that the shape now spans six frets, because the Sixth String is offset by two frets from the rest of the strings (and this is due to the nature of the Drop C Tuning).
This is where the question comes in, with the two options:
- Do we favor the scale notes, without missed notes in the scale?
- Or the physical comfort of a shape confined to five frets?
While having the Minor Pentatonic Scale without any loss of notes or skipped intervals is a good academic exercise, in songs there is no need for the “continuity” of notes. That is, while the scale is defined as:
there is nothing that stops us from taking a full-step back (two semitones) on the Sixth String, to line up with the other strings, and eat up a minor third for the first octave of the run:
Then, the Standard Tuning Position 1 is playable on Drop C Tuning with the notes shown in figure 3, taking into consideration that from the jump from Sixth String to Fifth String we lose one interval: the minor third (E♭).
Having decided to lose a note from the scale, the next question is: The shape shown on Figure 3… what is its name?
Problem 2: What is the name of the position?
Now, based on Ry Naylor Guitar , the position name is based on the root note on the Sixth String. That is, Figure 1 is Position 1 because it begins with the root note.
However, in Standard Tuning the First and Sixth String share the same note, so we can also say that the name is based on the first note played on the First String.
When talking about the notes in Figure 3, that match a tighter shape in Drop C, we play now the following:
- The root note, C, on String 1.
- The fifth note, B♭, on String 6.
If we take the First String as reference, it would be Position 1 because the scale starts on the root. This choice will make the names and shapes of Standard and Drop C Tunings closely related.
Using the first note played on the Sixth String as reference, the name would be Position 5, as the note is the flat seventh, B♭.
Going back into the mindset of “playing > theory accuracy”, then the Sixth String would drive the name of the position (because having the First String at the bottom while playing is confusing enough).
Based on this: Figure 1 shows Position 1 in Standard Tuning, while Figure 3 shows Position 5 in Drop C Tuning.
Then, what is Position 1 in Drop C Tuning?
Position 1 In Drop C Tuning
If the name of the position is based on the lowest note of the Sixth String, and we do not mind skipping a note from the Sixth to the Fifth String, then Position 1 under Drop C Tuning would be as shown in Figure 4.
Notice that from String 6 to String 5 we jump from E♭ to G, leaving out the F of the scale. In short: we will always leave out a note while adapting the scales from Standard Tuning to Drop C Tuning in the jump from the Sixth String to the Fifth String.
If you know your shapes of the Major Pentatonic Scale (you may look at the shapes on Guitar Chords ), you will realize that Figure 4 closely follows the Position 1 of such scale, shown in Figure 5.
The difference between Figure 4 and Figure 5? That the Sixth String follows the Fourth String for Drop C Tuning but the First String for Standard Tuning.
With these two diagrams in mind, we can say that Position 1 shape in Drop C Tuning for the Minor Pentatonic Scale (Figure 4) closely follows Position 1 of Major Pentatonic Scale in Standard Tuning (Figure 5).
Position 2 In Drop C Tuning
Now that we are getting the gist of it, we can work on Position 2 faster, as we know we need to work starting on the second note of the scale, the E♭ on the Sixth String. Thus, the second position is shown in Figure 6.
Notice, once again, the missed note (G) in the jump from the Sixth String to the Fifth String.
Position 3 In Drop C Tuning
Position 4 In Drop C Tuning
Position 5 In Drop C Tuning
In Position 5 we finally arrive to the first shape we did back in Figure 3, where we started using the B♭.