Hi all....This may be a bit tricky and I’m not sure if I can explain it but here goes…

One of my Tutorial books says “ to get the key for a scale know the notes on the low E. Then move the scale pattern up or down the fret board so that the circled Root note is on the Root of the new key“ …

However in my book for example.We have 5 patterns of the Minor Pentatonic all in the key of A but only two of the 5 patterns have an A on the Low E although they all have at least one A in the pattern on other strings. Now it may just be thick old me, but comment would be welcome.

Not every scale pattern of a key will have the root on the 6th string,some will have the root on the 5th.....think of it as starting your scale in a different place on the neck,that way you can play the scale in between the 12 frets or full octave where the root is on the 6th.
I don't know if that is understandable,I could show you on a fretboard easier than explain it on a keyboard.

Hi strat789,

What I think they mean is this look at your 5 patterns for your Am pentatonic for example and pick the "home pattern", as is it often referred, that is the one well used on the 5th fret.
e 5-8
B 5-8
G 5-7
D 5-7
A 5-7
E 5-8

If you move this pattern two frets up you are playing a Bm pentatonic using the low E string as a reference

e 7-10
B 7-10
G 7-9
D 7-9
A 7-9
E 7-10

If you move two frets down (lower notes) you are in Gm etc, etc. Other four patterns should shift accordingly.

Hope that helps

EDIT: fendermandan typed faster than me and submitted his post while I was still working on mine. But here's my version anyhow, repetitive as it is:

Hi strat789:

Make this shape:

e - o
B - o
G - 1
D - 2
A - 2
E - o

That is a full chord of E major. Now move the same shape five frets up the neck. You will need to barre with your first finger:

e - 5
B - 5
G - 6
D - 7
A - 7
E - 5

The same shape has now become a chord of A major at the fifth fret. Move it three frets higher again and it becomes C major:

e - 8
B - 8
G - 9
D - 10
A - 10
E - 8

In each case the root note is found on the bottom E string. That is what your tutorial is getting at.

Of course, those chords can all be played on different parts of the neck with different shapes. That last one, C major, can also be played in this very familiar position:

e - o
B - 1
G - o
D - 2
A - 3
E - x

It is the same chord but now the root note has moved over to the A string. Also, the pattern of the notes as you arpeggiate the chord is slightly different, giving it a slightly different "voicing".

Here is another version of C major:

e - 3
B - 5
G - 5
D - 5
A - 3
E - x

Again, the root is found on the A string but the shape of the notes above it has changed. And like the first example, you can move this shape up and down the neck. Here it is one fret lower, where it has become B major:

e - 2
B - 4
G - 4
D - 4
A - 2
E - x

With this pattern you always find the root on the fifth/A string.

There are several more shapes for major and minor (and most other) chords. And in the same way, they can all be moved up and down the neck to put the root in different places and so make different chords. This is probably the most popular minor chord shape:

e - 5
B - 5
G - 5
D - 7
A - 7
E - 5

That's A minor; move it up a couple of frets and it becomes B minor. And so on.

So, so much more to be said on all of that! But to be getting on with, here is a nice online tool for finding note positions for different keys, modes and such:

http://www.mearstech.com/ModeMaster_com/default.htm

Hours of good fun to be had with that one.

Any help at all?

Cheers - C

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I believe it is saying there are 5 pentatonic patterns, learn them in order, from 1 through 5.

The pattern number 1 has the root on the low e string. So if you know the notes on the low e string, and know the 5 patterns in order, you can play the minor pentatonic in any key.

For example, in A, start the 1 first pattern on the 5th fret, then the next 4 patterns follow after.

Once at the 12th fret either keep going, or wrap around and start at the first fret for patterns 4 then 5.