Major/minor boxes
You’ve already learned all five boxes in a minor context. It’s now time to learn how to use them in a major context.
Printable reference
I’ve created a printable reference pdf for all five shapes in both major and minor contexts. More than anything else, these shapes and ideas helped me learn how to solo freely over most rock, blues, country, and folk songs. Don’t underestimate the power of these diagrams!Here are the five pentatonic boxes shown in both major and minor contexts. Note that I’ve only annotated the root notes and chord tones. You should be able to work out the remaining notes (M2, P4, M6, or ♭7) on your own.
Fig 1. Pentatonic box 1
Fig 2. Pentatonic box 2
Fig 3. Pentatonic box 3
Fig 4. Pentatonic box 4
Fig 5. Pentatonic box 5
The exercises should go faster since your fingers already know the shapes. Only the context has changed. You may want to go back and repeat some of the minor exercises to get used to switching back and forth.
Take your time working through all of these exercises. Just be methodical and track your progress. Trust the process and don’t worry if it takes you several weeks or months to master everything.
These are just a repeat of the process we used with minor pentatonic boxes: