Welcome to the lead guitar for beginners guitar lesson. This page will help lead guitarists to start making great sounding lead solo's today.

Amazingly you can use one 5 note scale pattern to play along with free backing tracks within a variety of guitar styles in a variety of keys both major & minor.

Getting Started

All you need to begin to play lead guitar solos today in any key is a 5 note scale. Then once you have mastered the 5 note scale from the 6th string up to the first string (see below) you simply move the 5 note scale up & down the guitar fretboard & play, it will always sound great no matter whether the band are playing in a major or a minor key. Major & Minor Pentatonic Scales

The easiest way to begin your lead guitar journey is to learn a pattern that is found in both the major & minor pentatonic scales then move the starting point on the 6th string depending on the key the song is in. This concept will surprisingly work when soloing over both a major or a minor key.

It is therefore all about where you start your scale.

So here are the notes on each fret on the 6th string (the thickest string).

0 1 2  3 4  5 6  7 8 9  10 11 12 
E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D  D# E
E F Gb G Ab A Bb B C Db D  Eb E  

For G or Em start guitar scale from the 12th fret.

For Ab or Fm start guitar scale from the 1st fret.

For A or F#m start guitar scale from the 2nd fret.

For Bb or Gm start guitar scale from the 3rd fret.

For B or G#m start guitar scale from the 4th fret.

For C or Am start guitar scale from the 5th fret.

For Db or Bbm start guitar scale from the 6th fret.

For D or Bm start guitar scale from the 7th fret.

For Eb or Cm start guitar scale from the 8th fret.

For E or C#m start guitar scale from the 9th fret.

For F or Dm start guitar scale from the 10th fret.

For F# or D#m start guitar scale from the 11th fret.

Generic Pentatonic Shape

Here’s the Pentatonic pattern (found in both the major & minor pentatonic scales):