And now for the icing on the cake...playing lead notes. I included the pentatonic lead note scales for the three keys I like to play my blues in. The pentatonic scale is really cool, because all the notes work in the key you are playing in...you can't hit a wrong note. Some sound better than others, but they all work.

If you study the three pentatonic pictures...you might realize that the patterns are all the same...the whole scale is just "shifted" to a different location for a different key. What this means is that you only have to learn the pattern once, and then shift it to whatever key you are playing in. Blues leads are played in what is called the "minor pentatonic" scale.

If you want a more pop or rock sound, simply shift the whole pattern down 3 frets for the "major pentatonic" scale of the key you’re in. This works really well if you are playing more than just the I, IV and V chords of a key, and don't want it to sound bluesy. If you’re really good, move between, or mix up the major and minor scale any way you want for different feels and sounds. It's a lot of fun to strum 12 bar blues and record it, and then play it back and play lead notes too it. Above all, HAVE FUN!!!