Now that you know the five CAGED major pentatonic shapes, try improvising with them. When you embellish these solos and use your own ideas, incorporate the arpeggio shapes you already know along with the major pentatonic shapes.

Each solo below uses one specific CAGED pattern. In the videos, I play the solo once and that’s the end. The backing tracks play through three times. I suggest you try this:

  1. Play the solo as written, then…
  2. …embellish the written solo, then…
  3. …improvise your own ideas using the major pentatonic scale

All solos use the same chord progression: D | D | G | G | A | A | D | D ||

Solo 1 Transcription

Pattern 1

D | D | G | G | A | A | D | D |
  1. Watch the video
  2. Play along with the video
  3. Play along with the backing track, which plays three times
    1. Play the solo as written
    2. Embellish the written solo using major pentatonics and arpeggios
    3. Improvise your own ideas

Pattern 1

Solo 2 Transcription

Pattern 2

D | D | G | G | A | A | D | D |
  1. Watch the video
  2. Play along with the video
  3. Play along with the backing track, which plays three times
    1. Play the solo as written
    2. Embellish the written solo using major pentatonics and arpeggios
    3. Improvise your own ideas

Pattern 2

Solo 3 Transcription

Pattern 3

D | D | G | G | A | A | D | D |
  1. Watch the video
  2. Play along with the video
  3. Play along with the backing track, which plays three times
    1. Play the solo as written
    2. Embellish the written solo using major pentatonics and arpeggios
    3. Improvise your own ideas

Pattern 3

Solo 4 Transcription

Pattern 4

D | D | G | G | A | A | D | D |
  1. Watch the video
  2. Play along with the video
  3. Play along with the backing track, which plays three times
    1. Play the solo as written
    2. Embellish the written solo using major pentatonics and arpeggios
    3. Improvise your own ideas

Pattern 4

Solo 5 Transcription

Pattern 5

D | D | G | G | A | A | D | D |
  1. Watch the video
  2. Play along with the video
  3. Play along with the backing track, which plays three times
    1. Play the solo as written
    2. Embellish the written solo using major pentatonics and arpeggios
    3. Improvise your own ideas

Pattern 5