Pentatonic Example #1

Minor pentatonic scale in the key of E with an emphasis on using the flat 5th to grab a bit of that blues flavor. Randy Rhoads was known for his tasteful usage of the flat 5th. This lick reminiscent of Randy's style and his use of the flat 5th in his scale runs.

E|--------------------------------------15-17-b18r-17-p15-17-b19v~~~~~-|
B|-------------------------------15-h17--------------------------------|
G|--------14-15-16-p15-p14-15-16---------------------------------------|
D|-14-h17--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

Pentatonic Example #2

Major pentatonic scale in the key of E starts his lick then it ends with the minor pentatonic scale in E minor. This lick starts out with a one and a half step bend that releases and goes chromatically down past the major third to the minor third and then back to the major third to grab some fine blues flavoring. It all ends with a repeated one and a half step bend to a hammer on pull off at the 15th and 17th frets. This lick is inspired by 1970 rock players such as Jimmy Page and Rik Emmett of Triumph.

E|-19-b22r-19-18-17-16-15-16-------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------15v~~~~------15-17-b20-b20-b20-b20-15-h17-|
G|------------------------------------/16------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--p15----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------16v~~~~~~~~----------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

Pentatonic Example #3

This example uses the E minor pentatonic scale again with an emphasis on using the flat 5th to grab a bit of that blues flavor. More inspired by George Lynch of Dokken, this guitar lick starts with a one and a half step bend and then proceeds to take full advantage of the flat 5th.

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-17-b20r-----15-h17-p15----15----------------------------------------|
G|---------/16------------16----16-p15-s\14-15~~~~~----12-14-b15r-14---|
D|--------------------------------------------------14-----------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-12-h14-p12-----12---------------------------------------------------|
D|------------14-----12------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------13-b14r-13-12-h13-p12----12-------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------15----12~~~~~~~~~-------|