How To Create Unique Guitar Solos Using Open Strings And Pentatonic Scales

by Simon Candy 

In this lesson, you learn a unique approach to soloing that brings two common elements of guitar playing together:

1. The Pentatonic Scale
2. Open Strings

In today's article, we cover the basics of this soloing approach. You learn just how simple it is to marry up the pentatonic scale patterns with the open strings for a unique and amazing solo sound.

The video below will reinforce and further train the concepts taught in this article, so bookmark it to check out after working through this lesson:

 
The Banjo Roll Technique

There is a third element I have not mentioned that along with the pentatonic scale patterns and open strings, completes this unique solo guitar technique. That element is a banjo roll.

A banjo roll is simply a rotating/repeating fingerpicking pattern that uses your thumb (p), index (i), and middle (m) fingers across adjacent strings.

There are two kinds of banjo rolls, they are the forward roll and the backward roll.

Here is a forward banjo roll:

And here is a backward banjo roll:

We are not going to be playing banjo rolls per se, but we will take them and apply them to the pentatonic scale.

You will be using the forward banjo roll to ascend the pentatonic scale patterns. Let’s start with the pattern applied to open strings:

You will be using the backward banjo roll to descend the pentatonic scale patterns. Let’s start with this pattern applied to open strings too:

It's a good idea to start by practising each of the ascending and descending open string patterns in isolation.

Take it slow and don't rush.

Focus on maintaining accuracy over speed for now.

A Quick Note On Keys

Before we go deeper into this solo technique, a quick note to let you know this approach will work better in some keys than others. This is because we are using open strings. The more open string notes that exist within a key, the better that key is suited for soloing using this technique.

The key of E minor has all the open string notes in it:

E  F#  G  A  B  C  D  E

* open string notes highlighted

Therefore E minor is a great key for this technique for soloing.

Another great key is A minor.

The Open String/Pentatonic Solo Technique

Now it’s time to apply our banjo roll patterns to the pentatonic scale to create the foundation for this solo guitar approach. I’m going to use pattern 3 in the key of E minor to run you through this technique.

So here is pattern 3 in E minor:

Nothing too unique here just yet.

However, if we apply our banjo roll pattern to this scale pattern, everything changes!

The great thing about this solo technique is that it is a consistent pattern. Once you get the first 3 notes down, it’s all repetition from there. The sequence is made up of playing 2 consecutive fretted notes on adjacent strings of the pattern, followed by an open string.

That’s it!

So to begin play the 2nd note of the pattern on the 6th string with your thumb (p), then the 1st note on the 5th string of the pattern with your index (i), followed by the open 4th string with your middle (m) finger. This completes one rotation of our forward roll banjo pattern:

From here you simply repeat this sequence of notes, only starting from the 5th string of the pattern:

And then the 4th string of the pattern:

And then the 3rd string of the pattern:

Here is pattern 3, ascending, in it’s entirety with our open string, banjo roll, guitar solo technique applied:

To descend the pattern you simply play what you have just done, only backward.

String set 1, 2, 3:

String set 2, 3, 4:

String set 3, 4, 5:

String set 4, 5, 6:

Here is pattern 3, descending, in it’s entirety with our open string, banjo roll, guitar solo technique applied:

Watch the video at the beginning of the article for a detailed demonstration of this open string solo technique.

Turning The Pattern Around

There is one thing left we need to do to make a smooth switch from ascending the pattern to descending. It’s very simple but makes all the difference.

When you arrive at the 2nd string ascending the scale, you will of course not have enough strings left to complete a rotation of the forward banjo roll. This is why we stopped at the 3, 2, 1 string set when ascending the pattern above.

Instead, play this sequence:

Playing the sequence above and then following it by immediately starting to descend the scale pattern will make for a smooth changeover from ascending to descending, like so:

That’s it!

You now have the foundation for a very unique and creative solo technique.

I highly recommend finding a backing track in the key of E minor or G Major as it is relative to E minor and practice playing and creating with this soloing approach.

Check out the video below for some open string riff ideas you can use in your soloing. In it, I take you through some cool sounding riffs born from this technique.

You also learn how to create these kind of riffs yourself:

Learn more open string riffs and runs