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Let's start with the basics: Pentatonics - this is the basic minor pentatonic progression I'm using for most of the Riffs throughout these pages. This is shown in the key of "A" - but obviously you can move the progression up and down the fretboard in any key.

  Gtr I
|-----------------------5-8-5--------------------------|
|-------------------5-8-------8-5----------------------|
|---------------5-7---------------7-5------------------|
|-----------5-7-----------------------7-5--------------|
|-----3-5-7-------------------------------7-5-3--------|
|-3-5-------------------------------------------5-3----|

Am Pentatonic:  midi file

My progression is based on the Am Pentatonic scale (Form 1) shown below. You can see I just changed the beginning of the run using Form 5. I'll explain - pentatonic means "5 notes" - in this case A - C - D - E - G (repeated). The five forms are created by the starting note. You can see in my pattern (above), I start out on the G (Form 5) and run it straight into Form 1, which is your most common form in rock'n'roll leads. The key to soloing is to make use of a mixture of all these patterns so that your leads don't all sound the same. This may look like a hundred different notes, but actually they are all the same 5 (A-C-D-E-G), just played in different places. These forms are used in any key - just change your (starting) root note.

  A C D E G (Form 1)

|--------------------------5--8--5---------------------------|
|---------------------5--8---------8--5----------------------|
|----------------5--7-------------------7--5-----------------|
|-----------5--7-----------------------------7--5------------|
|------5--7---------------------------------------7--5-------|
|-5--8-------------------------------------------------8--5--|

  C  D  E  G  A (Form 2)
 
|-------------------------8-10-8----------------------------|
|--------------------8-10--------10-8-----------------------|
|----------------7-9------------------9-7-------------------|
|-----------7-10--------------------------10-7--------------|
|------7-10------------------------------------10-7---------|
|-8-10----------------------------------------------10-8----|


  D  E  G  A  C (Form 3)
|------------------------------10-12-10---------------------------------|
|------------------------10-13----------13-10---------------------------|
|-------------------9-12----------------------12-9----------------------|
|-------------10-12--------------------------------12-10----------------|
|-------10-12--------------------------------------------12-10----------|
|-10-12--------------------------------------------------------12-10----|


  E  G  A  C  D (Form 4)
|-------------------------------12-15-12----------------------------------|
|-------------------------13-15----------15-13----------------------------|
|-------------------12-14----------------------14-12----------------------|
|-------------12-14----------------------------------14-12----------------|
|-------12-15----------------------------------------------15-12----------|
|-12-15----------------------------------------------------------15-12----|


  G A C D E (Form 5)
|---------------------3-5-3------------------------|
|-----------------3-5-------5-3--------------------|
|-------------2-5---------------5-2----------------|
|---------2-5-----------------------5-2------------|
|-----3-5-------------------------------5-3--------|
|-3-5---------------------------------------5-3----|

Ok, so now you have the minor pentatonic scale under your belt, let me show you the A major
pentatonic scale. If you throw the F# in (2nd fret on the  low E string)  Looks alot like a F# min
pentatonic scale doesn't it ? That's because it is.  No rocket science here.

  Amaj pentatonic - A B C# E F#
|--------------------2-5-2-------------------------|
|----------------2-5-------5-2---------------------|
|------------2-4---------------4-2-----------------|
|--------2-4-----------------------4-2-------------|
|----2-4--------------------------------4-2--------|
|--5----------------------------------------5------|

The major pentatonic scale is found in alot of country rock leads - Outlaws, Skynyrd, 
Marshall Tucker, Grateful Dead etc. I'll demonstrate what a typical maj pent lead sounds like.
I'll use my countryballad.mp3 backing track - I play the first half using a D maj pent
 lead (same pattern as above just start on the 10th fret), then into a D min pent lead,
and finish up on the D maj pent - you can hear how it changes the whole flavor of the tune.
maj-min-pents.mp3

Riff 1: A little run up your basic lead progression in "A".
4/4
  Gtr I
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------5b6-------|
|----------------------------------------5-----5--7--5--7-------7----|
|-------------3-----3--5--3--5--7--5--7-----7------------------------|
|-3--5--3--5-----5---------------------------------------------------|

Riff 1: midi file

Riff 2:  A run down the same progression in "A"
4/4
  Gtr I
                                        ~~~~
|-8-5---5-----------5--------------------------|
|-----8---8-5-8-5-------------7---7------------|
|-----------------8---8-7-5-7-7b8r7-5---5------|
|-------------------------------------7---7----|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|

Riff 2:  midi file   Riff2.wav(49Kb)

Riff 3: Still in "A" this riff stems off the "D" in a basic A-D-E Blues/rock progression. The bends don't really come out on the midi file.
 4/4
Gtr I
|----------------10-11-12--------------------------------------------------12-11-10----10-----------------------|
|----10-12-12b13----------12b13r=10-12-10----10-10----10-12b13----10----10----------13----13-10-10----10-12b13--|
|-11--------------------------------------11-------11----------11----11----------------------------11-----------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Riff 3:  midi file   Riff3.wav(286Kb)

Riff 5: Still in "A" - A little variation to the (above) pattern.

 4/4
  Gtr I
|-------5-------5-----------5---------5------------------------|
|-----5---5-8b9---8-5-----5---5-8-5----------------------------|
|-7b8-----------------7b8-----------8--8-7-5-7-7b8r5-7-5-6-----|
|----------------------------------------------------------7---|
|------------------------------------------------------------7-|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|

Riff 5:  midi file   Riff5.wav(54Kb)

Riff 6:  Another variation in "A".

 4/4
  Gtr I
              ~                               ~
|-------5-8b9-8-5-7-5---5-----5---------------------|
|-----5---------------7---8b9---8-5-----------------|
|-7b8-------------------------------7b8r5-7-5-6-----|
|-----------------------------------------------7---|
|-------------------------------------------------7-|
|---------------------------------------------------|
 

Riff 6: midi file   Riff6.wav(61Kb)

Riff 7:  A little bending, hammering and pull-off action - in "A".  Bend the "D" a full step to "E", pick the "E" then hammer the "G" pulling off back to the "E". I put a wah on this using my old beater Charvel.

 4/4
  Gtr I
|--------------------------|
|-----5-8p5-----5-8p5------|
|-7b9-------7b9-------7----|
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|
 

Riff 7: midi file   Riff7.wav (189Kb)

Riff 8:

An old blues intro you should recognize.

 4/4
  Gtr I
|----9-----9-----9-----9-----8-----8-----8-----8-----9----|
|------8-----8-----8-----8-----7-----7-----7-----7---8----|
|-/9-----9-----9-----9-----9-----8-----8-----8-----8-9----|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|

Riff 8: midi file   Riff8.wav (376Kb)

Riff 9:  Here's some chords I often use when playing blues.  They're more or less 9ths - I play a partial A9th.  This is some "toe tappin" blues in "A", basic A-D-E blues progression.  You'll soon catch on to how easy these chords are to play.  I've tabbed the basic chords here.  I've trimmed the wav file down so it'll loop fairly well on your Winamp player for a jam along.

  Gtr I
  A9   D9     A9   E9   F9     E9   A9
|-5----5----|-5----7----8----|-7----5----|
|-5----5----|-5----7----8----|-7----5----|
|-6----5----|-6----7----8----|-7----6----|
|-5----4----|-5----6----7----|-6----5----|
|-0----5----|-0----7----8----|-7----0----|
|-----------|----------------|-----------|
 

Riff A: midi file   RiffA.wav (196Kb)

Riff 10:  Here's some "old school" blues in "E".  The timing on my midi is a bit off - but the TAB is real close to what I'm playing.  I'm using my old '83 Japanese Squier Strat on this.

  4/4 Gtr I
|--------------------------------------------0-------------------------------------------|
|----3-----------------------------3----------------------------3------------------------|
|-/4---2b3r0--------------------/4---2b3r0--------------------4---2b3r0------------------|
|------------2-2---------------------------2----------------------------2-2--2--4--4--2--|
|-------------------2--4--4--2-----------------2--2--4--4--2--------------0--0--0--0--0--|
|----------------0--0--0--0--0-----------------0--0--0--0--0-----------------------------|

|-------------------|-------------|-------------------2-|-2-2------|
|----3--------------|-------------|----3--------------2-|-2-2-2----|
|-/4---2b3r0--------|-------------|-/4---2b3r0--------2-|-2-2-2----|
|------------2-2----|-------------|------------2-0----1-|-1-1-2----|
|-------------------|-2--4--4--2--|----------------2--2-|-2-2-0----|
|----------------0--|-0--0--0--0--|---------------------|----------|
 

|-3b4-0-------0-----------------4---3---2-----------|-2----|
|-------0-3b4---3-0---------------------------------|-2----|
|-------------------2b3-0-----4---3---2---0-1-------|-2----|
|-------------------------2-2-----------------------|-1----|
|---------------------------------------------0-1-2-|-2----|
|---------------------------------------------------|------|

Riff E: midi file   RiffE.wav (483Kb)