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Step 1
Place your fingers on the fret board in such a way that you can use all four fingers, index through little finger. One way to make sure you have the necessary reach is to place your thumb on the back side of the fret board, along an imaginary center line, and use that as your pivot point.
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Step 2
Put your index finger on the sixth string of any fret you like. Determine your starting fret by deciding on which key you want the scale to be in. If the song you're going to play along with is in the key of A, for example, you will start on the fifth fret. Press down on that string with your index finger and pluck the string.
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Step 3
Press down with your little finger on the sixth (low-E) string on the eighth fret. Pluck that string. This is the second note of your scale
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Step 4
Move to the fifth (A) string and place your index finger on the fifth fret and pluck it, then your middle finger on the sixth fret and pluck it, then your ring finger on the seventh fret and pluck that string. These notes in succession produce the third, fourth and fifth notes of your scale.
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Step 5
Play the following notes on the fourth (D) string; your index finger on the fifth fret, then your ring finger on the seventh fret. Then move to the third string and play notes, respectively, on the fifth, seventh and eighth frets using your index, ring and little fingers in succession.
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Step 6
Set your index finger on the fifth fret, second (B) string, and pluck that, then your little finger on the second string, eighth fret, and pluck that. Finally, press the fifth fret on the first (high-E) string and pluck that. That is the final A note in this, the A scale of the pentatonic mode for blues guitar.
