For a couple of "Quick and Dirty" ways to use Pentatonics in more versatile ways:

Take the old "5th. Fret, Am Pentatonic Box" and move that "Box Shape" around the Fretboard to other positions and relationships.

Here's 2 good ways:

1. This "Box" works over Major, Minor, and Dominant Chords.

Over Major, play the "Box" with your Pinky on the Root of the Major Chord, on the Fat E String.

EX: Over A Major, play the Box at the 2nd./5th. Frets. Index Finger=2nd. Fret, Pinky=5th. Fret.

Over Minor, play the Box with your Index Finger on the Low E String Root of the Minor Chord.

EX: Over Am, play the Box with your Index Finger on the E String, 5th. Fret.

Over Dominant Chords, the same positions as for the Minor Chords. This is more of a "Blues" position.

EX: Over A7 (or A9, A7b9, A7#9, A7#11, A13, etc.), play the Box with your Index Finger on the Root of the Dominant Chord. i.e. Index Finger on the E String, 5th. Fret.

To really add some "Blues Approved" Mojo, add the Major 3rd. to the Box. In "A", this would be a C# Note.

EX: Over A7 (etc.), add the E String/9th. Fret, A String/4th. Fret, G String/ 6th. Fret.

Hammering or Sliding UP to the Major 3rd. from the Minor 3rd. is a Classis move. Fun stuff!

2. "Jazzy" Pentatonics:

Over any Dominant Chord, play the Minor Pentatonic, starting from the 5th. of the Dominant Chord.

EX: Over A7 (etc.), play Em Pentatonic. Index Finger, E String/12th. Fret.

Sounds like Dorian, when you use it like this.


WHADDAYATHINK?

Here's another one I've posted before, but it works pretty well:

For a Melodic Minor type tone, this one will give all the cool Altered Tones of using Melodic Minor, a 1/2 Step above the "V" Chord.

EX: Over any Dominant Chord, play Minor Pentatonic starting from the m3rd. of the Dominant Chord.

Over E7, play Gm Pentatonic.

So, have you tried any of these?

What are your cool Pentatonic moves?

Is anybody out there..........LOL

Here's another technique that has really helped me. And, it seems to make sense to a lot of my Students, as well.

Superimposing one Pentatonic "Box" over another.

Instead of playing say, an Am Pent. at the 5th. Fret, and an Em Pent. at the 12th. Fret, try playing both Pents. at the 5th. Fret. Switching back and forth, between them.

Here's a "Reference" sheet I give to some of my Students. It helps them to learn the Pentatonic Forms ("Boxes"), as well as some of the CAGED Forms.



C Am C
4/4
Gtr I
|-8--------------|---------5-8--5--|---8-----------------|-----------|
|-5--------------|-----5-8------5--|---8-----------------|-----8-10--|
|-5--------------|-5-7----------5--|---9-----------------|-7-9-------|
|-5----------5-7-|--------------7--|--10------------7-10-|-----------|
|-7------5-7-----|--------------7--|--10-------7-10------|-----------|
|-8--5-8---------|--------------5--|---8--8-10-----------|-----------|


Am C
|-8-10---8--|--12--------------------|
|-------10--|--13--------------------|
|--------9--|--12--------------------|
|--------7--|--10--------------10-12-|
|-----------|------------10-12-------|
|-----------|------10-12-------------|


Am C
|------------10-12------|-12-------------------|----|
|------10-13------------|-13-------------------|----|
|-9-12---------------9--|-12-------------------|-12-|
|-------------------10--|-14-------------12-14-|----|
|-------------------12--|-15-------12-15-------|----|
|-----------------------|----12-15-------------|----|


Am C Am C
|----------12-15-12-|-0-------------|---------0-3-0-|-3-------------|---------|
|----13-15-------13-|-1-------------|-----1-3-----1-|-5-------------|-----3-5-|
|-14-------------14-|-0-------------|-0-2---------2-|-5-------------|-2-5-----|
|----------------14-|-2---------0-2-|-------------2-|-5---------2-5-|---------|
|----------------12-|-3-----0-3-----|-------------0-|-3-----3-5-----|---------|
|-------------------|---0-3---------|---------------|---3-5---------|---------|


Am C Am
|-3-5-5-|-8-------------|---------5-8-5-*|----|
|-----5-|-5-------------|-----5-8-----5-*|----|
|-----2-|-5-------------|-5-7---------5-*|----|
|-----2-|-5---------5-7-|-------------7-*|----|
|-----0-|-7-----5-7-----|-------------7-*|----|
|-------|-8-5-8---------|-------------5-*|----|

Here's an idea I picked up from Robben Ford:

Replace the b7 in a Minor Pentatonic Scale, with a 6th.

EX: In Am Pent., replace the G, with an F#.

It really does yield a type of "Sweeter" sound.

I often do this, while totally avoiding the b7. Then, after working it for awhile, I FINALLY add the b7th. This is similar to a Tension?Release type of effect. The 6th. sounds great, and really helps you swing into a different feel, and phrasing. And when you finally do add the b7th., it sounds like "Coming Home" (Resolution).

Give it a try! It's one of the easiest ways I've found, to mine some cool new sounds from familiar territory.