Relative Major and Minor Pentatonics
Because there are relative major and minor keys for every key signature, it is possible to use the same pentatonic scale in a major key and it's relative minor. If you look at the diagrams below, you will see that the G form of the C major pentatonic scale is identical to the E form of the A minor pentatonic. The fingering remains exactly the same, only the positions of the root notes change. For an in-depth analysis of scales, see Progressive Guitar Method: Theory.
The following example demonstrates the use of the C ma]or/A minor pentatonic scale played against the chords of C and Am. Because these are relative keys, the scale sounds good over both chords.
As you play this final solo# notice how the notes work equally well against all of the chords. This is because both the chords and scales belong to the relative keys of C major and A minor.
