Adding pentatonic fills over D-Cadd9-G

Lesson #348 • Jan 23, 2021

Video lesson

Instructional PDF 2 pages

Follow along with the print-friendly PDF! It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

Thanks for being a Premium member of Song Notes! Your support makes these lessons possible.

Download PDF

Follow along with the print-friendly PDF!

It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

To download the PDF, upgrade to premium or log in.

Editor’s notes

Hey friends! Here’s a new warm-up exercise video, where I’ll show you how to add pentatonic licks & fills over the common progression D-Cadd9-G. Specifically, I’ll focus on 4 phrases from the D-minor pentatonic scale – and demonstrate how to play these between the chords you’re strumming. If adding licks and fills from a scale is new to you, don’t worry – honestly it’s pretty new stuff to me, and in this video I’ll explain the chords + fretboard + general advice on how to approach adding the most basic of fills.

Video timestamps:

  • 0:00 Preview & lesson summary
  • 2:01 Chord shapes needed
  • 5:00 Pentatonic scale basics
  • 7:41 Riff: learning the notes (w/ tab)
  • 13:56 Riff: learning the timing (w/ tab)
  • 16:54 Bonus: same riff in Drop-D (w/ tab)
  • 19:10 Bonus: 6 other riffs from this scale

The song this is inspired from

This lesson is inspired by the song “Down Low” by Town Mountain ft. Tyler Childers, which was sent in by request. A lesson for that song may be coming one day, but in the meantime I wanted to share this one explaining the basics of the lead riffs & fills you hear in that song.

Summary of the main riff

Here’s the 4-measure sequence I play at the start of my video lesson. The idea is to move into each full chord by playing a 6-note lick. Once you get the chord, you can strum it as much (or little) as you want before continuing to the next lick.

E –––––––––––––––––––––  –––––––––––––––––––––  –––––––––––––––––––––  –––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––––––––3–  –3–1–––––––––––––––3–  –––––––––––––––––––3–  –––––––––––––––––––3–
G –––––––––––––––––––2–  ––––––2–0––––––––––0–  –––––––––––––––––––0–  –––––––––––––––––––2–
D ––––––0–3––0–––––0–0–  –––––––––––3–0–––––x–  ––––––0––––––––––––0–  –0–3––0–5––0–3–––0–0–
A –0–3–––––––––3–––––––  –––––––––––––––––3–3–  –0–3––––3––0–––––––x–  –––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––  –––––––––––––––––––––  –––––––––––––1–––3–3–  –––––––––––––––––––––
                     D                   Cadd9                     G                      D  

Chord shapes

Here’s two options for the 3 chords used in this exercise. To keep things basic, you can use the standard D-Cadd9-G voicings (shown on the left). However, I prefer using the slightly modified versions (on the right)… where you’re never playing the high-E string, and likewise muting the 4th and 5th strings on the Cadd9 and G, respectively. Muting these strings helps keep the chords from feeling too “major”, which would clash with the vibe of the minor pentatonic scale we’ll be using.

[ See PDF for chord diagram ]

Learning the D-minor pentatonic scale

For context, here’s the scale we’ll be using – all the licks and riffs and fills we play will come out of these notes. While I do think it’s good to practice playing this up-and-down a few times, don’t feel pressured to memorize this entire thing just yet. Rather, refer back to this when learning any individual lick – seeing the “shape” of the notes you’re playing in any given phrase will likely be very helpful in cementing this in your mind.

[ See PDF for the scale diagram ]

Full tab, with counting (standard tuning)

Here’s the same tab shown earlier in the page, but written with approximate timing. Note that I’m showing very basic strumming on the 1-2-3-4 counts, and the “xxxxx” on the second 1 count means you should silence all the strings by gently resting your right hand on them, just before playing the licks. See my video lesson for reference.

[ See PDF for tab ]

Full tab, with counting (Drop-D tuning)

Here’s another fun way to play this same sequence, if you tune your lowest string down to a D. Notice how much more full this makes the D chord.

[ See PDF for tab ]

Additional licks and fills to try using

The great part about this minor pentatonic scale, is there’s no limit to the phrases we can use as the licks & riffs we play. Here’s a grab bag of different phrases, from which you can pick and choose. Try using these as the connecting phrases between the chords within the D-Cadd9-G progression. You can also repeat any single lick shown here before each chord in the D-Cadd9-G progression, which is a fun way to practice.

[ See PDF for tab ]

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 266 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Donate

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Interactive fretboard map! See the patterns behind every scale in any key.

View

Capo Captain

An easy way to calculate key & chord combinations, for any capo location!

View

Key Master

See and hear the notes, chords, scales used in each of the most common keys.

View

Blank Tabs

Free PDF templates to download, print, and write out your own guitar tabs!

View

Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!


Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!


Recent Lessons

  • March 28, 2025

    West Texas Campfire Fingerstyle Fun

    I've updated one of my favorite fingerstyle lessons — which shows how you can add melodic flair to basic chords with easy-going fingerpicking! Brand new PDF and 3 bonus videos added as well.

  • March 21, 2025

    Leaving Your Comfort Zone to Speed Up Learning

    Tips on pushing your boundaries without overwhelming yourself, all in the name of learning more quickly & expanding your guitar skillset.

  • March 12, 2025

    "All The Best" by John Prine

    Let's learn how to play John Prine's 1991 classic! Tons of fun with his Travis-picking fingerstyle, where he makes magic with just three chords.

  • March 6, 2025

    Acoustic Fun with AC/DC's "Back in Black"

    Let's dive into the hard-hitting classic from AC/DC — played on an acoustic guitar! By rounding a few corners, I'll show you how to have fun with this 1980 classic.

  • Feb 24, 2025

    Major, Minor, and Pentatonic Scales in Every Key!

    I'm thrilled to finally share 40+ new pages of PDF cheat sheets looking at all the must-know scales! Many of you have asked about this in the last couple years... it's finally here!

  • Feb 12, 2025

    "Handle with Care" by Traveling Wilburys

    Let's dive into this 1988 classic from the late-1980s supergroup featuring George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Roy Orbison. So fun to play!

  • Feb 5, 2025

    Strumming Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind"

    I've updated my "Blowin' in the Wind" lesson with two zoomed playthrough videos, showing how to strum the verse & chorus (with and without bass-note strumming). Updated practice notes too!

  • Feb 4, 2025

    Tom T. Hall's Classic Country Riff

    I've updated my lesson for "The Year That Clayton Delaney Died" with new practice notes and three zoomed playthrough videos! The intro riff for this song is an absolute killer.

Browse All Recent Lessons →

← back to homepage