Minor Pentatonic Substitutions for Jazz Guitar: 6 Levels, From Inside to Outside
Nov 05, 2026Short answer: Over a minor 7 chord you don't have to play the minor pentatonic from the root. Over C-7 you can play G minor pentatonic (a 5th up, which adds the 9th), D minor pentatonic (a whole step up: the 9th, 11th and 6th), C♯ or B minor pentatonic (a half step up or down, called sidestepping or side slipping), B♭ minor pentatonic (from an imagined backdoor ii-V), or pentatonics a minor 3rd apart (C, E♭, F♯, A). What makes them sound good is how you connect them: a half step of voice leading or a common tone at every switch.
This lesson goes from easy to complicated. Everything happens over the same progression: C-7 for two bars, F-7 for two bars. Pay attention to the sound of each scale over that progression. ▶ 0:00
| Level | Pentatonic over C-7 | Relation to the root | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C minor | root | the inside sound ▶ 0:00 |
| 2 | G minor | a 5th up | the 9th (D) ▶ 0:52 |
| 3 | D minor | a whole step up | the 9th, 11th and 6th, plus the 5th and root ▶ 2:03 |
| 4 | C♯ minor | a half step up (sidestepping) | tension that resolves back to C minor ▶ 4:49 |
| 4 | B minor | a half step down | tension that resolves up to C minor ▶ 7:12 |
| 5 | B♭ minor | from an imagined backdoor ii-V (B♭-7, E♭7) | a new ii-V sound inside the C-7 bars ▶ 7:36 |
| 6 | C, E♭, F♯ (G♭) and A minor | minor 3rds apart | a lot of tension, with points to resolve into F-7 ▶ 8:39 |
Level 1: the minor pentatonic from the root
C minor pentatonic over C-7, then F minor pentatonic over F-7. Nothing crazy: it's a very inside sound, and the scale goes perfectly with the chord. This is the sound to compare everything else to. ▶ 0:00
Level 2: the minor pentatonic a 5th up
Now we start superimposing other pentatonics. Think about each new scale in relation to the chord. Instead of C minor pentatonic over C-7, play G minor pentatonic over C-7. That's really cool, because the D of G minor pentatonic gives you the 9th. ▶ 0:52
- Example 2: G minor pentatonic over the C-7, then F minor pentatonic for the F-7. ▶ 1:25
- Example 3: a 5th up for both chords, so G minor pentatonic over C-7 and C minor pentatonic over F-7. That also means you could play C minor pentatonic over both chords and it would still sound pretty good. ▶ 1:30
Level 3: the minor pentatonic a whole step up
Over C-7 that means D minor pentatonic. It's a little harder to use effectively. It gives you the 9th, the 11th and the 6th (the 6th is the tricky one, but really nice), plus the 5th and the root. ▶ 2:03
I like this one. The whole step up gives a sort of lift to the sound, and it's very clear you're using a different sound over C minor. G minor sounds nice too, but it can just sound like notes from C Dorian. ▶ 4:01
As you get more practice, you can switch between the two pentatonics every couple of beats: C minor, D minor, C minor, D minor, then F minor when that chord comes. They don't have to be full measures. ▶ 4:01
How to connect two pentatonics: half steps and common tones
The main trick that makes these substitutions work is how you get from one pentatonic to the next. Use either: ▶ 2:38
- Half-step voice leading. In example 4, the E♭ of C minor pentatonic leads by a half step into the D of D minor pentatonic. ▶ 2:38
- A common tone, a note both scales share. C is in D minor pentatonic and in F minor pentatonic, so it connects the two at the chord change. ▶ 2:38
- An enclosure. Take two notes from one pentatonic to surround a note of the next one. In example 5, the A and G of D minor pentatonic lead directly into the A♭ of F minor pentatonic. Without it, these can sound a little strange. ▶ 3:20
Always make sure there's a half step or a common tone at the point where you switch pentatonics. That's what keeps them sounding good. ▶ 3:20
Level 4: sidestepping a half step up or down
This is what's known as sidestepping, or sometimes side slipping. Over C-7 you also play the minor pentatonic a half step up, C♯ minor pentatonic, to create tension, then come back down. A lot of players are famous for this, McCoy Tyner being one of the main ones. ▶ 4:49
It's trickier because those notes aren't diatonic to the chord, so it creates a lot of tension. That's the point. You have to use half-step voice leading to get back into C minor. ▶ 5:22
- Common tone into F-7: the G♯ of C♯ minor pentatonic is the A♭ of F minor pentatonic. That connection point keeps it from sounding like you're jumping to a random key. ▶ 5:55
- Switching every two beats: C minor, two beats of C♯ minor, right back to C minor, then F minor. Give the line a sense of direction so the ear can latch onto it: B♭, then B (from C♯ minor), then C (C minor). Quick tension, quick release. ▶ 6:27
- A half step below: example 9 plays C minor, then B minor pentatonic, resolving back to C minor with a half-step resolution. ▶ 7:12
Level 5: a pentatonic from an imagined backdoor ii-V
Superimpose another ii-V inside the progression. You have C-7, and you imagine the next two chords are B♭-7 and E♭7, going back into F-7. That B♭-7 to E♭7 is sometimes called a backdoor ii-V. In the example, the second measure of C-7 uses notes from B♭ minor pentatonic. ▶ 7:36
Pro tip: a big part of why it sounds good is that I'm using a lot of sequences and patterns, very pentatonic-type patterns. That's another way to make all of this work, beyond half-step voice leading and common tones. ▶ 8:28
Level 6: minor pentatonics a minor 3rd apart
Over C-7, use C minor, E♭ minor, F♯ (G♭) minor and A minor pentatonic. You don't have to use all of them; it all works. It creates a lot of tension and gives you points to resolve into F-7. It's a tricky sound to get right, so there are a couple of examples. ▶ 8:39
The last example uses minor pentatonics a minor 3rd apart for both the C minor and the F minor. ▶ 10:13
Two more tips
- It fits the picking. Pentatonic shapes on guitar tend to be two notes per string, so everything lines up evenly and you don't need extra picking tricks. It works great with the picking I've talked about before. ▶ 9:36
- Move the rhythm around. I start most examples on the downbeat for clarity, but start on upbeats too. You don't have to switch pentatonics exactly when the chord changes: overlap, anticipation and delayed resolution are how it's really done, especially at faster tempos. ▶ 9:36
There's a free three-page PDF of the examples: get the minor pentatonics PDF. ▶ 9:10
Frequently asked questions
What pentatonic scale can I play over a minor 7 chord?
Besides the minor pentatonic from the root, you can play the minor pentatonic a 5th up (G minor over C-7, which adds the 9th), a whole step up (D minor over C-7: the 9th, 11th and 6th), or, for tension, a half step up or down.
What is sidestepping on guitar?
Sidestepping, or side slipping, is playing the pentatonic a half step away from the one that fits the chord, like C♯ minor pentatonic over C-7, to create tension, then resolving back with half-step voice leading. McCoy Tyner is one of the players most famous for it.
How do you switch between pentatonic scales smoothly?
Connect them with a half step of voice leading or a common tone at the switch point, or enclose a note of the next pentatonic with two notes from the current one. Giving the line a clear direction helps too.
Which minor pentatonics are a minor 3rd apart from C minor?
E♭ minor, F♯ (G♭) minor and A minor. You don't have to use all of them; they create tension that resolves into the next chord.
Do I have to change pentatonics exactly on the chord change?
No. Overlap, anticipation and delayed resolution are normal, especially at faster tempos.
Keep learning
- How George Benson uses two minor pentatonics in his Breezin' solo: pentatonic substitution in a real solo
- George Benson's pentatonic ideas on So What: 8 pentatonic ideas over a minor 7 chord
- How to play faster with downward pick slanting: the picking that fits two-notes-per-string pentatonic shapes
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