The pentatonic scale

The pentatonic scale is thought by many electric guitar players to be their exclusive property but it’s really found in all sorts of music from around the world.
According to wikipedia.org “Ethnomusicology commonly classifies pentatonic scales as either hemitonic or anhemitonic. Hemitonic scales contain one or more semitones and anhemitonic scales do not contain semitones. For example, a hemitonic pentatonic scale common in some areas of North and West Africa contains flatted 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees (hence, if the scale begins in C, it will contain a D-flat, E-flat, and A-flat, plus a G-natural).”
If all that is making your head spin, try reading the full article while you’re holding a guitar and get some idea of what all that theoretical stuff sounds like.
Here’s another take on it:
“The pentatonic scale is a favourite of all guitar players for rock, blues, country, jazz etc. It is easy to learn and apply. It has just two notes per string and is great for beginner to advanced guitarists alike.
You can use it for simple and easy soloing or you can use it in a very complex way suitable for jazz, fusion or contemporary hard rock or metal. You can substitute them and you can alter them. Substitute pentatonics and altered pentatonics are an excellent way to get exciting new sounds into your guitar solos, now.”
http://www.free-guitar-chords.com/pentatonic-guitar-magic.htm
And here’s a guy on a YouTube video helping to make the pentatonic scale clearer: