Pattern II, in the key of Am, covers frets 7-10. Pattern II has root notes on the 2nd string and the 4th string.
Pattern 2
Fingering
As with Pattern I, assign each of your fretting hand fingers to cover one fret (e.g., index = 7th fret, middle = 8th fret, ring = 9th fret, pinky = 10th fret). If you number the fingers of your fretting hand (i.e., index = 1, middle = 2, ring = 3, pinky = 4), the fingering, from the lowest string (low E) on up will be 2-4, 1-4, 1-4, 1-3, 2-4, 2-4.
The fingering is quite a bit tricker than Pattern I. Leading with your middle finger, on the low E string, will feel odd at first. And using 2-4 on the B and high E strings can be challenging. Sometimes guitarists will shift their entire hand up one fret (i.e., into 8th position) so they can play those B and high-E string notes using 1-3 instead of 2-4. I recommend being able to do it both ways.
Practice Tips
As with Pattern I, try playing this pattern from its lowest note (C on the low-E string) to it's highest note (D on the high-E string) and back down first by picking every note. Then try it with hammer ons and pull offs.
Connections
This same shape is also Pattern I of the C Major Pentatonic Scale. That's the case because A Minor is the "relative minor" of C Major (and C Major is the "relative major" of A Minor). That means they share the same notes.
Your next question is likely "So why do they sound different?" The answer is context and emphasis. If the song you're playing is in the key of A Minor, and you emphasize the Root, 3rd, and 5th of A Minor, it'll sound like A Minor. If the song you're playing is in the key of C Major, and you emphasize the Root, 3rd, and 5th of C Major, it'll sound like C Major. Stylistically, shifting from A Minor Pentatonic to C Major Pentatonic will sound like going from rock to rockabilly.
Last Update
This page was last updated on 07/04/2026.