The A minor pentatonic (A C D E G) is the first scale every guitarist should know. Five notes, no wrong choices, instant blues. Here you will learn three fingerings that cover the entire neck.
Because fourths tuning spaces every string exactly 5 semitones apart, a scale shape on one string pair works identically on the next. The only adjustment: on the C and F strings the pattern shifts back one fret.
Approach 1: Vertical Box (Index Finger Start)
Index finger at fret 5 on the low E string — that is the root, A. The shape spans frets 4-8 across all six strings.
On the E string the two notes are a minor third apart (3 frets). On A, D, and G they are a whole step (2 frets). The C and F strings keep the same whole-step pattern but shift back one fret. This is the only adjustment you ever make in P4 tuning.
Practice
Play ascending from the low E string (fret 5) to the high F string (fret 7), then descend back down. Use alternate picking (down-up-down-up). Start at 60 BPM with a metronome and increase by 5 BPM once you can play the full shape cleanly three times in a row.
Approach 2: Pinky Start
Now the root A sits under your pinky at fret 5 instead of your index finger. The remaining notes fall below, across frets 2-5.
This opens up descending phrases. With the pinky anchored on the root, your index and middle fingers naturally reach the notes below it. The C and F strings shift back one fret, same as before.
Practice
Try this shape for descending lines. Start on the F string at fret 4 (A), play down to fret 2 (G), then cross to the C string at fret 4 (E), fret 2 (D), and continue descending through all six strings. This fingering is natural for phrases that resolve downward to the root.
Approach 3: Slide and Repeat
The killer feature of fourths tuning. Play one octave across three strings, slide up, and repeat the exact same fingering. Standard tuning cannot do this — the G-B major third breaks the pattern.
Below are all three octaves combined. Notes with a purple glow are slide points: D string fret 7 (slide from position 5 to 7) and C string fret 9 (slide from 7 to 9).
Practice
Focus on the transition between octaves. The pivot note A on the D string (fret 7) is shared between octave 1 and octave 2 - your hand slides from index-at-5 to index-at-7 while staying on the same note. Similarly, the pivot A on the C string (fret 9) connects octave 2 to octave 3. Practice playing octave 1 ascending, then sliding into octave 2 without pausing. Once that is smooth, chain all three octaves together. Use a metronome at 50 BPM to start - the slide transitions need to be rhythmically even.
Putting It Together
All three approaches produce the same five notes. Approach 1 keeps you in one position. Approach 2 gives access to notes below the root. Approach 3 travels diagonally across the neck. Practice all three until you can switch between them mid-phrase.