Angus Young Technique

Angus Young Technique I will teach you about two of the major techniques he used in his solos. Angus Young was a master of flawlessly switching from the minor pentatonic to the major pentatonic. The major pentatonic scales he used were(fingerings only): E-|X-|--|--|X-| B-|X-|--|--|X-| G-|X-|--|X-|--| D-|X-|--|X-|--| A-|X-|--|X-|--| E-|X-|--|--|X-| So in the key of A it would be: A Major Pentatonic e-|--|2-|--|--|5-| B-|--|2-|--|--|5-| G-|--|2-|--|4-|--| D-|--|2-|--|4-|--| A-|--|2-|--|4-|--| E-|--|2-|--|--|5-|

or an octave higher:

e|14|--|--|17| B|14|--|--|17| G|14|--|16|--| D|14|--|16|--| A|14|--|16|--| E|14|--|--|17|

You can apply this to any minor pentatonic scale. For example in the solo to Highway To Hell: He starts out in the A Minor Pentatonic. e-|----------5-5-------------------------------------------------------| B-|----------5-5--------5--5---------5--5--------5--5-----------5--5---| G-|-7^(9)---------7^(9)-------7^(9)--------7^(9)---------7^(9)---------| D-|--------------------------------------------------------------------| A-|--------------------------------------------------------------------| E-|--------------------------------------------------------------------| Right here he switchs into the A e-|------------------------------------|----------------------| Major Scale. B-|-7^(8)------------------------------|----------------------| G-|-7^(8)------------5-----7--5^(7)----|----------------------| D-|---------------------7-----------5--|-4^(5)----2-----------| A-|------------------------------------|-------------3--0-----| E-|------------------------------------|----------------------| hold bend Now he goes back to the A Minor Scale. e-|-------------5----------------|---------------------5--------| B-|----------------5-------------|-------5---5-----------5------| G-|-2----4^(6)--------(6)^4--2---|-------5---5------/5-----5----| D-|------------------------------|-/5--0---7---7-5------------7-| A-|------------------------------|------------------------------| E-|------------------------------|------------------------------|

e-|-------------------------------------| B-|------11-----11----------------------| G-|-/12-----12--------------------------| D-|-------------------------------------| A-|-------------------------------------| E-|-------------------------------------| As you can see he goes back and forth very naturally.

Another technique he uses is moving back and forth between octaves in the same key. What i mean to say is that midsolo he may go up 12 frets the next octave. He does this on numerous occasions. In the key of A, the root note for the minor pentatonic scale is 6th string at the 5th fret. The next octave would be 12 frets up: 6th string at the 17th fret. This also works for every other minor pentatonic scale. For example, the solo to Let There Be Rock. He starts out with the A minor pentatonic with the root note at the 5th fret on the 6th string. e B G D A E

|-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------5--7-7(9)-7-5--7-5~~~~~-| |---7---7---7-\-------7---7---7\----7-------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------|

e B G D A E

|-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |---5-7-7(9)-7-5-7---5-7-7(9)-7---5-5-----5---5-5---5-5---5-5-| |-7----------------7------------7-----7-7---7-----7-----7-----| |-------------------------------------------------------------| |-------------------------------------------------------------|

e B G D A E

|------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |---5-5---5-5---5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5--| |-7-----7-----7---7-----7-----7-----7-----7-----7-----7------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------|

e B G D A E e B G D A E

|------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |---5-5---5-5---7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7---7---7-7---7-7----| |-7-----7-----7---9-----9-----9-----9-----9---9-----9--------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| Right here he jumps up an octave and solos there. |-----------------|---------17--------------------------------| |-----------------|--20(22)----20-17--------------------------| |---7-7---7-7---7-|------------------17-17----19-17-----------| |-9-----9-----9---|------------------------19-------19--------| |-----------------|-------------------------------------------| |-----------------|-------------------------------------------|

e B G D A E

Then he goes back down an octave and finishes the solo. |-5-------5-5-------5-5-------5-5-------5-5-------5-------5~~| |---8(10)-----8(10)-----8(10)-----8(10)-----8(10)---8(10)----| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------|

e B G D A E

|-12h14p12h14p12h15~~~~~~------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------|

I hope this was helpful to you, and knowledge of major and minor pentatonic scales has really improved my solos, as i hope it will improve yours.