Chapter 12: Two-Note Firepower – Double Stops, Unison Bends, and More

The pentatonic scale isn’t just for single-note lines. Some of the most iconic licks in music use two-note groupings, including unison bends and double stops. If you want to make a room boogie like Chuck Berry, soar like Jimmy Page, or fill around chords like Jimi Hendrix, this chapter is for you. These examples complete your pentatonic mastery by showing you how to add texture, use pairs of notes to highlight chord changes, and make the most of your scale shapes in any musical situation.

From the book Lead Guitar Unlocked: Master Expressive Soloing With the Pentatonic Scale.

Unison Bends

You begin your journey into two-note firepower with unison bends. A unison bend is when you play two notes simultaneously—one held steady while the other is bent up to match its pitch. “Unison” simply means they end up sounding like the same note.

See Figure 12-1 to get started. This example is based on the A minor pentatonic scale. You begin by fretting an E note on the 5th fret of string 2 and playing it together with a D note on the 7th fret of string 3. Bend the D up a whole step until it matches the pitch of the E. This produces a thick, expressive tone and a unique interaction as the bent note rises into unison. You can hear my demonstration in Audio Track 12-1.

Use your index finger on string 2, and your middle and ring fingers to help bend the note on string 3. From here, you can move around the pentatonic scale using your index finger as an anchor, with your other fingers following along on the neighboring string.

Here’s a quick guide:

• When your index is on string 2, the bend will be on string 3, two frets higher.
• When your index is on string 1, the bend will be on string 2, three frets higher.

In Figure 12-1, you start with your index on string 2 and move up through various notes in the A minor pentatonic. Then you shift to string 1 to continue climbing the scale. You can work horizontally along either string, or focus on one or two of the unison bends.

A great example of this technique can be heard at the end of “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin.

Chuck Berry Lick

In Figure 12-2, you play variations of a lick closely associated with Chuck Berry—who famously borrowed it from earlier blues players and broadcast it across radios nationwide. Set in A minor pentatonic Pattern 1, the phrase begins with a bit of unison bend technique and then adds a barre across strings 1 and 2. It’s become part of the standard rock guitar vocabulary to alternate between a bend on string 3 and the barred notes on strings 1 and 2, sometimes picking them separately and other times striking them together as a double stop. You hear this classic sound in “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry and in “Rock and Roll All Nite” (from KISS Alive!) as played by Ace Frehley. Listen to my demonstration in Audio Track 12-2.

Chord-Based Pentatonic Fills

The next two figures demonstrate R&B-style embellishments that Jimi Hendrix refined and used to craft songs like “Little Wing” and “The Wind Cries Mary.” Figure 12-3 uses a portion of A minor pentatonic Pattern 1 over an A minor chord and D minor pentatonic Pattern 1 over a D minor chord. This example highlights how you can fill around chord shapes using related scales to embellish your rhythm playing. Some players describe this as playing lead while playing chords.

Hendrix often approached this style by fretting root notes on string 6 with his thumb while keeping his fretting hand in a wraparound position. The first part of each measure establishes the root and chord, followed by a fill drawn from the underlying pentatonic scale.

The trickiest part of this lick is barring notes at the 5th fret with your index finger while hammering on and pulling off a string above the barre with your ring finger. To make this work, keep your index finger flat while keeping your ring finger arched. Listen to my demonstration in Audio Track 12-3.

You play chord-based pentatonic fills over major chords in Figure 12-4. This example begins with a portion of A major pentatonic Pattern 2, positioned around a standard 6th-string barre chord at the 5th fret. It then moves to a portion of D major pentatonic Pattern 1, located near a typical 5th-string root barre chord. Each measure starts with a root note and chord stab, followed by pentatonic embellishments that add color and movement. Make sure to arch your ring finger while executing hammer-ons and pull-offs, and keep your index finger flat to sustain the double stops. Listen to my demonstration in Audio Track 12-4.

Wrap-Up

In this chapter, you expanded your pentatonic toolkit by exploring two-note techniques that add depth, energy, and expression to your playing. You learned how to use the pentatonic scale not just for single-note lines, but for fiery unison bends, Chuck Berry–style double stops, and smooth R&B embellishments in the style of Hendrix.

These techniques aren’t just flashy—they’re foundational elements of pentatonic vocabulary. Whether you’re building tension or outlining chord changes, these two-note figures help your playing stand out and serve the song.

Keep experimenting with these ideas across different keys and chord progressions. You don’t need to use them all at once—but having them in your back pocket means you’re ready to shine whenever the moment calls for it.

Access the Free Online Resources

Head to Lead Guitar Unlocked – Free Audio & Video Resources on Teachable to listen to this chapter’s audio tracks and jam along with the backing tracks.

Up Next: Conclusion – Final Tips for Applying What You’ve Learned to Real Music and Progressing as a Lead Player

In the conclusion, you’ll learn how to take everything you’ve practiced so far and apply it to real music. We’ll cover how to choose the right scale, learn from your favorite songs, make the most of backing tracks, and develop your own style. This is where you spread your wings and start to soar as a lead guitarist.