In this free video guitar lesson, you’ll use pentatonic scale patterns to play parts from “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder. Follow along with the free Sir Duke guitar tab below as you work through this upbeat, syncopated riff and see how it’s rooted in familiar pentatonic shapes.

This riff is also a great example of using the major blues scale. While most players associate the blues scale with the minor pentatonic pattern, the major blues scale works the same way — it adds one important “blue note,” the minor third (♭3), to the standard major pentatonic scale. This extra note introduces a bit of bluesy tension and color, giving major-key riffs a soulful, expressive edge.

The major blues scale shows up often in blues-based music, Motown, soul, funk, and countless classic guitar lines. Sir Duke is a perfect demonstration of how the blues scale can add personality and energy to a major-key riff without straying far from simple pentatonic positions.

Sir Duke Tab