While many guitarists often tend to get stuck on using the first Pentatonic they learned (usually the Minor 11th variant which from the note C would be spelled C Eb F G B, there are actually many different pentatonics and the easiest way to think of them is as 9th chord arpeggios:
C69 = C E G A D = C Major Pentatonic* = C D E G A
(this is the one most guitarists usually think of as an Am Pentatonic, but that’s just one of the 5 derivatives)
Cm69 = C Eb G A D = Cm69 Pentatonic* = C D Eb G A
(try playing the second mode of this one, it’s a Japanese Pentatonic)
C9 = C E G Bb D = C Dominant Pentatonic = C D E G Bb
C7b9 = C E G Bb Db = C7b9 Pentatonic* = C Db E G Bb
(this one sound GREAT for Manouche style Gypsy Jazz)
There are a ton of derivatives (basically just start think of every possible way to alter a 9th chord; CMaj9 = C D E G B, C13b9 = C Db E G A (well not exactly, but this one sounds best on that chord), C7#9 = C D# E G Bb, etc. (you get the idea). And of course EACH of these can be thought of as having five modes.
The other cool thing about Pentatonics is that because they’re not a complete scale, they’re often superimposed over a root that isn’t even in the scale. Some basic uses of the Major Pentatonic 1 2 3 5 6 would be from the 5th of a Major chord G A B D E played over CMaj7 for instance, or D E F# A B played over C69#11 (or other Lydian chord). Notice that the root of these chords is NOT contained in the scale, and the lines sound better for it (that’s why God invented bassists and said “Thou shall play the root and the 5th!” LOL).
