So you know your Pentatonic scale?

JohnCordy · May 2020

Here's some hopefully vaguely useful ideas if you're feeling like you're stuck in the first pentatonic box shape, or wondering how to make practice sound more musical, or just in general why the pentatonic isn't as simple or boring as you might think (if you did...)

axisus · May 2020

I shall take a look when not at work. I haven't got far from the pentatonic scale in my 57 years ...

Modellista · December 2020

Sounds spacey... but not Kevin Spacey

JohnCordy · December 2020

@Modellista now about that Bari...

viz · December 2020

Nice!
Would be cool to see a video about playing the classic blues-box minor pentatonic shape at different positions, within the same key. For instance, using your F#minor drone, playing the G#minor pentatonic at Fret 4 to give a dorianish flavour, or the C#minor penatonic at Fret 9 to accentuate the 2nd. And similar tricks in major keys, for example to give a lydian flavour.

JohnCordy · December 2020

@viz yeh but then itd get into mode talk which always descends into madness!

viz · December 2020

Lol OK no worries then! Shame coz I like doing things like, in a 251 in C, on the D minor I play A minor pentatonic (to accentuate the 2nd); on the G7 I play A# minor pentatonic (which has notes from the super locrian / altered scale); and on the C major I play B minor pentatonic (which is C Lydian).

All in all, just slipping up a fret each time and using the same shape, especially if you're playing your sort of twisty turns, sounds very cool.

But yep, you'd need to mention modes!

JohnCordy · December 2020

@viz aye but but the moment I mention them it opens up other rabbit holes much like mentioning the altered scale....

Dominic · December 2020

I liked seeing the Dachshund..what's it's name .I've got a wire hair ......looks like you've got a long hair
Dachshund mad here .

JohnCordy · December 2020

@Dominic we have a few - one smooth, 4 long hair - the intro is Fenton

Dominic · December 2020

You need a wire hair too .....We have Pretzel who has just been mated to Atticus ....
Are all yours standards ?

JohnCordy · December 2020

@Dominic no they're all tiny!

pintspiller · December 2020

Any time I start in the pentatonic I throw in the odd passing note and next thing I've gone diatonic and using my fave mode shapes!

(Doesn't mean it sounds any good like).

chotu495 · December 2020

Nice video

ArchtopDave · December 2020

viz said:

Nice!
Would be cool to see a video about playing the classic blues-box minor pentatonic shape at different positions, within the same key. For instance, using your F#minor drone, playing the G#minor pentatonic at Fret 4 to give a dorianish flavour, or the C#minor penatonic at Fret 9 to accentuate the 2nd. And similar tricks in major keys, for example to give a lydian flavour.

There's a Scott Henderson interview on Youtube, where he explains his thinking about using the Minor Pentatonic Scale in a modal manner. Basically, he says that if you view a Dominant 7th Chord as a Major Chord (which is fair enough as it's a Major Chord with a flat 7th added), then you can use Minor Pentatonic Scales based on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees of the Major Scale (i.e. equivalent to the Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian modes the Major Scale).

viz · December 2020

ArchtopDave said:

viz said:

Nice!
Would be cool to see a video about playing the classic blues-box minor pentatonic shape at different positions, within the same key. For instance, using your F#minor drone, playing the G#minor pentatonic at Fret 4 to give a dorianish flavour, or the C#minor penatonic at Fret 9 to accentuate the 2nd. And similar tricks in major keys, for example to give a lydian flavour.

There's a Scott Henderson interview on Youtube, where he explains his thinking about using the Minor Pentatonic Scale in a modal manner. Basically, he says that if you view a Dominant 7th Chord as a Major Chord (which is fair enough as it's a Major Chord with a flat 7th added), then you can use Minor Pentatonic Scales based on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees of the Major Scale (i.e. equivalent to the Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian modes the Major Scale).

Exactly what I was referring to! Thanks - will look up the interview. He does it on his Shapes album. (he probably does it a lot but I only know the one album - reminds me to check out more)

And you can go further - so in E major for example, as well as playing the minor pentatonics on F# minor, G# minor and C# minor, like you say, and all of which are within the harmony of E major, you can also play B minor penta, which converts the E major into E mixolydian, or D# minor

penta, which converts the E major into E Lydian.

And stuff like that. Excellent - cheers!

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

So you know your Pentatonic scale?

Comments