So, You're A Pentatonic Guy...

This was written quite some time ago and originally had video to go with the examples at the end.  Those videos have somehow disappeared but the info in this could be pretty valuable if practiced properly.  I just came across this and decided that it might still be worth sharing...Enjoy! 

  One of the first scales a guitar player learns is the Minor (or Major) Pentatonic Scale.  It's easy to learn, play, hear, etc.  It can be played over any tune and sound good.  For this reason, many players never go much beyond this point.

     Unfortunately, this can make a lot of players sound a little stale and not so creative.  I won't name names, but there are several prominent players who have made a living on this scale.  Some of these guys are absolutely amazing!!  They can leave us with our jaw on the floor and yet, they rely so heavily on this one simple scale!  There's gotta be something to it, right?

     In my time playing this scale to death, I've come across some tricks that can help you to break out of sounding like everyone else and perhaps even mask the fact that you are playing Pentatonics!  This is part of what makes some of these guys able to do what they do to wow audiences and sell millions of records.

What Is a Pentatonic Scale?

     Simply stated, a pentatonic scale is a scale made up of five notes.  There are a ton of combinations that can make up different pentatonic scales but the most common is the minor (or major) pentatonic scale.

     Most people think of this scale in either the major or minor form and learn how to play it over major or minor accordingly.  Really, it's just a matter of starting it at a different position.  For me, I usually think in terms of the minor pentatonic and will use that as the basis for this discussion.  (For the record, these same ideas apply to the Major Pentatonic scale as well, you just have to apply it that way.  You'll see what I mean...)

The Minor Pentatonic Scale

     The Minor Pentatonic scale is simply a scale made up of the following intervals:  1 b3 4 5 b7.  Some like to say that it is the minor scale without the second and sixth degrees.  The reason I don't describe it this way is that if this is the case then it is a Phrygian or Dorian scale without those degrees as well.

     To go further into this idea, the three minor modes of the major scale are Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian (Natural Minor).  The notes that define these different forms of minor scale are the second and sixth degree.  Using Aeolian, or Natural Minor as the baseline, Dorian is a minor scale with a raised (or natural) 6.  Phrygian is a minor scale with a b2.  Since the Minor Pentatonic scale omits these intervals, it can be used over, or replace any of these three minor scales.  Pretty cool, right?

Why Is This Important?

     When we learn the major scale, we also learn the seven modes of the major scale.  These being, Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (Natural Minor) and Locrian.  Three of these modes are Major, three are Minor.  (Locrian is diminished)

     If we know what key we are in then we can find three different Minor Pentatonic scales that will work in this key (as well as three Major Pentatonic scales).  The idea being that a Minor Pentatonic scale can replace any of the minor modes.  The Same goes for Major!

     If you happen to prefer Major Pentatonic, just look at the degrees of the scale that are omitted to make the Major Pentatonic scale.  It's the two that define the three major modes, the fourth and seventh degrees.  So you can apply this the same way as minor.

So I'm In A Minor, Now What??

     Okay, so let's say you're learning (or writing) a song in A minor.  Maybe there's a chord vamp of Am - F.  We are in A Minor (or Aeolian).  Now, what are the other Minor Modes relative to A Aeolian?  D Dorian and E Phrygian, right?  (Right).

     So what does this mean? It means that we can solo, improvise and create melodies over this progression using A, D and/or E Minor Pentatonic scales! 

     This works for modal vamps as well.  Suppose we have a vamp of Bm - E7.  We think B Dorian here.  What are the other two Minor Modes relative to B Dorian?  They are C# Phrygian and F# Aeolian.  So we now know that we can play B, C# and/or F# Minor Pentatonic scales in this case.

     This works exactly the same for Major.

So You Say You KNOW Your Pentatonic Scales...

     So you've been playing Minor Pentatonic scales for years, but do you know them in all five positions?  Can you play them all over the neck??  I can't stress enough how important this is.  If you don't know this yet, take the next week or two and just drill them into your fingers and then come back to this!  It shouldn't take long with some dedication and determination.  This alone will make you a better player even without applying the information above!

     I've TABed out all five positions of the A Minor Pentatonic scale for you.  I used this scale because it has no sharps or flats and can easily be played in all five positions across the neck.  It is up to you to learn it in ALL keys!!

     Practice this ascending and descending and in as many different patterns as possible.  AND, USE A METRONOME!!!!  (Take every chance you have to work on your timing!!)

     It is super important that you learn this in ALL keys!  Once you know this you can really start to apply it!  Take the time NOW to get this down!!  Make sure you are fluent in all five positions so that when you find yourself at any spot on the neck you can grab this scale!

 

 How To Practice These Scales

     Once you know the five positions, there are two new things that we can practice that go along with this idea.  I use a looper to record a chord vamp.  For this example I will use Am - F.  This puts us in A Minor.  What are the three Minor Pentatonic scales that we can use over A Minor?  A, D and E.  So, get a loop going and practice each of these over the chord vamp (Am - F) in all five positions the same way as above.

     After you have done that, practice each scale in the same position.  Meaning, start at the first position of A Minor Pentatonic and play that scale over the vamp ascending and descending.  Next, and without pausing go right into D Minor Pentatonic in that same position, ascending and descending.  Lastly, do the same with E Minor Pentatonic in the same position.  Now move to position two of A Minor Pentatonic and do it again.  I have TABed this out for you below as a guide.  Don't rely on this TAB though.  It's only good for this particular vamp!  When you get a new progression and the key changes, change this routine accordingly!

     Listen to the different flavor you get from each of these scales over the chords.  Try to play each scale without a break or pause between them so that you are constantly thinking about what you are doing and seamlessly going between each scale.  This is also good for hearing different notes on the one of each bar.  Some sound really nice.  Others, maybe not so much.  Once you can do this, you can play this stuff like crazy!!      

     Yes, I know, it's tedious and boring.  BUT, the rewards of being able to do this will be well worth it!

Now That We Know All That...

     Let's start to apply these ideas in a musical context.  What are some ways that we can use this information?  Well, to start, you can simply play any Pentatonic scales that are relative (or diatonic) to the key that you are in.  So, let's run a drill on this.

     Given the following tonalities, which three Minor Pentatonic scales can be played over each?  (Don't scroll down yet, try to figure them out yourself. Or, quiz yourself!)

1.  G Minor (Aeolian)
2.  E Major  (Ionian)
3.  B Dorian
4.  F Lydian

     Using what we know about the modes of the major scale, this should be no problem.  Just figure out which three Minor Modes are relative to the example.

Answers:

1.  G, C, D
2.  F#, G#, C#
3.  B, C#, F#
4.  D, E, A

     Did you get those?

     So now you can start a chord vamp and use the three different Minor Pentatonic scales that go with it and you're on your way to new ideas!!  But let's keep going!

A Quick Disclaimer

     You should not think of this as modal playing.  I am simply using these terms and ideas to get the point across.  At the end of the day you are still playing in one key.  This is just the simplest way that I know to get this information out.

On To the Fun Stuff!!

Same Riff, Different Position

     Now that we know that we can use three different Minor Pentatonic scales for each key, we can start to move around the neck a little!  I'm going to use a chord vamp of Bm - E7 for these examples.  Given this chord vamp, I'm thinking B Dorian.  What three Minor Pentatonic scales can be played over B Dorian?  B, C# and F#.  I'd recommend starting out by practicing these three scales as you did above.  Get them into your head and make sure you are comfortable at all positions on the guitar.

     For this section we are going to come up with a simple riff using one of the three scales.  Keep it simple at first.  Play the riff over the chord vamp and then move the exact same fingering to one of the other two scales, and then the next. 

     Example 1 is a very straight forward riff based on the first position of the Minor Pentatonic scale.  Each time we play the riff, it gets one bar and then on to the next position/scale. 

     In example 2 we mix up which scale we are going to so it doesn't sound as much like a pattern, meaning we are not always going from scale one to scale two.  It changes a bit.  We are also going to use a different position for the riff.  This example is from second position of the Minor Pentatonic scale.  The TAB shows the riff based on all three scales, each one in second position. 

Same Riff, SAME Position

     This time we are going to start by picking a position on the neck.  For this example I'm going to be starting on the first position of C# Minor Pentatonic.  I will play a riff in this position and then change it by switching to F# Minor Pentatonic and B Minor Pentatonic in the same position.  I'll just alter which notes change within that shape.  The TAB shows the three riffs. 

Similar Riff, Different Position

     Similar to the earlier approach of "Same Riff, Different Position", but this time we are just moving between scales using the same shapes or positions.  You can play similar riffs but maybe not exactly the same.  Pick a shape that you like and play a lick.  When you find a spot that feels comfortable, shift up or down to the same shape of one of the other two scales.  This way your playing might not sound rehearsed, practiced or like patterns.  

     In this example we are once again playing over a Bm - E7 vamp.  I have chosen to use the top section of the fourth Minor Pentatonic shape.  Notice that I ascend through some and descend through others, or both.  This is where we start to sound like we are getting a little further away from the pentatonic sound, yet it's the only thing we are using.  Another thing to note here is how I am shifting between the patterns.  I use slides to get to the next position.  What ever spot in the shape I slide from is where I start in the next position!

Now It's YOUR Turn!!

     At this point I think I've given you enough to think about, but you're not done!!  Don't just memorize these riffs!  (They're really not all that good, just made up for this discussion for demonstration...)  Take the time to work out your own riffs and techniques.  Mix all this up.  Take each approach and put them all together.  Shift positions and then sit there for a minute switching between scales before shifting again.  Add some passing tones and chord tones!  There's a ton you can do with this!  The idea is to sound musical, not like a robot!  Practice, but mix it up!  That's what it's all about!

Good Luck and Rock Hard!!

-Schnozz