Pentatonics 2 letostak@ix.netcom.com (Judy Letostak) For all the tab and lessons that I've done, visit: http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/agnetha/59/index.html or (San Diego, CA) Metal Edge (619)423-4970 24/7 Guitar/Bass/Drum tab, MP3s, Appz ========================================= | Do NOT send or archive this to olga...| ========================================= You can post this on your web, ftp, bbs whatever, without permission. leave all the x-tra text in there pls. Last lesson was a brief explanation of the pentatonic scale. This one I'm hoping to clear up a few things. The first thing is some warmups with the pentatonics...Because this scale is usually two notes per string (position playing), it can be hard to adjust to...Especially, when you're used to scales and modes. Use a metronome! 1 ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------5-----5--7--5--7- -------------------------5-----5--7--5--7-----7------------- -------5-----5--7--5--7-----7------------------------------- -5--8-----8------------------------------------------------- -------------------5-----5--8--5---------------------------- -5-----5--8--5--8-----8-----------8--5~--------------------- ----7------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ 2 -8--5-----8--5--------5------------------------------------- -------8--------8--5-----8--5-----8--5--------5------------- -------------------------------7--------7--5-----7--5------- -------------------------------------------------------7---- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ -7--5--------5---------------------------------------------- -------7--5-----7--5-----7--5--------5---------------------- ----------------------7--------7--5-----7--5-----7--5------- ----------------------------------------------8--------8--5~ 3 ----8-----5------------------------------------------------- -8-----5--------8-----5------------------------------------- -------------7-----5--------7-----5------------------------- -------------------------7-----5--------7-----5------------- -------------------------------------7-----5--------7-----5- -------------------------------------------------8-----5---- --------------- --------------- --------------- --------7~----- --------------- --8--5--------- After you get the hang of these in A Minor...Take them to the next A Minor position and figure out the pattern...Then to the next and the next...Then, change the keys...It's a lot of work, but it'll pay off... Here's another way to learn the pentatonics... If you've been following some of my lessons...I did a few on applying music theory...If you haven't I'll explain it again. There are three ways to learn scales. Positions, up and down one string, and combining the two. Pentatonics are no different than other scales, they can be learned the same ways. Seeing that the way the neck of the guitar is layed out, it is more feasable to learn scales up and down the neck rather than position playing. Last lesson I illustrated the positions: -5--8--10--12--15--17--- ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------------------ -5--8--10--13--15--17--- ------------------------------------ ------------------------ --5--7--9--12--14--17--------------- ------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------ ---------------------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------------------- --5--7--10--12--14--17-- ---------------------------------- ------------------------ --5--7--10--12--15--17------------ ------------------------ ---------------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- --5--8--10--12--15--17--- This is the A Minor Pentatonic scale on each string. Play these with ONE finger only. Learn the notes and the "sound" of the pent. scale. Do this for all keys... Combining the Positions and up and down one string. Using the appropriate fingering -------5--8--10--8-----------------10--12--15--12----------- -5--8---------------10--8--10--13------------------15--12--etc ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Take this idea, and figure out on the E B, B G, G D, D A and A E patterns. Do this for all keys. Fact: C Major Pent C D E G A C Minor Pent C D Eb G A Penta means five...the 4th and 7th degrees are omitted. Observation: The C Major pent scale is contained in the G melodic minor scale The C Minor pent scale is contained in the Bb Major scale The C Major pent scale is contained in the F Major scale. how interesting! ???? Therefore, improvising in F major, you could use C Major pent scale along with F Major scale and the appropriate modes. hmmm.... C Pentatonic works with A Minor! relative major and minor scales again. The possiblities are endless...I suggest experimenting with a few...The tape player again...Play a chord progression in the key of your choice...figure out what other pent scales have the same notes as the key your in...play the pent scale...viola! a "different" type of sound. Oooooh, this is gettin good! :) Remember use a metronome...No distortion...cleanliness is next to godliness(be accurate)...Learn the names of the notes... Learn the sound of the scale...etc., This is a little blurb from a guitar magazine lesson Jon Finn wrote it, and he summed the technique vs anti-technique war just perfectly...Read on... "In the 80s it was cool to have chops and to give the impression you knew what you were doing. From strictly a technique viewpoint, expectations of guitarists were signifigantly higher. That's good. At the same time, guitarists were often rated purely on their chops. Really fast (but mindless) noodling became the order of the day: That's bad. These days, almost the opposite is true. Today, the music itself is more important than any one individual's technical ability. That's good. At the same time, records are routinely released where bands are playing out of tune and out of time. The musicians often sound like no one is listening to anyone else. The quality of sound at live shows has deteriorated considerably. And we're supposed to think it's all cool (talk about the emperor's new clothes!). Also, any record released that smacks of any level of polish is flatly ignored and considered insincere. The result is that a lot of great music is being made that you never hear about. Thats bad." -Jon Finn, Guitar for the Practicing Musician July 1996 The point of my lessons are just this: Technique and having good technique is not a bad thing. What you do with it is what really matters. Knowledge is power, what you do with that power is strictly up to you. You can abuse it, or you can make it work for you. Anti-technique is like cutting off your nose to spite your face, it makes no sense, but, (from a lead point of view), basing your whole style on technique is just a stupid. There is a balance between the two...(Eddie Van Halen anyone?) and we all can reach that balance if we want to. Trends suck! Typed up using WordPad (Cencorship is Unconstitutional support free speech!) Metal Edge BBS (619)423-4970 (San Diego, CA USA) Over 15,000 Guitar Tabs, Bass tabs, Drum tabs, lessons MP3s, Appz Running Iniquity v.a26r4, 4.6Gigs, 28.8 RioT Member and Distro... =========================================================== h = hammeron ps = pick scrape p = pulloff % = repeat phrase ~ = vibrato letostak@ix.netcom.com b = bend + natural harmonic /\ = Slide tr = trill * = Artificial Harmonic x = ghost note t = tap note w/right hand w/bar = with bar =========================================================== http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/agnetha/59/index.html