> Foundation of Improvisation <
3) Minor Pentatonic Scale:
Across Neck
Other lessons in the series:
Notes:
• There are 2 main types of pentatonic scale: Major Pentatonic and Minor Pentatonic.
• Intervals of Min. Pent. scale:
1 b3 4 5 b7
(2 and b6 of the minor scale
are dropped)
• The b3 is darker/sadder than the (major) 3. The b7 is bluesy/funky (unlike the 'pretty' major 7).
• Major Pentatonic has a bright, clean sound. Minor Pentatonic has a bluesy, gritty sound. (You need to know both scales!)
• Most scales have seven notes; pentatonic scales have just five. (pent" means five; "tonic" = tone)
• Eric Clapton, BB King and most rock and blues players probably use minor pentatonic more than any other scale!
• In the video we'll do it in the key of A. Be sure to move it around the neck and try it in different keys (it's completely movable).
• Scale ≠ music! However, you can use the notes of a scale to make music. Play around with the notes of the scale and see if you can come up with your own licks and musical phrases/melodies. Try adding bends, slides, hammer ons, pull offs to add expression.
• You can bend the b3, 4 and b7 to add emotion.
• Try playing along with some of my Backing Tracks. Start with one of the Drone Tracks (vamps on just one chord), then try one of the Band-Minus-1 tracks....