Expanding the Minor Pentatonic

[Huw Foster]

 

Here's a tutorial video demonstrating a few concepts: how I approach the minor pentatonic, and how to add a few choice tones to make it a little spicier!

 

Chapters:

0:00 Teaser

0:20 Intro

1:22 E minor pentatonic, shifting concept

2:14 Adding the 2nd octave

4:14 E minor blues

6:13 E minor hexatonic

8:33 E Dorian hexatonic  

10:07 Combine all 3, break the rules!

 

As always, PDF and backing tracks available to Patreon subscribers.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Huw Foster

[TheLowDown]

I find it useful to use these shapes for playing pentatonic. If someone is playing in C minor using the minor pentatonic scale (or C major using the major pentatonic, even though many people use them for either major or minor keys), then you can play the standard minor pentatonic shape outlined in purple when using C as the root. This is the same shape as the 6th degree of the major pentatonic scale.

 

Or you can play any of the other alternatives because they're all using exactly the same notes, but just starting on a different scale degree of the major/minor pentatonic scale:

---on the 3rd degree(E flat) of the minor pentatonic outlined here in magenta. This is the same shape as the 1st degree of the major pentatonic.

---on the 4th degree(F) of the minor pentatonic outlined here in yellow. This is the same shape as the 2nd degree of the major pentatonic.

---on the 5th degree(G) of the minor pentatonic outlined here in cyan. This is the same shape as the 3rd degree of the major pentatonic.

---on the 7th degree(B flat) of the minor pentatonic outlined here in green. This is the same shape as the 5th degree of the major pentatonic.

 

It's basically just making use of the modes to give some variety to solos/fills. Eg. the shape outlined in yellow is the dorian scale shape without the 3rd(ie 4th of the major pentatonic and 6th of the minor pentatonic) and 6th(7th of major and 2nd of minor).

 

I'm not a soloing guy, but i mess about when I'm jamming to drum loops for fun and hearing what riffs sound good.

 

Minor pentatonic 'family'

 

 

Major pentatonic 'family'

 

 

 

The same applies to the major and minor blues scale too. Just add the blue note(s) to each one. 

Edited July 22, 2022 by TheLowDown

[Baloney Balderdash]

Great piece of advice.

 

I already tend to do this though, mix notes from different scales as I see fit, as well as adding some chromatic notes here and there.

 

Mind though that this won't work equally well for everything, so as with everything you need to be mindful of the context.

 

One thing is something fitting in strictly harmonically, or not so well but creating interesting tension, in case of added chromatic notes, but mixing the Pentatonic Minor, or the "Blues" Scale with added chromatic "blue" notes (b5), Minor and Dorian scales, which is exactly what I would do, won't sound very traditional, say in the context of playing traditional blues for instance.

 

But otherwise sound advice to not let staying within a specific scale dictate your playing/note choice, but rather see scales as general guidelines that you can add to and subtract from as you see fit, depending on the specific musical context within they are played/used. 

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash