Pentatonic Approach to Colorful Playing

[GandLMan]

So over the last few months I've been really working on an approach to music using Pentatonic Scales ... however I needed a way to get more color into my playing as the standard major and minor Pentatonic scales aren't very Colorful ... So if I may bore you all ... I'll pass it on for fun sake ... cause I'm bored at work ...

Ok ... So lets talk C Major ... (CEG)
- C Major Pentatonic in numbers (1 2 3 5 6) or notes (C D E G A)

There isn't alot of color or life in this scale ... as well alot of the notes that the diatonic chords (chords in the key) need in order to sound proper ... dont exist in this scale. What you can do ... is go up a fifth (so in this case ... to G) and play the major pentatonic scale from that key ... and we get this:
G Major Pentatonic in relation to G (1 2 3 5 6) or (G A B D E). However if we play that scale in relation to the key of C and rearrange the numbers assuming a C chord we get ... (7 2 3 5 6) or (B D E G A) which is WAY more colorful ... it also contains the notes needed to create tension in the other diatonic chords. It has the "B and E" that Dmin needs to sound Dorian, The "A and D" to add color to Emin, the "E and B" which adds the lydian sound to F major, the "B" to the G chord, "B and D" for color over Amin.

So ... Here comes some good ol' rules for different sounds:

CMaj - Cmaj Pent (CDEGA)
CMaj9 - Gmaj Pent (BDEGA)
Cmaj7#11 - Dmaj Pent (B D E F# A)

Cmin7 - Cmin Pent (C Eb F G Bb)
Cmin7 (Dorian) - Dmin Pent (D F G A C)
Cmin7 (Phrygian) - Bbmin Pent (Bb Db Eb F Ab)
Cmin7 (Aeolian) - Dmin Pent (D F G A C)
Cmin7b5 (Locrian) - Ebmin Pent (Eb Gb Ab Bb Db)

C7 - CMaj Pent (CDEGA) add the Bb for the b7
C7b9 - Cmin Pent (C Eb F G Bb) add the maj 3(E) for bluesy resolution
C7 Altered - F#Maj Pent (F# G# Bb C# Eb) ... learning the resolutions on this one can be tough, you need to see your C7 Arpeggio underneath this scale to make effective.

Enjoy guys ... hope this isn't too confusing.

Ty

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Pentatonic Approach to Colorful Playing

That's good material .... there is a book entitled 'Pentatonic Superimpositions' (I think that was the title) from some years back on exactly this subject. It's a good way to expand your playing using fretboard patterns you already know, but playing them in other key centres. It brings about chord extensions (the 'colour'), so you simply learn the relationships and the sounds.

 

[Osensei]

Re: Pentatonic Approach to Colorful Playing

If you think more about the chords (harmony) and less about the scales then you'll come to the same conclusion without the brain strain. It's pretty useless IMO to make oneself a scale encyclopedia and then have to figure out the endless permutations of which scales work with which chords when the chords themselves hold the key to all the information you seek.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Pentatonic Approach to Colorful Playing

This is good stuff.

You can do the same with minor pentatonic.

You can play:

C min pent over C
G min pent over C (9th instead of minor 3rd)
D min pent over C (9th instead of minor 3rd, maj 6th instead of min 7th)

D min will sound quite unresolved - because you have taken out the two most important harmonic steps: 3rd and 7th ! But its cool to throw it in, and then resolve it. Builds tension.

I'm pulling this from my head. if i made mistakes, please correct me.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Pentatonic Approach to Colorful Playing

If you think more about the chords (harmony) and less about the scales then you'll come to the same conclusion without the brain strain. It's pretty useless IMO to make oneself a scale encyclopedia and then have to figure out the endless permutations of which scales work with which chords when the chords themselves hold the key to all the information you seek.

I agree it seems pretty intimidating to think of which "scales" you can use over each chord. Its so much to think about.

Instead, we can think about which "Tones" to use. Whether to use a Minor 6th or a Major 6th. Whether to use a minor 7th or a major 7th. Whether to keep the 4 (11th) in there, or not play it. You have to know exactly how those steps sound over the root - and its a gut feel thing. But to do this in all positions on the neck requires great neck knowledge.