Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

[eschoendorff]

Ok, so i was thinking about this earlier...

Many times when an artist solos with the minor pentatonic/blues scale, they use the primary, or root position to do their solos. The other positions just seem to be used as a means from getting from point A on the neck to point B (an octave higher or lower). Sometimes they will solo outside of the root position, but it is infrequently that way for the meat of the solo. So, with regards to using different (let's start with minor) pentatonic positions for soloing... Does anyone have any cool, or repetitive, tension-building (musical, not muscle ) licks that they would be willing to share? Always lookin' to throw more licks in my back of tricks...

 

[fatigueofheart]

Re: Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

ummm......... your perception on the usage of not only pentatonic, but of scales in a solo is totally off. either that or the people you listen to are not very good guitarists/soloists. you should focus on patterns (which often is a direct derivative from modes) and learn to play those patterns all over the neck. this will open up the fretboard you. also, i hear so many people all over say how much they want to become better soloists, but yet they don't spend the time to learn their scales, i mean really learn it. if someone asked you to play a A lydian directly ascending to Eb dorian could you do it? as for tension, sequences are one of the best ways to build it (in classical and jazz in which every genre of western music comes from).

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

I stopped using licks long time ago. I probably use 0 licks in total right now. Just making things up on the fly. I use melodic patterns a lot though. So you play maybe 3 notes in a row on one string, then start playing notes alternating the current string with adjacent string - going up, then play descending sequences of 2 notes at a time, etc... Melodic patterns will allow you to come up with "licks" on the fly (and they will be original licks).

Just force yourself to not use the root position for a while. Use the off positions instead - 2 and 4. Ilike using 3 a lot and overlaying the Dorian notes on it quite a bit - the major 9 and the major 6 degrees. you can play all the licks you know in the main position in the other positions too. the sound will be very different, and the physical feeling will be different - because the pattern is different. Over jazz fusion - i found you get the most chance to experiment with pentatonics, and my favorite - modal pentatonics.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

Here are many many melodic patterns that all can be applied to any scale. Enjoy.

http://www.zentao.com/guitar/patterns/

You might have to get comfortable playign 3 note per string pentatonics (they involve arching your wrist and stretching sometimes 7-9 frets)

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

Just force yourself to not use the root position for a while. Use the off positions instead - 2 and 4. Ilike using 3 a lot and overlaying the Dorian notes on it quite a bit - the major 9 and the major 6 degrees.

i'm not nearly as well versed in theory as you seem to be, or anywhere near as advanced as a player, but i definitely like using 4s, major 6s, 7s, and 9s whenever i construct a rhythm melody. 3s, 5s, and dominant(minor7) 7s usually sound cliche to me.

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

A lot of times I'll start in the root position, on the 5th of the scale and then move around from there. Passing notes and other chromatic stuff helps me get around and usually works with anything you're playing.

I do agree with everyone that it's better to know your modes/scales everywhere, rather than one scale moved up and down the board. Takes forever to learn and retain, but well worth the effort.

 

[ES350]

Re: Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

Well, there's only six notes to work with...but 6x5x4x3x2x1=720 permutations.
See Slonimsky's Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns...or check late Coltrane to see how to work a small motif.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Pentatonic positions... licks in "other" positions?

All this scale talk sounds a little fishy to me.

Thanks for that link, Frantic!