Why do guitarists tend to use the minor scale?

['59]

None of the sources I'm looking at particularly answer this question too well, but why do we as guitar players tend to use the minor scale so often, even over major chords?

From playing I know using a major chord where a minor is supposed to be is wrong, but why can we do lead lines that way?

Also side question, why do we tend to strip the major and minor scales down to pentatonic scales?

 

[GuitarStv]

Minor over major is because of blues. That b3 sound (especially b3 bending up to a 3 on a dom 7th chord) is a huge part of the sound of blues.

We strip major and minor scales down to pentatonics because we're lazy. Pentatonics are the vanilla of the music world. They're always blandly inoffensive enough to satisfy, and there are fewer chances to hit an 'uh-oh' note.

 

[Mincer]

I use natural minor more than pentatonic, but when playing over major chords, I absolutely use the major scale. I don't like the sound of the b3 over a major 3rd in a chord, although that is hugely popular.

 

[Clint 55]

Yes, playing minor pentatonic or minor blues scale over a major chord is from the blues and results in a certain sound that works for rock too. There are other instances where something off of the guideline can be played and it works. It's up to the player if they want to choose that sound tho. Also, if you play the minor pentatonic a minor 3rd down from the root of a major chord, it results in major pentatonic. Same thing with the minor scale resulting in the major scale if you start it a minor 3rd down.

The purpose of pentatonic is that it's handy, easy to use, and fits well. It's good to have command of different sounds in your pallet. Some simple ones and some complex ones. It isn't bad to use some simple devices in your playing.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Why not ?

 

[PFDarkside]

The others covered minor over major well, and it’s simply “blues”.

Pentatonic had two thing going for it, every interval is at least a whole step apart so you have a better chance at avoiding dissonance. And, it’s an easy, two note per string pattern.

I’m not sure if you’ve asked it yet, but if you use pure, diatonic
western theory you’ll find an odd occurrence. A lot of rock songs use what seems to be the minor scale to create chords but land on the major tonic. So either major and borrowing a lot of minor chords or minor and perpetually landing on a Picardy third. Really if you look at it, it’s easy to play A - C - D - G and put A minor pentatonic over it on guitar. We’ve heard it for 80 years and our ear is accustomed to it.

 

[Securb]

I use natural minor more than pentatonic,

Same here I tend to use the natural minor and relative majors a lot, maybe too much.

 

[beaubrummels]

.

 

[Demanic]

I like Hungarian minor. Or Dorian mode.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

['59]

Pentatonic had two thing going for it, every interval is at least a whole step apart so you have a better chance at avoiding dissonance.

Could you elaborate on this?

Also, is the pentatonic scale simply the major scale minus the intervals that clash with the minor scale?

 

[PFDarkside]

Could you elaborate on this?

Also, is the pentatonic scale simply the major scale minus the intervals that clash with the minor scale?

The major pentatonic scale is: 1 2 3 5 6 (removes the 4 which is a half step above 3, removes the 7 which is a half step below the root)

The minor pentatonic scale is: 1 b3 4 5 b7 (removes the 2 which is a half step below b3, removes the b6 which is a half step above 5)

The well known pentatonic scales are the major and minor scales with the intervals above removed. I think you are aware of relative major/minor (C major’s relative minor is A minor) and likewise C Major Pentatonic’s relative minor is A Minor Pentatonic.

C Major Pentatonic: C D E G A
A Minor Pentatonic: A C D E G

So not the intervals that clash with the minor/major scale but the intervals that clash with the other intervals in the scale. Let me know if that makes sense.

 

[Ascension]

None of the sources I'm looking at particularly answer this question too well, but why do we as guitar players tend to use the minor scale so often, even over major chords?

From playing I know using a major chord where a minor is supposed to be is wrong, but why can we do lead lines that way?

Also side question, why do we tend to strip the major and minor scales down to pentatonic scales?

If you play the relative minor scale over the major Chord it is correct and in key. The relative minor scale in a major key has a different feel and to my ear flows easier and just flows easier.
Example would be playing in the key of C the relative minor is A. Play an A min scale over a 1-4-5 progression (C-F-G) in the key of C then play the C maj scale over the same progression and you will immediately see a very different feel between the 2.

 

[Ascension]

Same here I tend to use the natural minor and relative majors a lot, maybe too much.

Same here and string them together with adding the root 5,6 and 7 string box positions to be able to play seamlessly all over the neck. I rarely will play a true pentatonic scale.