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  #1  
Old 09-07-2020, 06:22 PM
chopinhauer chopinhauer is offline
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Default theory question - major and minor scales

Dumb question but I've got to ask as my investigations of the guitar fretboard aren't providing a clear answer.

Two things are well known.

1. The first note in the minor pentatonic pattern 1 is always the minor tonic. The second note in pattern 1 provides the tonic for the major pentatonic. So Em pentatonic has the same notes as Gmaj pentatonic.

2. The first note in the major scale provides the tonic. It is also the first mode of the major scale, the Ionian mode. The 6 scale degree provides the Aeolian mode and is the natural or relative minor scale. So Gmaj begins with G. The 6th degree is Em. So the notes in Gmaj and Em are the same.

So my question is will it always the case that the major/minor correspondences in penatonic scales are the same as full major/minor scales. My hunch is yes.

I ask because I find locating the relevant major or minor scales much easier in pentatonic than full scale mode.
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Old 09-07-2020, 07:20 PM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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The answer is yes. The other keys are going to be exactly the same as G/Em, except the note names will have changed.

So the relative major/minor pentatonics will be 3 frets apart, regardless of the key.

What's neat is that every major Ionian scale will contain the major pentatonic scale, and every natural minor Aeolian scale will contain the minor pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale just leaves a couple of notes out.

For example, see if you can find this:



in this:



The pentatonic major scale leaves out the 4th and 7th scale degrees.
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Old 09-07-2020, 07:31 PM
chopinhauer chopinhauer is offline
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Brilliant thanks.

I thought I was on the right track and your explanation confirmed it. This will make is easier to play natural minor scales as I can locate them more easily from the pentatonic major scale than calculating the 6th scale degree of the normal major scale.
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Old 09-16-2020, 07:07 PM
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dnf777 dnf777 is offline
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Talking

I have so much respect for you guys and gals that master that stuff. Those of you who use it on the fly while playing make me sick! (I say that in the kindest sense of the word!)
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