Do You Understand Guitar Scales?

[glcart38]

What songs (various keys) are compatible to the Pentatonic C Major/Minor scale? How doe one choose the appropriate scale for the key of a song? I would really like to understand how this works without going back to school. I do prefer learning patterns rather than individual notes. Any takers? Thx.

[JoeCharter]

People write books and go to university to answer questions like these... Answers can be simple or ten chapters long.

But let me give you quick examples:

A major pentatonic: well, you can play the blues in A, so A/D/E.

A minor pentatonic: any cheesy progression will fit in, such as C/G/Am/F.

You can either hear this stuff on your own, spend a few weeks with a teacher for a boost -- or years figuring it out on your own if you can't hear it. I highly suggest a teacher.

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by glcart38

What songs (various keys) are compatible to the Pentatonic C Major/Minor scale? How doe one choose the appropriate scale for the key of a song? I would really like to understand how this works without going back to school. I do prefer learning patterns rather than individual notes. Any takers? Thx.

The problem is that "the appropriate scale for the <song>" is one of the most complex questions in music.

The short answer is that, for relatively inexperienced players, you should start with major, minor, and the two pentatonics. In the long run, it's important to realize that there is no one "right answer" to this question: the scale you select is a function of the sound you want to create.

So you develop your ear until you understand how different scales will sound, and then you pick the one that gives you the sound you want.

You don't need to "go back to school" to learn this, but you might benefit from a a comprehensive approach to it. Gilbert's books "Guitar Soloing" and "Advanced Guitar soloing" deal with this issue rather extensively, I believe, and build your soloing ability from the ground up.

[glcart38]

I got it. I'll call around and find a good instructor. Thx guys.

[stanron]

A pentatonic scale is a scale which has only five notes in an octave. So a major pentatonic scale is a major scale that has two notes missing. A minor pentatonic scale is a minor scale with two notes missing.

The major pentatonic is used in some folk tunes, although off hand I can't remember which, and I would suggest you learn patterns for the full major scale if you want to practice and develop technique.

The minor pentatonic is mainly used to teach blues and rock guitar. There are 5 patterns that start on the 6th string and no doubt 5 patterns that start on the 5th string. An awful lot of well known players use only one or two of these but you will probably find people who will insist you learn them all.

Learn the first one first then learn to play it in lots of different positions on the neck. This one.


Minor pentatonic

E|-------------------------------0--3--
B|-------------------------0--3--------
G|-------------------0--2--------------
D|-------------0--2--------------------
A|-------0--2--------------------------
E|-0--3--------------------------------


One version of the major scale of G starting on the 6th string

E|-----------------------------------------2--3--
B|-----------------------------------3--5--------
G|--------------------------2--4--5--------------
D|-----------------2--4--5-----------------------
A|--------2--3--5--------------------------------
E|--3--5-----------------------------------------



Major scale of C starting on the 5th string
needing two changes of hand position on 2nd and 1st strings

E|----------------------------------------3--5--7--8
B|-------------------------------3--5--6------------
G|----------------------2--4--5---------------------
D|-------------2--3--5------------------------------
A|-------3--5---------------------------------------
E|--------------------------------------------------



Another good exercise is to work out where the notes of the C major scale are in relation to the chord C.
Where are the notes of a G major scale around a chord of G. Each chord has 3 scale notes in it . Can you find the other four?

[jseth]

I'll just start with the Cmaj pentatonic scale, which, as Stanron pointed out, is the Cmajor scale with 2 notes missing... I don't know if by Cmin pentatonic, you actually mean a different scale or the same notes when used for a minor chord (in this case, Amin w/ that same C maj pentatonic...).

"Appropriate" is a perfect word to use! And, what would be appropriate for a bluegrass jam would be entirely lame if you were at a jazz jam... the bottomline is that you can use that Cmaj pentatonic WHEREVER it gives you the sound you want to hear.

Some examples:

In a country/basic pop tune in the key of C, it's going to work well over the C chord, not quite as well over the F chord, but solidly over the G chord... that C maj pentatonic will also sound good over the Dmin and Amin chords, not so good (but still serviceable) over the Emin chord...

Now, you CAN use it all over the place, for different tonal "colors"... you can play a Cmaj pentatonic over a Dmaj chord (watch where you step!) or over a Bflat major chord; certainly you can play that same scale over a D dom7 or suspended chord, as well...

Starting to get the idea? Experiment with it, see how it sounds against all types of chords... and find the ones you like.

As has been stated, there's a lot of "schooling" involved with all the "why's and where's" of this stuff... but it all comes down to what YOUR EARS like to hear! Have fun with it!

play on.............................................>

John

[Blueser100]

Well Smokey Robinson played the ascending major pentatonic one day and came up with "My Girl."