Ithink the pentatonic scale has a real PR problem. It isn’t as
sophisticated as the “fancy” modes
and therefore gets overlooked by
many players. Every guitarist’s first
exposure to scales probably included the first “box” position of the
minor pentatonic scale, yet some
horn players view the pentatonic
scale as a more advanced concept
usually reserved for some of the
ultra-hip post-bop players of the
’60s. How does a single five-note
scale seem so basic to some musicians and so abstract to others?
Let’s try to bridge the gap
between these two contrasting
but equally valid viewpoints.
We’ll take a simple pentatonic
scale and really turn it upside
down by changing the harmonic
context in which we use it. In
addition, we’ll check out some
different formulas for pentatonic
scales that will give us extra colors on our sonic palette.
A simple way to gain a new
perspective of the fretboard and
discover new sounds is to use a
pentatonic scale based on a note
other than the root. For example,
over a C7 chord, instead of playing a C minor pentatonic scale
(which would be a typical blues
approach), try a G minor pentatonic scale. If we look at each
note of the G minor pentatonic
scale relative to the key of C, we
get the following:
Fig. 1 Fig. 1
Chord
Tones:
9th
11th 5th
b7th Root 9th 11th 5th
b7th Root 9th
11th
10 13
11 13
10 12
10 12
10 13
10 13
Fig. 2 Fig. 2
3
1
10 12
13 10
13 10
12 11 10
9
10
G
B%
C
D
F
5th %7th root 9th 11th
One reason this technique is
so easy to get under your fingers
is that you aren’t learning an
entirely new scale. You are sim-
ply using an already well-worn
fingering in a new way that will
open some melodic and harmonic
doors. This can also work with A
minor pentatonic as well. Here’s
how that scale lines up over C7:
Every note in the G minor
pentatonic scale can be viewed
either as a chord tone or as an
extension of C7. This relationship
of a perfect fifth between the root
of the chord (C) and the root of
the pentatonic scale (G) works no
matter what key you’re in. In Fig.
1 you can see one fingering for
this scale and hear how each note
sounds over C7.
A
C
D
E
G
13th root 9th 3th 5th
The biggest difference is the
A, or 13th of the chord. The 13th
is a common extension in jazz
chords and can be used as a great
passing tone between the 5th and
7th tones of the scale.
Once you have these new
sounds under your fingers, throw
in the 5 (G%) of the scale to get
that blues sound. In Fig. 2, you
can see a cool lick that uses the A
minor pentatonic scale and uses
some elements of the C blues
scale over a C7 chord.
We now have a few options for
playing over dominant chords, but
what happens when you are at the
local blues jam and you’re faced
with a minor blues? We can apply
the same idea, but use some different shapes. If you look at the breakdown of G minor pentatonic over C
in the chart above, the chord tones
can still work over a Cm7 chord.
Another option would be
to play a minor pentatonic
scale that is a whole-step above
the root of the chord you’re playing over. For example, over a Cm7
chord, try D minor pentatonic. Fig.
3 shows a fingering for D minor
pentatonic over a Cm7 chord.
This fingering can serve as the
bridge between the C minor pentatonic in the eighth position and
the A minor pentatonic in the fifth
position. Both A minor and D
minor have nearly identical notes,
the only difference being the F in
the D minor scale goes down to E
in the A minor scale. Combining
the A, D, and C minor pentatonic scales can really unlock the
fretboard and open your fingers
and ears to new sounds simply by
changing the context.
So now we have several different tricks for pentatonic scales.
When it comes down to actually
using them over a blues progression, the idea is to not overdo it.
The most interesting improvisers
