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Thread: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

  1. #1
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    Default "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    Hello: Does anybody know a source of charts or "boxes" showing moveable major and minor two octave scales? (preferably with the root notes on the G and D strings)

    I used such charts when learning guitar and they were very useful to improvisation.

    I'm thinking that there has to be such things available in a book or online somewhere.

    Thanks so much for your help; its much appreciated.

  2. #2
    Registered User Chip Booth's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    If you are already familiar with the sound and concept of the pentatonic scale from the guitar you might save time and increase speed of memorizing by figuring them out yourself and writing them down.

    I don't have penatonic scale charts so I googled "Mandolin Pentaonic Scale". Here are some results:

    http://archive.mandolinsessions.com/...Eschliman.html

    http://www.mandolinsessions.com/wp-c...schliman-5.jpg

    Apply the concept of the relative minor and one scale position can be used as a major or minor scale.

    http://www.resoguit.com/peterscales/...ndolin_pos.jpg



    Play the notes 1,2,3,5 and 6 from the above scale chart to create major penatonics all over the neck.
    Play 6,1,2,3,5 to create minor penatonics all over the neck.

    Personally I like half steps, so I strongly suggest you don't limit your thinking to pentatonics. I never bothered to learn pentatonics, I put most of my time into the diatonic scales (the "normal" seven note scales like major and minor). I use pentatonic sounds and licks all the time but to me it's just a choice of five of the seven notes of a diatonic scale.

    Also, check out the theory forum on this site, it's loaded with all kinds of good info. That's probably where this question would best be suited.
    Last edited by Chip Booth; Jul-04-2010 at 3:14pm.

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  4. #3
    working musician Jim Bevan's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    Let me just toss in the idea of "sexatonic" scales, while we're discussing pentatonic vs. diatonic. I practise these a lot, because they give me the ability to play minor-sounding riffs without actually committing to minor or dorian. It's just a minor (or dorian) scale without a 6th step.
    And while I'm here, I know it's really unusual, but I practise an 11-note scale too -- chromatic with a whole step at the beginning. Any type of chromatic chord movement uses this, although I doubt anyone has recognized it as a scale worth naming.

  5. #4
    Registered User Chip Booth's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    jimbevan,

    I use the same eleven note scale in almost any song. Can't help myself, it gives me all the "blue notes" and cromatic passing tones (such as flat and natural three and seven of the I, IV and V chords) you could ever want . Well, all except one I guess!


    The more I think about I have nothing against the 12th note either, it's the seven of the II cord or the flat five of V!

    As for the "minor sexatonic scale", I agree that for minor scales the six is potentially troublesome. Sometimes a chord in the song defines wether to use the natural or flatted six, but when it not specified by the chords the choice of flat or natural can be a hard one. Shady Grove is song where the six is difficult, I don't much care for either choice. One of my guitar heroes, David Glimour of Pink Floyd, stayed away from the six with the band's minor repertoire for most of his career .
    Last edited by Chip Booth; Jul-04-2010 at 3:38pm.

  6. #5

    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    There is another recent thread where I talked about how you can construct your own box. But to start, try a G box on the D and A strings by playing this:


    AxBxxD

    DxExxG

    Of course you can move this around anywhere you want, but if you move it down to the G and D strings, you have the same box in C, and if you move it up to the A and E strings you have a D box. Niles Hokkanen has a Penntatonic book you should get. Try moving this around and up the fret board. A good place to start is to play Amazing Grace in G on the box above, kicking off with the D note.

  7. #6
    Registered User mannc385's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    Check out this site. I've found it to have some good free lessons and the downloads to be pretty good.
    http://www.freeguitarvideos.com/mandolin/lessons.html

  8. #7

    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    Wow! This is a very old thread -- but here are two more free video lessons to make a Major Pentatonic Scale. Very easy to understand. First Major Pentatonic moveable position here, Part One of lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ART92oWPZLY
    Second Major Pentatonic moveable position here, Part 2 of lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCT45E-4xXw

    To do tab for scale and chord positions, I have a Kay's Frets Chord Diagram [Rubbber] Stamp for Fretted Instruments. The one I use, of course, has 4 strings. www.kaysfrets.com

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    Chief Moderator/Shepherd Ted Eschliman's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    If you are interested in developing this skill in pentatonics, this handy PDF:



    Explained: Pentatonic FFcP
    Ted Eschliman

    Author, Getting Into Jazz Mandolin

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  12. #9

    Default Re: "Moveable" pentatonic major and minor scales?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ted Eschliman View Post
    If you are interested in developing this skill in pentatonics, this handy PDF:



    Explained: Pentatonic FFcP
    Unfortunately JazzMando.com seems inaccessible from Thailand. Perhaps a security setting protecting it from naughty SPAM/phishing out of Thai ISPs?

    ron

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