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Thread: Simple pentatonic newbie question

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    Registered User edandjudy3946's Avatar
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    Default Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Just started to experiment with a simple pentatonic shape. When the tune changes from, say, G to C do you move the pentatonic shape to that new chord or are you supposed to get all the notes from the root position ?
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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    As Don Steirnberg might say, ‘yes’.
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    You will play the same scale, but for the C you play different places in the scale, again for the D. I would use the major scale and spend some time finding out what notes work with which cords. Once you do this it makes it much easier to play.
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    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    It depends. If you're playing blues, you can keep playing the same notes throughout. It'll sound good. For other types of music, like jazz and bluegrass, you'd usually change scales to follow the chord changes.

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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    I would like to hear from Café members what their preference is regarding this and why ... I typically use the FFcP for just about everything, and although I can get the melodies and some additional fills (and it doesn't sound bad at all), but it seems there is only so much that can be done with the FFCP, and feel as though I've reached a plateau that I can't seem to get off of ... so I've been concentrating more on the major scales following the corresponding chord progression.

    @Pops1 ... When you say you "would use the major scale and spend some time finding out what notes work with which cords. Once you do this it makes it much easier to play. " ... Do you mean (for instance) finding the notes within the 'G' major to work with 'C' and 'D' chords? Or do you mean, finding the notes within each individual scale for the corresponding chord progression?

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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Finding notes in the G major scale that work with the C and D chords. For instance the 4th note of the scale and the 6th will normally be added to the other notes the work with C, but when you go to D you want to add the 7th, and stay away from the 1st and 8th. There are notes that will work with all, but some will definitely work to sound, in line, with the C and D. The 4&6 double stop for C is nice and the 2&7 for D. Let's say you are playing in the (one) and running notes 5,6,8. You go to the 5 chord and that will change to 5,6,7. When playing a D (5) Chord you would avoid the 4th note of the scale and when playing a C (4) chord you would avoid the 7th note of the scale. So trying to shorten this finding what notes of the scale work with which cords, as I said above, is what I am talking about. There are more notes that work with the 1&4 chords that are the same than with the 5 chord for instance.
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    Registered User mandocaster's Avatar
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Niles Hokkanen, Mandolin Cafe regular and mando legend has a cool little book called the "Pentatonic Mandolin" that is awesome and answers many of your questions.
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Here the Don giving an example of one way to work it. This is a fun way to practice with pentatonic scales +blue notes. Mandolin Lesson - The Pentatonic Arpeggios

    I also like working with the root major scale and anchoring on the note of the chord being played - always with tweaks

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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Thank you everyone....
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    edandjudy3946 - Man, what a cool avatar, playing guitar at Ft Hood in 1966! I picked up my dad's guitar a year later but was still just a kid.

    Since the pentatonic is an abbreviated scale, probably best to move from key to key pentatonically with the changes, but there's many ways to go as others have indicated.

    Not sure what kind of music you like to play, but I'll interject that The Temptations' My Girl is of interest because the well-known riff is just a straight pentatonic scale! I played it recently for the folk in the newbies section in the key of G. That would move between the G pentatonic and the C pentatonic. While it doesn't help in your making choices on what to improvise with, I'll link to it in case you want to check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9Ph_xroIs
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    Registered User edandjudy3946's Avatar
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Thank you...great tune...I am 71 after all.....lol. I play bluegrass and gospel
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    Oval holes are cool David Lewis's Avatar
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    There's only one note difference between a C scale and a G scale - that's the F#. The cool thing about that is that the F# is the tritone in C, or the F is the flat or dom 7 in G. The F is part of the C minor pentatonic, so go to town playing both scales over both chords.
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Quote Originally Posted by KGreene View Post
    I would like to hear from Café members what their preference is regarding this and why ... I typically use the FFcP for just about everything, and although I can get the melodies and some additional fills (and it doesn't sound bad at all), but it seems there is only so much that can be done with the FFCP, and feel as though I've reached a plateau that I can't seem to get off of ... so I've been concentrating more on the major scales following the corresponding chord progression.
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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    Quote Originally Posted by edandjudy3946 View Post
    Just started to experiment with a simple pentatonic shape. When the tune changes from, say, G to C do you move the pentatonic shape to that new chord or are you supposed to get all the notes from the root position ?
    You can do both. I like to mix it up. However, most often I move root position.

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    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    The following is not my original thought.
    This was posted some years ago on a pentatonic discussion here on Mandolin Cafe.
    I copied it for my own reference. I wish that I knew who to attribute it to:

    Why pentatonic? The notes that are removed are notes that are not common to all 3 scales of the I,IV,V progression. For example if playing in G the chords are G,C,and D. So in the D scale there is a C# whereas G and C have a natural C in their scale. Toss out the C. G and D have F# but C does not, so toss out the F# What remains is the G pentatonic scale. Since it contains only notes that are common to all 3 scales in the progression it contains no sour notes. Given some are sweeter than others but there are no stinkers. In addition the fretboard scale patterns for pentatonics are easy to learn, almost boring, and once you have them you are on your way to the races.

    Many songs are simple pentatonic scales.
    You can play the entire song without shifting or moving the scale with the chord changes.
    Personally, when trying to figure out a song, I begin with a pentatonic scale

    Just my two cents worth.

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  18. #16

    Default Re: Simple pentatonic newbie question

    I tend to move the pentatonic scale to the new position. I second Ted's FFcP pentatonic workout. It has made a big difference in the use of my picky, in my playing speed, in seeing relationships on the fingerboard easier and it's fun. I haven't even started some of the recommendations for playing it in different orders. There is a lot there to mine.

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