Any different variations to the pentatonic scale?

[Mikeman9412@gma]

Hey guys, I have two questions, One, are there any other different variations to the pentatonic scale other than the blues scale? And, I've seen guitarists run up and down the neck but stick in the same key and all in pentatonic how are they doing this? Thanks!

[Malcolm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_qw03-3gFg

Here are the five patterns
http://www.paultauterouff.com/Lessons/minpent.pdf

Have fun.

[Mikeman9412@gma]

Perfect! Thanks so much!! Is there anyway to connect modes?

[Malcolm]

Yes. Start with the pentatonic scale, get that then worry with modes. I guarantee you can do more with pentatonic than you will with modes. Modes are not the cure all people lead you to believe.

http://www.free-guitar-chords.com/Pentatonic-Guitar-Magic.pdf

Here is the rest of the story.
http://comp.uark.edu/~jgreeson/Guitar_fldr/Major_Scale_Patterns.pdf
Five patterns to take the major scale up the neck. Same concept as taking the pentatonic scale up the neck using 5 patterns.

Notice how the last two frets of pattern I are the same as the top two frets of pattern II and the bottom two frets of pattern ii are the top two frets of pattern III. That's how you hook them together when going up the neck. Place the circled (Root) note of pattern I at the 3rd fret and you will have G major scale notes waiting on you. Place the circled root note on the 5th fret and you have A major scale notes waiting on you.

Now. Pattern I is the same pattern as the Ionian mode. Pattern II is the same pattern as the Dorian mode, pattern III is the same pattern as the Phrygian mode, Pattern IV is the same pattern as the Mixolydian mode and pattern V is the same pattern as the Aeolian mode. Knowing the 5 patterns to take the major scale up the neck also gives you 5 of the 7 mode patterns.

So you want to take Ionian up the neck use the 5 patterns - help yourself.

Confused? Forget about modes for now concentrate on pentatonics.

[Mikeman9412@gma]

So you think that youtube will work? I've just been practicing his technique to group position 1 and 2 for about an hour now :-) I'll move to the other positions tomorrow, but do you think it will work? Did you learn that way?

[Malcolm]

I found this video after I understood how to use the patterns. But yes, it works. Learn your five patterns so you can do them in your sleep. Then learn how to take them up the neck for the other scales, i.e. G scale at the 3rd, A scale at the 5th, B Scale at the 7th, C scale at the 8th, etc. etc.

Why? Several reasons, one is to get your fingers doing things they never have done before, because you will need them to know how to find notes on your fretboard. Plus you need to get your ear used to hearing the notes of the scales - so you know a good note from a bad note. My instructor told me what he looked and listen for as I ran my scales was if I made a mistake, did I correct it, or did I not recognize that bad sound and just keep on playing.

What else is waiting for you? Say you want to play the C major scale at the 5th fret, because you just like that part of the fretboard, or you happen to be at the 5th fret. What pattern lets you do that? Yep, there are all kinds of things waiting for you.

Kill a couple of birds with one stone - as you are doing the patterns recite the name of the note you are landing on. Do that enough and you will get comfortable with that WWHWWWH thing (interval spacing) plus learn where the notes are on your fretboard.

[fingerpikingood]

i couldn't agree more, stick with your pentatonic for now. build a good foundation. the pentatonic is fun anyways.

once you've gotten real comfortable with knowing your pentatonic in just one or two positions linked like you've been practicing, immediately find a song you like and play it over that song.


the tricky part here is to figure out where on your fretboard to start that pattern you've learned.

you'll need to use trial and error. try one random spot, and try to hear if you need to go higher or lower.

this is probably going to be difficult for you to tell at first, it gets easier once you've tried this a bunch of times.

there will be one spot on your fretboard where your scale will sound good.

an alternative method if you are having trouble finding the spot is to find your song, post it here artist and song title, or even more conveniently youtube link, and somebody, maybe me, could find it for you.

then play with just that right away.

you'll get practice in your fingers, learn that section of scale better, enjoy playing to a song you like, and you'll be able to practice that scale as it is meant to be used, both rhythmically and along with chord changes and stuff.

choose a song you like for the song being one you like, not because an artist on that tune is doing a great improv, a good starting point can be a blues song you like.

in this case, yo ucan choose a song where you like the improv because the blues is simple in structure. you want a simple chord progression, as in few chord changes.

or better yet, to be sure, if you prefer just post 4 or 5 tunes, you can practice them all, and if there are some that are too advanced we could let you know to drop those, that way you'll at least have a couple you could use no matter what.