Confession #43 - Pentatonic Scales (Part 2)

In Confession #40 - Pentatonic Scales (Part 1) we looked at Pentatonic Pattern #1.  In this week's confession, we'll look at Pentatonic Pattern #2.


Major Pentatonic Pattern #2

Here is major pentatonic pattern #2 in the key of C.  I've coloured the root notes red for easy reference.  I've also shown pattern #1 in the diagram so you can see how the two patterns are connected.  The dashed notes on the left belong only to pattern #1.  The notes in the middle are common to both patterns. The notes on the right belong only to pattern #2.

Minor Pentatonic Pattern #2

Here is minor pentatonic pattern #2 in the key of A minor.  Again, I've coloured the root notes red for easy reference and I've also shown pattern #1 in the diagram so you can see how the two patterns are connected.

In Confession #35 - Repeat & Vary! (Improvisation 1) and Confession #40 - Pentatonic Scales (Part 1)  I talked about the pentatonic extended box.  Now you can see how those notes come from minor pentatonic pattern #2.  They are often used in conjunction with minor pentatonic pattern #1 as demonstrated in the TAB and video below.

I've also coloured two notes in blue.  I find that these two notes from the extended box are very powerful when played together.  You'll see/hear this in the TAB/video below.

I was trying to figure out why they are so powerful and here's what I came up with.  The E is the 5th in the key of A or Am.  We already know how powerful the 5th is from playing root-5 power chords.

The G is the flat 7th in the key of A or Am.  As discussed in last week's confession, the G is what turns an Am chord into an Am7 chord. It's also what turns a an A chord into an A7 chord.

Combined, the 5th and the flat 7th imply a minor 7th chord or a dominant 7th chord.  I suspect that is why they sound so good together.

See Confession #42 - 7th Chords Cheat Sheet! for more information on 7th chords.


VIDEO AND TAB

Here is a little riff that moves between the extended box from pattern #2 and pattern #1.  In the last measure, execute a grace note slide into the E at the 9th fret of the third string and hold it while you play the G at the 8th fret of the second string.

Next Week's Confession - Pentatonic Scales (Part 3)

Confession #38 - Look Where You Want to Go!

If you've done any driver training, then you've probably heard the expression "Look where you want to go!"  If you keep staring at the tree that you are trying to avoid, odds are you'll drive straight into it, whereas if you look around the tree to where you want to go, odds are you'll miss it.  In sports, the expression is "Keep your eye on the ball!"  This principle applies equally to guitar playing.

POSITION SHIFTS

Take a look at this melody:

Melody in the Key of D Major
(Click to Enlarge)

We start out in 7th position (i.e. finger 1 is fretting notes at the 7th fret).  On beat 3 we slide finger 2 up from the 8th fret to the 10th fret. After some practice, you'll do this slide by feel.  But when you're first learning it, your eyes should be looking at the 10th fret because this is where you want finger 2 to go.

In the second measure, we work our way back down to 7th position in time for the D on beat 4 of that measure.  But in the first beat of the third measure, we're suddenly up in 10th position (finger 3 will play the E at the 12th fret of your first string, and finger 1 will play the D at the 10th fret).  To make the shift from measure 2 to measure 3 smoothly, your eyes should be looking at the E at the 12th fret of the first string because this is where you want your hand to go.

To make position shifts accurately, look where you want to go!

D MAJOR SCALE

The melody above is based on the D major scale.  Recall the major scale pattern we learned in Confession #8 - Learn the Major Scale!?  This melody uses that same pattern, however instead of playing strictly "inside the box", some notes are played in a higher position  (but they all belong the the D major scale).  This allows us to make the slide in the first measure.  And of course, slides are a phrasing technique that can be used to make your melodies sound more interesting (see Confession #36 - Pull, Hammer and Slide! (Phrasing 1)).

(Click to Enlarge)

The B and the C# on the first string aren't used in this melody.  The notes that are played "outside the box" are shown with a dashed border.

VIDEO

Next Week's Confession - Back to the Minor Scale!

Confession #36 - Pull, Hammer and Slide! (Phrasing 1)

One of the things that distinguishes the guitar from most other instruments is that some notes can be found in more than one place on the fretboard.   For example, the A note at the 5th fret of your sixth string is the same note as the A when your fifth string is played open.  They both have the same pitch or frequency, but they have slightly different timbres due to the physical differences between the fifth string and the sixth string.

The other thing that distinguishes the guitar from most other instruments is all the different ways that a particular note can be played or delivered.


PHRASING

Phrasing is the term that is used to describe the way a particular note has been played or delivered.  There are numerous ways to deliver a particular note.  Options include:

• fretting the note and just playing it
• sliding into the note from above or below
• hammering-on or pulling off to the note
• bending into the note

Let's look at some of these options, and then apply them to Am Pentatonic Lick #1 from Confession #35 - Repeat & Vary! (Improvisation 1).


HAMMER-ON, PULL-OFF,  & SLIDES

Here's  a TAB that shows three of the techniques mentioned above:

Hammer-on, Pull-off, and Slides
(Click to Enlarge)

Hammer-On

The first half of the first measure shows a hammer-on.

Fret the first note (G) with finger 1 and pick the string.  Do not pick the second note (A).  Instead, bring your 3rd finger down forcefully onto the 10th fret and hold it there (i.e. "hammer" your 3rd finger onto the 10th fret).

Done with sufficient speed and force, the string will continue to vibrate and the A note will sound.

Pull-Off

The second half of the first measure shows a pull-off.

Fret the first note (A) with finger 3, and the second note (G) with finger 1 (i.e. both fingers are on the fretboard at the same time). Now pick the string to sound the A note.  Do not pick the second note (G).  Instead, tug down slightly with finger 3 as you remove it from the 10th fret.

Done properly, finger 3 will pluck the string and the G note will sound.

Slides

The second measure shows two slides, the first from the G note to the A note, and the second from the A note back to the G note.

Fret the first note with any finger you like.  Pick the string to sound the first note.  Do not pick the second note.  Instead, slide your finger up/down the fretboard to fret the second note.

Done properly, the the string will continue to vibrate from the picked first note and the second note will sound.

If you have a death-grip on the fretboard (see Confession #30 - Lose the Death Grip! ), you're going to find slides difficult.  Use a lighter touch and slides will be easier.


ADDING PHRASING to Am PENTATONIC LICK #1

Last week we looked at this lick:

Am Pentatonic Lick #1 - No Phrasing
(Click to Enlarge)

It's promising, but I find it sounds a little stiff.

Let's add a little phrasing to this lick, as follows:

Am Pentatonic Lick #1 - With Phrasing
(Click to Enlarge)

Instead of starting the lick on the A at the 10th fret of the second string, we're going to play what is called a grace note slide.  We start on the G at the 8th fret, but slide up the the A on the 10th fret as soon as the string is picked.  Its called a grace note because is duration is so short.

The second half of the lick goes from the D at the 10th fret of the first string  to the C at the 8th fret.  Instead of picking both notes, let's pull off from the D to the C.

Having added only a grace note slide and a pull-off, the lick sounds more loose and more interesting.

Take a look at some of the licks you've created and see if you can apply some phrasing to them to make them sound more interesting!

Video

Next Week's Confession - Play Something, Play Anything!