Melodic tunes that dont use the pentatonics?

[cire113]

Now I'm not into theory that much i know the major minor scale and familiar with the pentatonics but i mostly play by ear and play my own music...

It seems that the majority of tunes i produce are almost always in the pentatonics... i dont know if its because the majority of melodic music is in this reference or i am maybe just close minded and cant break out of the pentatonics..

i have only been playing bass around 1 or 2 months and am loving it...


Its just that i will make up a tune jam on it for 30 minutes it sounds great and then realize oh yeah its a pentatonic again!( there are alot of possibilities though)

But maybe it doesnt really matter does it? as long as it sounds good to me thats all that matters

[plastik-bass[?]]

whats wrong with pentatonics???

[Just J]

you could work on using the other 2 notes in the scales as well as chromatics and what not.

[ksandvik]

Sometimes it's plain laziness to stick to pentatonic scales, or insecurity. In most jam situations, there's more fun playing something totally different. --Kent

[Nick Kay]

The only difference between a pentatonic and its equivalent seven-note scale is the 2nd and the 6th. Learn how (and when) to use those intervals and you'll break out of the pentatonic box. For example, I'm a big fan of sus9 chords to contrast against regular old triads. A lot of emphasis on the 6th makes the 5th and 7th really pop out next time they're used. The 6th also works beautifully with the 3rd, forming a perfect 4th every time.

Also, don't play box shapes for a while. Every time you feel yourself defaulting to the pentatonic box shape, stop and find some other pattern you could use for the same notes. Even if it doesn't stop you from doing your pentatonic runs, it helps to develop a sense of musical freedom and experimentation. Experimentation is absolutely essential if you want to break out of your major/minor/equivalent pentatonics rut.

EDIT: OH DUH! Listen to some new music. Try something completely out of the norm for you, like bebop or technical death metal. The minute you develop an ear for a different style of music is the minute you form a new approach to playing.

[Mushroo]

Try learning (by ear) some catchy tunes that everybody knows... Happy Birthday, your national anthem, Row Row Row Your Boat, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, etc. As you do this, pay attention to which scale degree each note is (1, 2, 3, etc) and I guarantee you will start to see the patterns of how each note in the scale can be used

[Mushroo]

Originally Posted by cire113

as long as it sounds good to me thats all that matters

ps This is a great attitude to have! There is nothing "wrong" with the pentatonic scale; you can make lots and lots of music with it. The reason it sounds "jammy" is that there are no half-step (1 fret) intervals in it, therefore none of the notes can really sound wrong or clash with what the other musicians are playing.

When you play a 7-note instead of a 5-note scale, you need to play half steps (in the major scale, the half steps are between 3-4 and 7-8), so you have to be more careful. That's why I suggested studying catchy melodies like nursery rhymes. They are catchy for a reason

Here's a hint though: it has a lot to do with the chord progression.

[mambo4]

the short answer, if you really do mean melodies, is to look at jazz tunes or other genres that push the harmonic envelope.
If you mean bass lines, explore some of the motown and funk and stuff that uses chromaticism more.

Long answer:

But don't be too hard on yourself for creating things that fit into the pentatonic -or any- scale. Pentatonic scales were deduced from the fact that their tones are so inherently melodic and supportive of the harmony - they sounded good to people long before anybody named them and wrote theory books/courses about them. This applies to all theory : it was just musical eggheads asking :why does this sound good? is there a systematic way to continue sounding good?

I think your experiencing a phenomena like what a fellow musician once called "Jazz Damage": You begin to realize how everything you make up that sounds good to you also fits neatly into standard music theory concepts, and it can be a bit of an ego blow "aw man, you mean Bach already thought of this?. " So you begin trying to push the envelope and break the rules, and trust your ears less. The downside is that this can devolve into hyper intellectualized atonal wanking.

Learn theory so you can communicate with other players, and so you can easily transpose your ideas to fit new situations. But if you want to play what pleases your ear, then by all means stop over thinking and just trust your ears. Figure out the theory later, when you need to explain it to others or change keys