Pentatonic scales help

[Fire-Starter]

Any advice for what I am doing here?

Here are seven Pentatonic scales that I practice in each position of the Major scale going up the neck.

POSTIONS NUMBERS and Scale name.

1:Egyptian

2:Hirajoshi

3:Pelog

4:Balinese

5:Japanese

6:Chinese

7:Chinese 2


They all have different fingering so I am just trying to learn the feel and sound as I move up and down the neck. I play them forward and backwards as well.

Anyone have any Ideas as How I can apply these to music? Sometimes I will just play a groove, then pick one of the scales and run it, I am trying to be creative.

Although I am practicing them in diff positions, I gather that Pentatonics are usually only played over certain cords or modes correct?

I am also working on the Blues pentatonic, Minor Blues, Major and Minor Pentatonic scales. More on those later.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by Fire-Starter

Any advice for what I am doing here?

Here are seven Pentatonic scales that I practice in each position of the Major scale going up the neck.

POSTIONS NUMBERS and Scale name.

1:Egyptian

2:Hirajoshi

3:Pelog

4:Balinese

5:Japanese

6:Chinese

7:Chinese 2


They all have different fingering so I am just trying to learn the feel and sound as I move up and down the neck. I play them forward and backwards as well.

Anyone have any Ideas as How I can apply these to music?

Applying those to music, yes, that is a good question.

Sometimes I will just play a groove, then pick one of the scales and run it, I am trying to be creative.

Although I am practicing them in diff positions, I gather that Pentatonics are usually only played over certain cords or modes correct?

I am also working on the Blues pentatonic, Minor Blues, Major and Minor Pentatonic scales. More on those later.

What you are doing is letting you learn how to get around on your instrument and your ear is being trained to hear the good notes from the bad ones, however, using this to play songs, again is the question.

Now take a (one) pentatonic scales and put that scale with some chord progressions and you will start seeing how you could use some of this to make music.

Let Google call up some fake chord sheet music on a favorite of yours. Use these key words; Guitar chords, "name of the song" the comma and quote marks help in the search. For example:

(C) Happy birthday to (G) you.
Happy birthday to (C) you.
Happy birthday dear (F) ______________
Happy (C) birthday (G) to (C) you.

C major pentatonic notes over Happy birthday to
Then G major pentatonic notes over - you Happy birthday to
Then go back to C major pentatonic, etc. etc.

If there was a minor chord use the minor pentatonic over that minor chord.

Or C chord (R-3-5-3) under Happy birthday to
Then G chord (R-3-5-3) under - you Happy birthday to....

See if that will make some music.

[FretlessMainly]

Without knowing the exact scale degrees of these scales (sources may differ in what these scales are), I'll use two of your examples as I know them: Chinese and Balinese.

Chinese: 1, 3, #4, 5, 7

This works well as a lydian, which based on C would be a CMAJ7(#11) chord - the IV chord of G Major, or as the tonic for C Lydian.

Balinese: 1, b2, b3, 5, b6

This would work as a phrygian - based on c, a Cmin7 chord functioning either as the III chord of AbMajor or as the tonic for C phrygian (C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C)

[Intenzity]

So, just so I understand...you practice 7 different scales and have NO IDEA under what circumstances you can even use them, yet you practice these 7 scales anyway.

Brilliant!

It's like having your first baseman practice his free-throws and his jump shot during all of spring training.

How about you practice the pentatonic pentatonic scales. The ones that fit over chords that you know and will actually use, and a lot, like 95% of the time.

Unless you are anticipating a call from John McLaughlin at any moment, I don't think you need to spend too much time on the Hirajoshi ,Pelog or that second Chinese one. Whatever the hell any of those are anyway.

[Warfender]

Originally Posted by Intenzity

So, just so I understand...you practice 7 different scales and have NO IDEA under what circumstances you can even use them, yet you practice these 7 scales anyway.

Brilliant!

It's like having your first baseman practice his free-throws and his jump shot during all of spring training.

How about you practice the pentatonic pentatonic scales. The ones that fit over chords that you know and will actually use, and a lot, like 95% of the time.

Unless you are anticipating a call from John McLaughlin at any moment, I don't think you need to spend too much time on the Hirajoshi ,Pelog or that second Chinese one. Whatever the hell any of those are anyway.

Not sure about this either. OPP do you know the seven modes for a given key and the associated penetonic scales for each mode???? This is what I would learn and use as what I teach me students and use all the time.

Fire-starter, isn't this what you are talking about as well? Nice name btw.

[Fire-Starter]

Originally Posted by Intenzity

So, just so I understand...you practice 7 different scales and have NO IDEA under what circumstances you can even use them, yet you practice these 7 scales anyway.

Brilliant!

It's like having your first baseman practice his free-throws and his jump shot during all of spring training.

How about you practice the pentatonic pentatonic scales. The ones that fit over chords that you know and will actually use, and a lot, like 95% of the time.

Unless you are anticipating a call from John McLaughlin at any moment, I don't think you need to spend too much time on the Hirajoshi ,Pelog or that second Chinese one. Whatever the hell any of those are anyway.

Thanks for your input/hyperbole...I guess. To address your remarks, Yes I practice them without really knowing when or how to use them. IT'S FOR PRACTICE. I pretty much will try what I can get my hands on. If I get a chance to use it that is great, if not, I exposed myself to some knowledge that I did not have before. Your name "Intenzity" fits you well. Your point is well taken as well.

[Fire-Starter]

Originally Posted by Warfender

Not sure about this either. OPP do you know the seven modes for a given key and the associated penetonic scales for each mode???? This is what I would learn and use as what I teach me students and use all the time.

Fire-starter, isn't this what you are talking about as well? Nice name btw.

I do know the seven Modes, but not sure what Penatonic scale goes over which. If I were to guess, since Penta means Five, I would guess I would need to find out what five notes for each mode to play. I bet I can find it here on TB buy doing a search. Good advice btw, thanks. Now you see why I posted what I did. In need of a little direction. This is the down side of not having a teacher, but what the heck, I will learn what I can in the meantime.


your quote "This is what I would learn and use as what I teach me students and use all the time"

Would you suggest this link that I came accross?


Pentatonic Scales and Modes

[Intenzity]

Originally Posted by Fire-Starter

Thanks for your input/hyperbole...I guess. To address your remarks, Yes I practice them without really knowing when or how to use them. IT'S FOR PRACTICE.

Hmmm. Well, learning how to practice efficiently is part of the drill of playing an instrument. So while it is cool that you are looking for things to learn, grabbing random esoteric edge-case stuff is kinda interesting and all but it is not really very helpful in the long run.

Take my word for it - you don't need to practice the Upper Mongolian Penta-loga scale anymore. There is plenty of stuff to practice with the regular scales-you-use-on-every-solo to keep you busy for years.

Basso Ridiculoso: pentatonics

There are two posts right there, one that covers all the different ways/fingerings to play a minor pentatonic scale, and another that lists a bunch of new pentatonic licks to get under your fingers and a recipe for making pentatonic licks.

Try practicing the different "modes" of the regular minor pentatonic scale (the first article) instead of some exotic scale. You will get much more usable musical ammo for your time spent practicing.

[251]

Originally Posted by Fire-Starter

Any advice for what I am doing here?

Here are seven Pentatonic scales that I practice in each position of the Major scale going up the neck.

POSTIONS NUMBERS and Scale name.

1:Egyptian

2:Hirajoshi

3:Pelog

4:Balinese

5:Japanese

6:Chinese

7:Chinese 2


They all have different fingering so I am just trying to learn the feel and sound as I move up and down the neck. I play them forward and backwards as well.

Anyone have any Ideas as How I can apply these to music? Sometimes I will just play a groove, then pick one of the scales and run it, I am trying to be creative.

Although I am practicing them in diff positions, I gather that Pentatonics are usually only played over certain cords or modes correct?

I am also working on the Blues pentatonic, Minor Blues, Major and Minor Pentatonic scales. More on those later.

Rick Laird was very fond of Pelog modes when he played with The Mahavishnu Orchestra & uses it for illustration in Improvising Jazz Bass;
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/newrep...ply&p=11175479

John McLaughlin applies "synthetic modes" & talks about them in;
Amazon.com: John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra (Mini Scores) (0038081281711): John McLaughlin, Roy Perdue; John Curtin; Mark Podolnick: Books
scroll down the 'search inside view' in the left sidebar, to find a chart of synthetic modes.

This thread may interest you too;
The use of the Melodic Minor and its Modes in Jazz. - TalkBass Forums

[Fire-Starter]

Originally Posted by Intenzity

Hmmm. Well, learning how to practice efficiently is part of the drill of playing an instrument. So while it is cool that you are looking for things to learn, grabbing random esoteric edge-case stuff is kinda interesting and all but it is not really very helpful in the long run.

Take my word for it - you don't need to practice the Upper Mongolian Penta-loga scale anymore. There is plenty of stuff to practice with the regular scales-you-use-on-every-solo to keep you busy for years.

Basso Ridiculoso: pentatonics

There are two posts right there, one that covers all the different ways/fingerings to play a minor pentatonic scale, and another that lists a bunch of new pentatonic licks to get under your fingers and a recipe for making pentatonic licks.

Try practicing the different "modes" of the regular minor pentatonic scale (the first article) instead of some exotic scale. You will get much more usable musical ammo for your time spent practicing.

Cool, thanks for the help, I will look at what you have advised.