Breaking out of pentatonic boxes

[drewphishesp]

So I find when I am playing and we're jamming I often times get stuck or rooted in 1 position in a pentatonic box. I'd like to vary my playing or create lines that are. Bit more interesting. What's the best way to do this? Video lessons would be great if you know of any. Thanks

 

[hondo4life]

 

[onda'bass]

Practice you scales in 2 octaves and do them as many ways you can think. Thirds, sequences, and if adventurous chromatic approaches to chord tones.

 

[tb-player]

A major pentatonic scale is basically a major scale with the iv and the vii missing. Those 2 notes are tension notes that need to be resolved. That means the pentatonic scale is a 5-note scale without musical tension (that’s why the musical motif in ‘My Girl’ is so catchy). That lack of tension makes it very easy to default to it when soloing (and there’s nothing wrong with that. I spent a couple of years studying Pentatonic modes with Anthony Wellington and it really expanded my playing). But it’s also easy to get into a rut with it.

A great way to start thinking outside of pentatonics is to focus on the tension notes. For instance, drone a G and play your major pentatonic scale. Then, over that same droning G, alternate between the iv (C) and the vii (F#). Feel the tension those notes create. Don’t be too quick to resolve them. Explore other places you can go with your solo, remembering that there are no wrong notes.

It’ll take time. But you might surprise yourself where you end up.

I hope that helps. Have fun!

 

[dreamadream99]

Major and minor pentatonics are safe ways to navigate major and minor keys, but that is only one improvisational technique out of many. Just to give you an idea, if the chord during a solo is a C major, any C, E, or G you play is guaranteed to fit. But what about the notes in between the chord tones? Truth is, you can play whichever you like. Between C and E, there are three notes to choose from. Some will sound more familiar and predictable to listeners, and others will sound out there, and will strain the tolerance of the listeners. But rest assured they are all valid.

If you haven’t already done so, I would encourage you to start learning music theory to gain a wider appreciation of what notes are available during solos, and why. In the meantime, start to experiment with chromatics in between the chord tones.

 

[drewphishesp]

Yes I am familiar with theory, and I know the modes, and scales and all. I just wind up getting to comfortable in the box and am looking for ways to get out of that more so than anything

 

[onda'bass]

on a side note hexatonics are really fun. Kinda like triads with a color notes. C D E F# G B or C D E F# G A

 

[Pacman]

If you're only concerned with breaking out of a single position, this is a killer exercise:

 

[HolmeBass]

Extend your pentatonic beyond one octave - both higher and lower, depending where in the neck you are.

Learn the modes of the pentatonic scale, this will let you seamlessly traverse the whole neck.

Realize that you only need to add 2 notes to access any of the modes of the major scale. Which two notes you add determines which mode.

 

[drewphishesp]

Extend your pentatonic beyond one octave - both higher and lower, depending where in the neck you are.

Learn the modes of the pentatonic scale, this will let you seamlessly traverse the whole neck.

Realize that you only need to add 2 notes to access any of the modes of the major scale. Which two notes you add determines which mode.

by modes do you mean these Redirect Notice

 

[Brandon Shea]

If you're only concerned with breaking out of a single position, this is a killer exercise:

Rich Brown's videos are always an excellent recommendation!

 

[drewphishesp]

man is his voice soothing or what!

 

[mambo4]

Google the chords of actual songs and practice arpeggios of those chords using that sequence
vary which chord tones you start, end, transition with

 

[lm183902]

Play scales and modes up and down 2 octaves with multiple combinations of fingerings. This is a great exercise both mentally and physically. Also, based on your handle, I'm guessing you're a Phish fan. Mike's pre-show warm up is 2 octave scales.

I also spent a lot of time playing up and down scales/modes on a single string in one octave.

Also good to pick a note and find it everywhere on the neck. Know how many of each note exist on your bass and where they are

 

[DuluthDank]

Buy the book Chord Tone Mastery for the Electric Bass by Joe Hubbard, and actually learn it.

 

[brianrost]

I just wind up getting to comfortable in the box and am looking for ways to get out of that more so than anything

Transcribe solos and not just bass solos. Write it down, then you can go back and learn approaches from different soloists.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Learning jazz has really helped my playing over the past six months or so, specifically with navigating chord changes around the neck. Here's a link to the book I picked up: https://a.co/d/fXjE2Ju

Not totally related, a fun exercise I've been doing lately is to work my way around the cycle of fourths using dominant 7th chords. It's easy to practice with a metronome, and you don't need to worry about doing anything more than chord tones with quarter notes.

C7 --> F7 --> Bb7 --> Eb7 --> Ab7 --> Db7 --> Gb7 --> B7 --> E7 --> A7 --> D7 --> G7...

Once you get going with it, everything flows really naturally from one chord to the next. You have a lot of freedom to go higher or lower from chord to chord, so experiment slowly and see where it takes you.

 

[BassicJazzy]

If you're only concerned with breaking out of a single position, this is a killer exercise:

Rich Brown is the best instructor regarding using pentatonics that I have seen on internet, he really takes it to a different level than most. Almost everything he does is based on pentatonic scales and how to manipulate the shapes. Most of his material is oriented to how to do creative things with this scale.

 

[Altitude]

Here is something easy you can put into action today. It won’t get you all the way to where you want to be but it will help.

Anchor your index finger somewhere other than the root of the scale you’re playing. Try fingering the scale with your index finger on ii for instance, but [obviously] use the same notes in the scale. You might find that your left hand muscle memory actually results in more emphasis on the tension notes that way, and it can lead you to develop comfort with some licks that are easy to play but not cliche to hear.

 

[HolmeBass]

by modes do you mean these Redirect Notice

The pentatonic scale has five modes - the major and minor are modes of each other.

But the “add 2 notes” leads to modes of the major scale, or possibly of the harmonic or melodic minor scales.

So for example, from the minor pentatonic scale, if you add the perfect 4 and major 6 you have the Dorian mode. Add the perfect 4 and minor 6 it’s the Aeolian (aka natural minor).

From the major pentatonic scale, add the 4 and maj7 -> Ionian mode (major scale); add 4 and min 7 -> Mixolydian; and aug4 and maj7 -> Lydian; add aug4 and min7 -> Lydian dominant (4th mode of melodic minor scale).