Pentatonics...

[Faithless]

Hello, guys..


So, lately I've been mainly into pop music (projects and stuff..), and I realised that i must dig into pentatonics more seriously.

I mean, it's not the soloing or something, that's important to me. No. I just want get a few advices how to construct pentatonic formulas, so that i could add a few tasty licks,when playing with a band n stuff..

I've been playing 'two-octave' pentatonic 'scales', starting from each pentatonic's degree, and a few other exercises, but I can't work it out, how to adapt 'em, so that they would fit in all 12 keys...

Don't get me wrong - it's not the notes, that are the issue, I know them - I just want, that it'd become for me [i]easy [/i]to use pentatonics when accompanying.


So, do you know any good books/advices, that'd give a bit knowledge about all this to me?


All the best,
Faith

[GonzoBass]

Please let me know if these are any use in helping to answer your question-

[url="http://wheatsbassbook.org/chapter_select.php?chapter=009"]http://wheatsbassbook.org/chapter_select.php?chapter=009[/url]

[url="http://rockbass-beginnertoproinfourweeks.com/LESSONS/7.HTM"]http://rockbass-beginnertoproinfourweeks.com/LESSONS/7.HTM[/url]



...or are you looking for licks, riffs and ideas?

If that's the case,
John Paul Jones of Led Zep was a master
both at fills and constructing lines
with the pentatonic scales.

His catalog of work is a great text book.


Also, I can recommend a YouTube search for:

"The Real Me"
(either the original done by The Who or the later WASP version)

"Mr. Big"
(either the original done by Free or the later Mr. Big version)

*Check out where the bass goes at about 3:50 here-
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhCilozomo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhCilozomo[/url]

Both of these bass lines are classics
but contain amazing examples of the pentatonic scale being put to good use.

[mcgraham]

I never really got on with the pentatonic scales. I just find them very angular, but in an uninteresting way, as well as artificial. I do use them, but very sparingly.

Interesting anecdote though, Frank Gambale has talked before about how a great soloist uses a blend of arpeggios, full scales and pentatonics together, drawing from each in a cohesive way. I believe he's of the opinion that most moving music incorporates a reasonable balance of all three.

Sorry, not much help here!

Mark

[foal30]

I quite like using the minor pentatonic on a major chord.
starting from the 6th...it's hardly groundbreaking or original but it sort of can open my ears sometimes.

also try it from the b3 on a DOMINANT chord...you might like this sound, altered like I guess.

I do think pentatonic sound good as is... I don't normally break them up.

[High score]

[quote]If that's the case,
John Paul Jones of Led Zep was a master
both at fills and constructing lines
with the pentatonic scales.

His catalog of work is a great text book.[/quote]


Sorry if it is a daft question, but is there a volume of John Paul Jones work available off the shelf?

[XB26354]

Pentatonics are just an available group of 5 notes. If you want to practise them musically try your exercises round the cycle of 4ths, use odd groupings (e.g. play up 5 notes of the scale at a time), use different rhythmic figures, like starting on the + of beat 1, then on beat 2, + of beat 2 etc. Melodically pentatonics have a simplistic and quite appealing sound, at least to my ears.

[Beneath It All]

A book I found quite useful was Ron Middlebrooks 'Scales & Modes In the beginning'..Lots of ideas and lots of great sounding scales from around the globe; My version was Treble Clef....

[Beneath It All]

[quote name='GonzoBass' post='433350' date='Mar 13 2009, 10:34 AM']Please let me know if these are any use in helping to answer your question-

[url="http://wheatsbassbook.org/chapter_select.php?chapter=009"]http://wheatsbassbook.org/chapter_select.php?chapter=009[/url]

[url="http://rockbass-beginnertoproinfourweeks.com/LESSONS/7.HTM"]http://rockbass-beginnertoproinfourweeks.com/LESSONS/7.HTM[/url]





"Mr. Big"
(either the original done by Free or the later Mr. Big version)

*Check out where the bass goes at about 3:50 here-
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhCilozomo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhCilozomo[/url]

Both of these bass lines are classics
but contain amazing examples of the pentatonic scale being put to good use.[/quote].....................Is he not playing a straight A major scale, [Mixolydian & Lydian modes]??

[Lemuel Beam]

[quote name='Beneath It All' post='438862' date='Mar 19 2009, 03:35 AM'].....................Is he not playing a straight A major scale, [Mixolydian & Lydian modes]??[/quote]

Almost.. sounds to me like he's using E mixolydian with added major 7, like a dominant bebop scale, and D lydian..

[Beneath It All]

[quote name='Lemuel Beam' post='439830' date='Mar 19 2009, 10:31 PM']Almost.. sounds to me like he's using E mixolydian with added major 7, like a dominant bebop scale, and D lydian..[/quote].....But to me, the D# is a non-essential tone linking D to E, as is the A# that occurs on the same chord[e7], and linking A to B....Played in isolation, they're way 'out', and they only work[for me] when ascending........

[Lemuel Beam]

[quote name='Beneath It All' post='439909' date='Mar 19 2009, 11:51 PM'] .....But to me, the D# is a non-essential tone linking D to E, as is the A# that occurs on the same chord[e7], and linking A to B....Played in isolation, they're way 'out', and they only work[for me] when ascending........[/quote]

I see what you mean. Although he had formal music education, I bet Andy Fraser wasn't thinking about scales technically when he came up with those riffs, he just played what he thought sounded good - and it does!

[Beneath It All]

[quote name='Lemuel Beam' post='440177' date='Mar 20 2009, 12:03 PM']I see what you mean. Although he had formal music education, I bet Andy Fraser wasn't thinking about scales technically when he came up with those riffs, he just played what he thought sounded good - and it does![/quote]
....Yes,I'd forgotten how good the band was;...Didn't know he'd[Fraser] had formal music training though...Cheers..

[Lemuel Beam]

[quote name='Beneath It All' post='440297' date='Mar 20 2009, 02:01 PM']....Yes,I'd forgotten how good the band was;...Didn't know he'd[Fraser] had formal music training though...Cheers..[/quote]

Neither did I until this thread made me curious, so I checked out his biog:

"...until I was 12 or so, I learned the scales, and played Beethoven and Mozart like a parrot, with all the passion of a typist. It all seemed like extra homework at the time, but I have since come to appreciate all the theory that was drilled into me, and the understanding of how all music, all chords, all keys are related, and once I reached the stage where I found music a means for expression, having all that experience behind me, made things a lot easier.."

(snipped from andyfraser.com)

Isn't it wonderful what you can learn through basschat..