13 replies to this topic

[ronnie]

ok , I dont really know my scales like i should , but have been practing the minor pentatonic, Idont understand how the e minor pentatonic scale playing the 12th fret position beginning with root 6th string , moved down 3 frets playing the same patter becomes a major pentatonic scale, is this correct?

Ronnie

[Stu74]

Ok Ronnie
I will try and explain what i know(not much)
The E minor pentatonic scale you are playing uses 1,3,4,5 and 7 notes from the E minor scale.

If you play the same shape but moved down 3 semitones you are starting on the C note.Now you will be playing the 1,2,3,5 and 6 notes from the C minor scale.

[ronnie]

Stu74, on 27 May 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

Ok Ronnie
I will try and explain what i know(not much)
The E minor pentatonic scale you are playing uses 1,3,4,5 and 7 notes from the E minor scale.

If you play the same shape but moved down 3 semitones you are starting on the C note.Now you will be playing the 1,2,3,5 and 6 notes from the C minor scale.

this is the video I got that from , he says 3 frets down ,same pattern is emajor scale ??/

Ronnie

[Stu74]

Intresting I can see why you have asked your question now . At the moment from what little i know i would say he is wrong by saying that 3 frets down is e major scale.I agree it is major but it cant still be in the E scale, can it?
Time for me to get my books out.I am away for 5 days but I will report back with what i find out.Maybe someone else might help us out on this one.

[micky mac]

im confused now hopeful can chime in and clear it up.

[philTHEthrill]

ronnie, on 26 May 2012 - 10:28 AM, said:

ok , I dont really know my scales like i should , but have been practing the minor pentatonic, Idont understand how the e minor pentatonic scale playing the 12th fret position beginning with root 6th string , moved down 3 frets playing the same patter becomes a major pentatonic scale, is this correct?

Ronnie

That is correct.

If you move that pattern down three frets it becomes the E Major Pentatonic scale. Remember that the E note is still the root (tonic) of that scale. So while the E note's position on the fretboard doesn't change, (12th fret on the low E string, 9th fret on the G string, and 12th fret of the high E string), the root note has changed it's position within the pattern.

Does that make sense?

[ronnie]

yes it does ,thanks

Ronnie

[mset3]

Ronnie,

Phil is correct. Although both use the same pattern, the root remains the same in position 1 for the E minor and position 5 for the E major. This link may help to explain it better.

http://www.freeguita...entatonic.html#

Mike

[RolandC]

+1 for Mike and Phil.

Ronnie,

A couple of things struck me about the video you posted.

1) The minor pentatonic scale is NOT the blues scale, The minor pentatonic scale has 5 tones: Root, b3, 4, 5, and b7. The blues scale incorporates a sixth tone--the b5. Clearly, the two scales are very closely related, but they are not synonymous.

2) Anyone putting himself out there as a guitar teacher who can blithely say that, after having played guitar for "years," the only scales he has learned are the major and minor pentatonic is pretty weak, IMHO.

[mset3]

RolandC,

Good point! Adding the "Blue Note" is what makes the Pentatonic Scale a blues scale. Many guitar players never get beyond the Minor Pentatonic Scale when playing and most don't know all the positions.

Mike

[Stu74]

I am glad you started this topic Ronnie it has got me looking into the pentatonic scale properly and now i am understanding it better.

[eddiez152]

Good find and information.

[mset3]

I read the book "Fretboard Roadmaps" by Fred Sokolow yesterday. He calls the Pentatonic Scales the Blues Scales. He does go on to say, ". . . you can add other notes and still sound bluesy." I will stick with the definition whereby adding the "Blue Note" is what makes the Pentatonic Scale a Blues Scale.

Mike

[JerryStringer]

Hi, am new so hi everyone and all
So, by my reckoning, to get from where the guy in the video is, to the actual blues scale, using his numerical terminology you would play as follows:

15 - 12
15 - 12
15 - 14 - 12
14 - 12
14 - 13 - 12
15 - 12

Of course, this won't then flow as nicely if you move the whole lot down three frets. Apart from that, what he's doing is pretty cool