[Tom B.]

Can i use its relative minor to improvise (for example using the Em pentatonic scale in a Gmaj song) ?

[Fretsource]

Yes, but...
E minor pentatonic has exactly the same notes as G major pentatonic, (the pentatonic scale of the KEY) so I don't see any advantage in thinking of it as E minor pentatonic.
But I know a lot of guitarists on the net prefer to think of it that way. I'd love to know why and if there's any genuine advantage in it.

[allthumbs]

I prefer to use the parallel minor as a substitution chord. I don't know how it would work in a scale context. I don't think in scales.

[Chaotic Kittie]

Originally Posted by Fretsource

Yes, but...
E minor pentatonic has exactly the same notes as G major pentatonic, (the pentatonic scale of the KEY) so I don't see any advantage in thinking of it as E minor pentatonic.
But I know a lot of guitarists on the net prefer to think of it that way. I'd love to know why and if there's any genuine advantage in it.

When I used scales for "improvisation" I used to do this, because I always thought the 1st box of the minor pentatonic to be a more familiar point of reference, and I always felt it was easier to play within it than the 1st box of the major pentatonic.. Apart from that I've no idea what use it would be. O.o

[Fretsource]

Yes, the parallel pentatonic minor scale (G pentatonic minor G Bb C D F, in this case) works like that too, AT. It gives the bluesy 3/b3 clash (B/Bb), the b7 (F) of the I chord (G) and the b7 (C) of the V chord (D), none of which are available from the major pentatonic or its relative minor.

[Fretsource]

Originally Posted by Chaotic Kittie

When I used scales for "improvisation" I used to do this, because I always thought the 1st box of the minor pentatonic to be a more familiar point of reference, and I always felt it was easier to play within it than the 1st box of the major pentatonic.. Apart from that I've no idea what use it would be. O.o

Thanks Kittie. I suspect that for many guitarists, it's a fingering preference based on memorised scale patterns, an advantage that would disappear if they were equally familiar with both major and minor pentatonic patterns.

[felixdcat]

Yes you can. It's just using same notes in a different manner.

[Tom B.]

Thanks for all the help guys

[felixdcat]

Originally Posted by Tom B.

Thanks for all the help guys

Actually you could use any of those notes to start - modes.