Pentatonic Fluency

[Antonio B]

I'm following the course "Pentatonic Fluency". In the module 8 (the last one) there is an explanation about how the pentatonic scales and the major scales are locked together, where the pentatonic scale pattern 1 starts the major scale pattern 1 starts, where the pentatonic scale pattern 2 starts the major scale pattern 2 starts, where the pentatonic scale pattern 3 starts the major scale pattern 3 starts. My question is: what about the remaining patterns? The pentatonic scale pattern 4 start doesn't correspond to the major scale pattern 4 start, the same for pattern 5. the pentatonic pattern 6 and 7 don't exist. Is the correspondence valid only for patterns 1, 2 and 3?

 

[tbootsc]

Hi,

If you haven't already figured it out, the Major Pentatonic only includes notes 1,2,3,5,6 of the major scale.   

[Geof Gibson]

An important point regarding this question, they are the exact SAME notes.

Now, what does that mean?  How can they be the same notes?  That's because they are RELATED.  I focus on that word because this is known as the RELATIVE scale.  The same exact notes an a given pentatonic minor are in the relative pentatonic major.

To relate it back to the positional question, the A pentatonic minor with the A root on the low E string at the fifth fret is the exact same notes as the C pentatonic major with the C root on the low E string at the 7th fret.  Start on A at the 5th fret and play the 5 notes of the pentatonic minor.  Now take your little finger and start on the C at the 7th fret and play the 5 notes of that same pentatonic minor.  Same position and fingers.  By playing from C to C, you are playing those notes as a major pentatonic rooted on C.

My suggestion is to move away from thinking about "pattern X" and focus on the root of the scale and how the notes feel in relationship to the root.  Play an E minor shaped barre chord at the 5th fret as an A minor.  Listen to it and let it ring out.  Then play the notes of the pentatonic minor from A to A.  Next, move up to the 7th fret and play an Emaj shaped barre chord as a Cmaj.  Let it ring and feel the difference from a minor chord.  Then play the same notes of the pentatonic from C to C.  That's your major pentatonic and it's related minor.

Now a soloing tip that many people will use is to play a riff in a minor position then drop that same riff 3 frets and play it as a major.  This is very blues.  Remember that one of the signature feels of the blues is minor scales played over major chords.  A7, D7, and E7 chords for your I IV V with an Amin pentatonic melody played over the chords.  If you have access to a looper pedal, even better.  Play some chords and then try maj and min pentatonics over them.  You'll sound great!