Understanding and Using Pentatonics Creatively: Lesson 3

Watch the accompanying videos for this section of the course. I ‘m demonstrating patterns,
riffs and grooves, which are typical of the Major Pentatonic scale and sound.

In the accompanying MP3’s you’ll find various tracks to practice and play along with.

We’ll focus on 3 keys for the MP3’s:

The G Major Pentatonic

The A Major Pentatonic
The C Major Pentatonic

In the accompanying video, I’ll give some examples of how the Major Pentatonic scale is
used in different grooves and riff situations. In the videos, I‘m demonstrating these examples
slowly and clearly so you can understand, copy and apply them.
  

Use the play along MP3’s so you can practice these examples and come up with some of
your own lines. The examples will be in one of the three keys.

The following Major Pentatonic examples can be used as bass line grooves, or if played in a
higher register of the fingerboard, they can be used as a riff in a solo. The red numbers above
the note represent the scale degrees in relationship to the Major Pentatonic scale.

I’ve also written out the examples in tablature to make it easier for you to learn.

Example 1
A Major Pentatonic riff

Example 2
G Major Pentatonic riff

Example 3
G Major Pentatonic riff
  

Example 4
In Example 4 I’m demonstrating a C Major Pentatonic Scale, along with a Rock feel. I’m just
improvising around the scale, grooving and experimenting in different positions to show
you the endless possibilities with this scale.

Example 5
The next example is one of the most popular progressions in Pop, Rock and Blues music. It’s
the I IV V progression. In Blues music the chords are generally a Dominant 7 chord, and in
Pop and Rock music the chords are in more of a basic triad form, making all the chords
Major.

In the Key of C the Chords will be C, which is the I Chord, followed by F which is the IV
Chord, and G which is the V Chord. Usually the progression ends with another I chord,
making the complete progression I IV V I.

For the I IV V progression in the Key of C, you could play C Major Pentatonic Scale over all of
it. Here is a chart for a I IV V progression in the Key of C. Again, for the MP3, the progression
repeats and vamps over and over so you can come up with ideas freely.