So I've been working on the pentatonic scales for quite some time now and it's getting rather boring going up and down the same notes. I wanted to know from the experienced players what are your favorite scales to solo/improv in.

I love to jazz up the pentatonic scale. Play Em pentatonic and Bm pentatonic over Am. Or over Cmaj7. Slip from Am pentatonic to Bbmin pentatonic or Abm pentatonic for a couple of notes. Play some notes from Gm pentatonic over E7. Chromatically connect the notes in the pentatonic scale. Approach them from a step below or above, or both.Don´t write off pentatonic!

That said, my absolute fave is dorian. I use it for everything, not just minor stuff. For instance, D dorian goes perfectly over G7.

But in the end, it´s all about the chords, the melody and the mood, not scales!

EuroCinema said:

Great reply and yes i know its not about the scales. But like when my teacher sets up a chord progression for me to improvise to he'll say do it in Gm pentatonic and I just don't want to me limited to the notes at the 3rd fret and the ones at the 15th; which is what you're reply hit on. I know it's pretty much basic music theory for the guitarists on here, but in my theory class we get so distracted that we haven't gotten passed 4-part writing yet.

depends on how you approach soloing,
some of the best solos were just in a simple blues scale
you should do what feels right, and whats appropriat for said song,
feeling first theory second,

Plus, you can play the G minor pentatonic scale in other places besides the 3rd and 15th frets. Try starting it on the 4th note (C) on the 8th fret (6th string), for instance. After you get the hang of that, try starting it on the b7th note (F) on the 13th fret (6th string). Get creative with the scale - learn it in other positions all over the neck, starting on different notes of the scale. You can apply this to all the scales you learn. Just remember, though - Rome wasn't built in a day. These things take time. Have fun with it.

You don't have to stay in the box position - there are other ways to play pentatonics. Guitar great Eric Johnson is a master at it.

Good luck
[Edited 3/10/07 0:55am]

I've never been a big fan of pentatonic scales. Not that I don't use them, but I'm more of a mode person. Learn your modes back to front (major and melodic minor modes) and you can pretty much play anything. Plus it just makes your understanding of music theory so much easier.
[Edited 3/10/07 5:29am]

If you plan on playing popular rock/blues based music, i.e. Prince's music, for instance, learn your pentatonics. Modes, pentatonics - one isn't better than another in the grand scheme of things - it's all music. Learn it all - knowledge is power!

What would I do without the org? thanks everybody

EmbattledWarrior said:

I totally agree with u

I like mixolydian, but as someone said, only in the right context.

Also I agree with the person who suggested learning blues scales all up the neck so they connect with each other. It's a good base for knowing the whole fretboard.

Also, pentatonic relates to regular modes/scales (just missing a couple notes), you just need to find the relation. Fill in the missing spaces and you're basically playing everything.

I'm a shameless minor pentatonic fiend most of the time. You can always do the simple shakeup of jumping into the major pentatonic.

My next thing is getting chromatics into my soloing. I saw a clip of Andy Timmons throwing some chromatic runs about, and it sounded excellent.

One more confession: even though my playing is pretty jazzy and I'll use a lot of scales and modes, I always memorize them as pentatonic minor with added or raised/lowered notes. It's like pentatonic is the skeleton and the other notes are the flesh and skin, or something.
Also, listening to some great guitarists like Scodield, Chuck Loeb and Will Bernard recently, it struck me how these harmonically very advanced players use basic blues pentatonics to create clear, strong lines with larger intervals to set of their more intricate lines.
You should learn your pentatonics in a couple of positions though!

EuroCinema said:

I see it like this, too.

I can think in terms of scales, but I use pentatonics the most. They're more melodic to me, ironically. The other notes should be used sparingly, I believe.

Something about the intervals in pentatonic scales makes the solos more melodic than diatonic scale runs.