Pentatonic Arpeggios

In my recent practice, I have found another lovely thing about pentatonics - arpeggios.

Let's review
Minor pentatonic
Root - b3rd - 4th - 5th - b7th

Major pentatonic
Root - 2nd - 3rd - 5th - 6th

Both of these pentatonics have an arpeggio built in, all you have to do is remove one note (actually, if you include extended chords, each of these pentatonics is an arpeggio - minor pentatonic is a minor 11th, and major pentatonic is a major 6/9).

If you remove the fourth scale degree, the minor pentatonic is a minor seventh arpeggio
Root - b3rd - 5th - b7th

If you remove the second scale degree, the major pentatonic is a major sixth arpeggio (aside - I prefer the major sixth or major 6/9 to the major 7th as I like the space between the 6th and the root better than the major 7th and the root, but that's just me).
Root - 3rd - 5th - 6th

What's also cool is that the major and minor arpeggios have the same fingering.

Minor 7th arpeggio (root on 6th string)

R		b7	b3	5	R
x	x	x	x	x	x
	5	R
b3				b7	b3

Major 6th arpeggio (root on 6th string, fourth finger)

6		5	R	3	6
x	x	x	x	x	x
	3	6
R				5	R

Basically, an A minor 7th arpeggio has the same finger as a C major 6th arpeggio.

Here is how I practice this.

First I play the pentatonic in each of the five positions. Then I play the corresponding arpeggio. I usually start at the fifth fret and repeat all the way to the 12th fret. In this way, I can hear the harmonic context of the arpeggio within the pentatonic.

My two cents

Pentatonic Add-One - Phrygian

I want to look at something I call a "Pentatonic Add-One", which is simply adding a note to the pentatonic scale (in this case, minor pentatonic).

Let's face it, if all you played was one scale all of the time, it would get boring. This "Add-One" gives more color to it.

This time, I will talk about adding a b2. This gives it the Phrygian sound, for those less inclined to technical music terms. it gives a "Spanish" sound.

The Phrygian is used quite frequently in heavy metal (as well as Spanish music). So, when you add this b2, the pentatonic sounds darker and more exotic.

Here are 5 positions of this scale.

R	4	b7	b3	5	R
b2					b2
	5	R	4
b3		b2		b7	b3

	5	R	4
b3		b2		b7	b3
			5
4	b7	b3		R	4
				b2

			5
4	b7	b3		R	4
				b2
5	R	4	b7		5
	b2			b3

5	R	4	b7		5
	b2			4
		5	R
b7	b3		b2	5	b7

		5	R
b7	b3		b2	4	b7
R	4	b7	b3	5	R
b2					b2

I like this touch because you can add that b2 by hammer-ons and half-step bends. In other words, they are easy to get to.

My two cents.

Melodic Minor Pentatonic

For some unknown reason, I like the melodic minor. I think one of the reasons is how the modes sound. I will get to that.

I am talking jazz melodic minor, in C, the scale is
C-D-Eb-F-G-A-B

Which can be looked at as either a minor scale with the 6th and 7th degree raised a 1/2 step, or as a major scale with the third lowered a 1/2 step.

Now, let's look at it as a pentatonic.

Standard minor pentatonic is - C-Eb-F-G-Bb
Raise the 7th and the melodic minor pentatonic is C-Eb-F-G-B

Here is a layout that I like to use

- - 11 - 13 -
- - - 12 13 -
-10-12 -
-10 - - 13 -
-10 - - - 14
- - 11- 13 -

I like to use a mix of the minor and melodic minor pentatonics.

I use the minor over the I chord in a blues progression. And to add some flavor, over the IV, I use the melodic minor pentatonic, the B is the #4/b5 of the IV, and the B is the 3rd of the V.

The implied modes are:
Over the IV: Lydian Dominant (R-2-3-#4-5-6-b7)
Over the V: Mixolydian Flat 6 (R-2-3-4-5-b6-b7)

Just a little way of mixing up a blues progression.

My two cents

Jazzing up the Pentatonic

I am going to look at using the minor pentatonic in a "jazzier" way, over a dominant seven chord.

First, let's look at the chord - C7

Notes
C - E - G - Bb

You can play the standard minor pentatonic (C-Eb-F-G-Bb) over this, and you are adding two color tones - the #9 (Eb) and the 11th (F). This is the standard "blues" sound.

Now, if you take the minor pentatonic, and root in D you get the following scale - C-D-F-G-A which gives the following color tones, 9 (D), 11 (F), and 13 (A). This is a good "outside" sound, without adding much tension.

Now if you want tension, take it up another half step, to Eb. Your scale is now C#-Eb-F#-G#-Bb. This creates tension because it add the following "altered" tensions - b9, #9, b5, #5. This is a nice little departure in a solo, because of the tension it adds. You can use this scale in place of the altered dominant (Super Locrian) scale.

Now, for a little scale I derived. I don't know who invented it, but I like how it adds passing notes (chromaticism).
I call this the Bebop Blues Scale, and it goes something like this- C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb-B.

I know this isn't a pentatonic, but it lays nicely on the fretboard.
Here it is depicted graphically.
- 7 8 - - 11 -
- - 8 - - 11 -
- - 8 - 10 11 -
- - 8 9 10 - -
- - 8 9 10 - -
- 7 8 - -11 -

This add the Bebop Dominant Passing Note (B (maj7)) and the blue note F# (b5).

My two cents

Navigating the ii-V-I (part 2)

A little more ii-V-I

Let's look at the minor ii-V-I, which is:

ii(m7b5) - V (or V(alt)) - i

Let's go to the key of A minor

For the Bm7b5, you can play:
D minor pentatonic
E minor pentatonic
A minor pentatonic

For E7 you can play:
F# minor pentatonic
B minor pentatonic
C# minor pentatonic

Or if you are playing an altered E7 (with either a b9, #9, b5, or #5)
G minor pentatonic minor
D minor pentatonic

For the Am7
A minor pentatonic
B minor pentatonic
D minor pentatonic
E minor pentatonic

As you can see, you can play a D minor pentatonic over the whole progression if you are using the V(alt). You could also use the D minor pentatonic over a standard V(dominant 7) to create tension.

My recommended progression for the ii-V-i (in A) would be:
D minor pentatonic - B minor pentatonic - A minor pentatonic

Over the ii-V(alt)-i, it would be:
D minor pentatonic - G minor pentatonic - A minor pentatonic

Two cents

Navigating the ii-V-I (part 1)

OK, let's apply some of this pentatonic stuff.

Here is a very traditional progression
ii-V-I

So in the key of C, that is:
Dm7-G7-Cmaj7

1st option - Play it with one scale

Use the D minor pentatonic

The scale over the ii is D-F-G-A-C (1-b3-4-5-b7)
Over the V is G-A-C-D-F (1-2-4-5-b7)
Over the I is C-D-F-G-A (1-2-4-5-6)

Or A minor pentatonic

Over the ii is D-E-G-A-C (1-2-4-5-b7)
Over the V is G-A-C-D-E (1-2-4-5-6)
Over the I is C-D-E-G-A (1-2-3-5-6)

Or the E minor pentatonic
Over the ii is D-E-G-A-B (1-2-4-5-6)
Over the V is G-A-B-D-E (1-2-3-5-6)
Over the I is D-E-G-A-B (2(9)-3-5-6-7)

In jazz, it is common to play the Dorian mode over the ii, the Mixolydian mode over the V, and the Ionian or Lydian mode over the I. So here are all of the minor pentatonics you can use over this progression.

Dm7
D
E
A

G7
A
D
E

Cmaj7
D
E
A
B (Lydian)

For a little more "jazziness" try this over the ii-V-I (Roots in bold, #4 in red)

D minor pentatonic -
-10--13-
-10--13-
-10-12--
-10-12--
-10-12--
-10--13-

D minor pentatonic (remember G is the root)
-10--13-
-10--13-
-10-12--
-10-12--
-10-12--
-10--13-

B minor pentatonic
-7--10-
-7--10-
-7-9--
-7-9--
-7-9--
-7--10-

2 cents

Pentatonic Substitutions

Here is a quick list of where you can use various pentatonics.

I will put down a type of seventh chord, and what degree of the scale you can start a minor pentatonic. Hopefully this will make a little more sense as I move along.

Major Seventh (R - 3- 5- 7)
2nd
3rd
6th
7th

For example, if you are playing over a Cmaj7, you can play a minor pentatonic rooted on the D, E, A, and B. The pentatonic built on the 7th degree has a #4 for a lydian feel.

Minor Seventh (R -b3 - 5 - b7)
1st
2nd
4th
5th
b7th

The pentatonic on built on the b7th contains the b2, for the Phrygian feel.

Dominant Seventh (R - 3 - 5 - b7)
2nd
5th
6th

If you notice, you can use the pentatonic based on the 2nd for all of those chords. This happens to be the neutral pentatonic (1 -2 - 4 -5 -6).

Now for a few more "exotic" chords
Altered dominant 7 (alt)
b3rd
4th
b7th

Minor 7 b5
b3rd
4th
b7th

As you can see, the same pentatonics can be played over these chords.

minor 6th or minor/major 7 (melodic minor)
2nd

Well, that's my 2 cents for today.