Pentatonic Scales. How can they be SO useful?

[@ravendli1]

Once again, your video has taught me more in 5 minutes than I've learned from a combination of other resources in the past several months. I'm at a point in my playing where I know a lot of basics but still trying to find the interconnections between various guitar/music playing tools, and you've helped me with that like nothing else has!

[@curiousguitarist]

That means a lot, thanks!

[@jimduffy9773]

I have never heard it explained more clearly. Great idea putting the scales graphically on the screen.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks James! Looking at it this way really brings out the plain mathematical truth about the whole thing :)

[@paulbowman2340]

Chris you’re an amazing teacher, can’t wait till you get the recognition you deserve, you’re up there with Adam Neely and Rick Beato.

[@curiousguitarist]

Wow, thanks for that sentiment Paul, I really appreciate it.

[@chromosomegun5845]

Chris is way better than Rick "GibsonTM" Beato

[@curiousguitarist]

@@chromosomegun5845 I like Ricks stuff a lot, I’m hoping we can meet someday, maybe collaborate...?

[@donlessnau8675]

Excellent vid. Clear, concise and well-explained without all the stupid, silly BS on so many other sites. Solid music theory simply presented. Thanks a lot. Well done.

[@curiousguitarist]

Much appreciated Don, glad to be doing this and getting great feedback. Thanks for being here and commenting.

[@colindayo]

The Teacher’s Teacher. Bravo, Chris. Been a fan since you started.

[@curiousguitarist]

Hi Colin, thank you.

[@simonwise8510]

Making opaque concepts clear. Shining light in dark corners Thanks very much.

[@curiousguitarist]

You're welcome Simon, glad there are lights going on...that's my favorite thing about this whole endeavor. Turning on the lights and transmitting the "ah-ha!"

[@Charles_S.]

Very well explained Chris. Thanks again!

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Charles.

[@jray5363]

I’ve seen the internet trolls insult You Tubers for their use of the pentatonic scales, but listening to you play them, I’m reminded why they do. They just sound great! Nice video! It really conveyed the differences in the various scales. With your playing, I could hear the “Why” you would pick one scale over another, if that makes sense. When I practice scales, it just sounds like random notes. With your playing, I can feel the difference. Anyway, THANK YOU! It’s the little nuggets of gold that make you want to keep trying.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks for this inspiring comment J Ray! I could not be happier to find that this stuff lands well for folks!

[@jasonh6441]

Love listening to you play, the tone is awesome and the smooth playing is top notch.

[@jayogden773]

Another awesome video shining more light on what's going on behind the scenes! Great explanation!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks Jay! As I did this one I realized there's a lot more here as well. At least another full video on pentatonic usage.

[@russelljoplin2728]

Hey, Chris. How 'bout you just continue to anticipate any current or future questions that I have about the guitar and helpfully make a video about them? Great! Thanks! Really great, illuminating stuff!

[@curiousguitarist]

Doin' my best...the crystal ball is getting a lot of mileage these days!!

[@EclecticEssentric]

See "100th monkey syndrome" or similar. Studies were done, some young Apes (chimps?) learned a new toolmaking skill, and they taught their peers (older members were less likely to learn new tricks). Shortly after, 100s of miles away, young chimps began to spontaneously do the same toolmaking skill without ever being taught or having contact of any kind with the first group. It seems we are not separate, but interconnected bits of a bigger brain. Fascinating.

[@gordonpelto1069]

To simplify, the pentatonic omit the half steps. You give a great explanation. 👍

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad it was helpful Gordon!

[@splashesin8]

Yay! So happy to be able to get back to you tube, and put my guitar on. I'm starting to feel like a human again. Thank you so much for this pentatonic oasis Chris❣️ Feels like I've been out in the desert a few days. ⛲️

[@curiousguitarist]

Welcome back Audrey!

[@vltjd]

Once again, nicely explained. Thanks.

[@curiousguitarist]

Of course!

[@timsellsted521]

This make sense now. Thanks for the great explanation Chris!

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Tim!

[@nicolasmaurin182]

Awesome as always. Thanks

[@chromosomegun5845]

Great lesson Chris! Another *ding!* lightbulb moment. Still need to catch up on the last couple of videos! What about Locrian and the Blues Scale? Is there some deeper relationship there?

[@curiousguitarist]

Locrian fits great over the blues if... You got the blues from your entire family being ripped to shreds by a tyrannosaur with deep evil intent. So, if it was just your dog, hit by a train, stick with Aeolian.

[@hansenmarc]

At least on paper, it looks like the blues scale should work over a diminished chord/Locrian mode if you leave out the unaltered fifth. I’m curious to hear what it actually sounds like, though.

[@curiousguitarist]

@@hansenmarc curiosity will get you that answer for sure! Report back :)

[@paulmoran8530]

Another great lesson - thank you 👍🏼

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Paul! Glad you enjoyed this one.

[@RBZ3]

Great insight...thanks Chris!

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet Brad!

[@KawiMark]

Awesome channel, fantastic lesson! I'm currently learning theory and stuff like this is gold! Keep them coming!

[@curiousguitarist]

You got it KawiMark!

[@scottstevens9323]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@curiousguitarist]

You're so welcome, Scott. Thanks for being here.

[@Dave-gf3kd]

Awesom Chris! have to go back and watch the Modes video...

[@curiousguitarist]

Keep me posted on how it goes Dustin!

[@lawboss]

Well done video. A good introduction to the 'salt and pepper' of musical spices.

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha, I love that metaphor Tom!

[@mediumdun18]

How is it possible that someone found fault with this vid. Lightbulbs of all lightbulbs ...if I could have time returned to me on how many mode vids I've sat through and still been confused I'd be 5 years younger. Simply amazing content

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks so much! I’m so glad this is inspiring.

[@BenBreeg1138]

Love the intro, would love to be able to play so simply and melodically. Also, great shirt!

[@curiousguitarist]

The man in black. Never gets old. Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@Dean.Jubb.Guitar]

Yes Chris fantastic opening loop

[@curiousguitarist]

Wow, thanks Dean! It's || : Em | C♯min | B | A :||

[@Dean.Jubb.Guitar]

@@curiousguitarist Cool I'm going give it a go and see if I can get close to yours

[@curiousguitarist]

@@Dean.Jubb.Guitar Post a link or tag me on instagram when you do Dean!

[@Dean.Jubb.Guitar]

@@curiousguitarist will do x

[@EclecticEssentric]

It blew my mind the first time that I realized this. Thanks!

[@curiousguitarist]

Which part Timmy?

[@EclecticEssentric]

@@curiousguitarist For nearly 30 years, I knew the 7 diatonic positions, and pentatonic off the the Ionian or Aeolian, and that's it. I had no idea about "pentatonic over 6 out of 7 diatonic chords". So if I played in A minor, I'd play A minor pentatonic over A, D, and E minors, which works, but is limiting. I rarely played major pentatonic because...I think I just didn't like the major sound. I mainly wrote and played chord songs, or terrible chord-book cover songs (yikes, they're so bad). I'd play major chords, but I couldn't get the lead, or scale, sounds in my head. I'm a very blue guy...rough life, ya know. So when I realized I could play D minor penta over the D in A minor, and E minor penta over the E...well, I felt pretty stupid that that took so long to notice. Lots of the obvious stuff is only obvious once someone points it out how obvious it is. And picturing C major penta as the 'first position' A minor, just played from the C instead, also never clicked until around that time. I'd often play scale-wise, like C right into D, instead of jumping around or arpeggiating (I didn't know arpeggios, so hit A over A, C over C...yeah, it was bad). I was pretty oblivious for most of 3 decades. I enjoyed my songs and could easily do a 3 hour concert in time and in tune, singing and strumming, but I was never obsessed with guitar, nor particularly good. Well, that changed about 2 years ago and I became completely obsessed with trying to figure out all this shit I've been missing. Know I've jammed 10 years of music theory into 2 years...and now I am sifting and practicing and slowly getting there. Thank you for your help on my journey, it is appreciated greatly! And to anyone reading this: if I can learn this stuff at over 50, poor as shit, Asperger-y, with a 25 year old broken guitar, and a nearly useless spine, so can you.

[@MrSlash00r]

Fantastically explained and notated, Chris. Would love to see a video on next steps (suggestions) after you've "mastered" the pentatonic scales or what to add to your solos to make them more interesting than just playing the minor pentatonic over a chord progression. #PentMinorRut

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks MrSlash, glad you liked this one. I'll be doing more like this, and going deeper in the near future, but also check out the target notes videos here as they can help you start to look at chord tones as landing spots, and even that alone can start making the pentatonic scale sound (and function) much more melodic!

[@joycegrove5602]

When the intro is played just using pentatonic notes & sounds amazing (reminds me of a Knopfler track)... and then I do my attempt and it just sounds like I am noodling dull scales! Arrgh! ;)

[@curiousguitarist]

I'm mixing a few scales there Joyce. The progression is E | C♯m | B | A I'm using Em pentatonic over the first two chords mostly, then using B and A major pentatonic scales over those chords...there's even a moment where I use the A pentatonic over the B as they can easily be heard as being in the same key. I'll do another one of these on pentatonic overlays like that soon.

[@joycegrove5602]

@@curiousguitarist It sounds lovely, thank you for taking the time to explain the progression! Edited to add: yep, got my Circle of 5ths out so yes, chord progressions make more sense to me now! Now playing along to your intro! :)

[@curiousguitarist]

@@joycegrove5602 You bet!

[@blindponyband]

@@curiousguitarist Yes please, another one on pentatonic overlays! Why does minor pentatonic get the nod over major pentatonic in the E to C#M, because the C# comes second, so the progression is "moving" to minor??

[@curiousguitarist]

@@blindponyband there is no key change in this progression. It’s I vi V IV in the key of E. E and C# minor are relative keys, so they share the same note pool. The E Minor pentatonic scale fits the entire progression, but as the C# minor rolls around the scale really shines as the notes now become related to C# minor. Hope that helps!

[@Terribleguitarist89]

I once saw a minor pentatonic explained as a Minor 11 arpeggio and a major pentatonic as a Major 6/9 arpeggio... That open my "mind's eye" to some possibilities as well.

[@curiousguitarist]

That’s such cool context! I love that!

[@hansenmarc]

I always pick up something new from your videos, even when they cover concepts I’m already familiar with. This video is a great example of how constraints can often expand creative freedom. In this case, constraining the major and minor scales to their pentatonic equivalents expands the musical contexts in which the scales sound good. The other thing I learned? I’d never noticed until I heard you play it, but the main guitar riff in Nazareth’s Chaingin’ Times is just a descending minor pentatonic scale. Very cool!

[@curiousguitarist]

The more theory you dive into, and hence the more cognitive connection to passive ear training you deploy, the more you become connected and sensitive to hearing and decoding applications...it's really incredible. So glad you're here.

[@IvandeWeer]

It's easily explained; because of the fact that you omit all the notes of the major scale that are altered in the mixolydian (b7) and lydian (#4) mode compared to the major pentatonic scale, it works. Same goes for minor pentatonic. Because you omit the 2nd and 6th scale degree of the minor scale, which happen to be EXACTLY the notes that are being altered in the phrygian (b2) and dorian (natural 6) mode, the minor pentatonic scale also works over them.

[@curiousguitarist]

Nice, Iwan! It took me 12 minutes to explain!

[@TalTE-e6x]

Suberb explanation! BTW during this video you keep pointing to the modes video but there is no link popping out.

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah, I linked it initially, but apparently I cannot link the same video twice...I did not know that when I recorded it! Ooops! Glad you liked this one טל טובלם!

[@drkhandal]

Genius stuff this. So much ground covered in less than 5mins. Just unbelievable. 👌👌👌👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@curiousguitarist]

So glad you liked it Ajay!

[@jetduongofficial]

Now I know why. No one explained why before. Thank you.

[@curiousguitarist]

Seems silly to me that the explanation doesn't ALWAYS come along. But guitarists share information very tribally and often that context is lost over time passing the info around. Thanks for the comment Antoine!

[@markgoodwin5306]

Locrian needs to get it’s affairs in order. They have their diminished or sometimes b5’s right on the other side of the door who you have to respond to first. Not the best faces to represent a company.

[@curiousguitarist]

So true, and their HR department is always bracing for the worst-possible outcomes! Locrian is actually quite compelling, but it's so dark that it makes you wonder if life is really worth all the trouble. Takes a deft hand to compose in Locrian without falling into just simple despair.

[@markgoodwin5306]

@@curiousguitarist I’ll keep’er on the roster though, might come in useful if all plans go to hell and I need a specific spot filled.

[@EclecticEssentric]

A weird tip/trick: Take Locrian, and zap the 2nd and 6th away to make a minor pentatonic, but leave the b5 (not Babylon 5, the flat 5, you big silly). For me at least, it seems to trick the ear into thinking "blues" and it works, sounding resolute while not actually so. Try it and feedback me, if anyone feels so inclined.

[@hansenmarc]

@@EclecticEssentric I was thinking the same thing! Put another way, the blues scale minus the unaltered fifth should work over a diminished chord/Locrian mode, at least in theory.

[@outtathyme5679]

Super helpful

[@curiousguitarist]

Ahh! So glad to hear that!

[@jameslabs1]

Thank you Chris, Grateful. Just wondering, independent of the conventional Major/minor Pentatonics can each mode have there own innate pentatonic scales? sorry if the question is silly

[@curiousguitarist]

It's not silly at all...you could make up one using any notes you like, but the primary pentatonics fit so well you'd likely being making scales that are a bit "odd-sounding...however, making a scale that actually INCLUDED the altered notes (♯4 in Lydian for examples) might be super fun... ...hmmm...I feel a video coming on!

[@jameslabs1]

Thanks for that. Gratefully inspired -James

[@hansenmarc]

@@curiousguitarist another variation on the theme that might be interesting would be to cover the modes of the pentatonic scales. For example, the second mode of the major pentatonic is called the Egyptian, or suspended pentatonic. One nice thing about this approach is there’s less to remember. For example, if you have a 1-4-5 progression in c, you can just use different modes of the c major pentatonic instead of having to remember the f- and g-major pentatonics also. Time for me to do some serious listening to figure out when the modal approach might work, and when it’ll sound too weird. Being a curious guitarist definitely keeps music interesting.

[@curiousguitarist]

@@hansenmarc and then you'll know a bit more about your musical preference...and then turn that onto your musical capability!

[@bazilbrushrocks]

Nice lesson. Maybe Locrian isn’t popular in modern music exactly because it doesn’t fit either of the pentatonic scales, so people don’t know how to play it!

[@curiousguitarist]

Wow, never thought of it that way...interesting!

[@matthewmorrison1431]

Demystifying theory again! Man, I wish I would’ve had these teachings 25 years ago

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah I hear ya! Glad to be here now and so glad to be helping!

[@miles_tones8970]

Most useful scale of all time!

[@curiousguitarist]

It's really amazing isn't it?

[@miles_tones8970]

@@curiousguitarist I know it's useful in so many genres of music.

[@BlackMath69]

Intro reminds me of Prince

[@curiousguitarist]

Now there's a compliment :)

[@RANDOG1951]

Now your talkin.

[@curiousguitarist]

Isn't this a cool way to look at pents? I love it.