George Benson's PENTATONIC WIZARDRY on "So What"

In this lesson, I analyze the various pentatonic-based ideas that George Benson uses in his solo over “So What”. I present eight examples discussing opening phrases, side-stepping, pentatonic from a 5th above the root, tritone sub pentatonic, and more. It’s a great lesson to learn more from if you’re a fan of Benson, and I can’t think of any guitarist that isn’t. Click the links below for the free PDF for this lesson and more resources.
Part 2 of this lesson: George Benson's Butyraceous Bebop Lines!
• George Benson's BUTTER...
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[@thelonious-dx9vi]

George plays so much guitar it's ridiculous. I'm truly in awe of him. His ability to create blues on any changes -- meaning blues feeling and sound, not necessarily blues scale per se -- is one of the things that amazes me most about him. Now that Pat has sadly passed, the greatest-living-player question is no longer a question. Long live the king.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Totally agree with you. That’s one of my favorite aspects of his playing 🤘

[@cameronmason4452]

Pat Martino?!

[@thelonious-dx9vi]

Yes indeed.

[@babinm]

No one is the greatest in Art and nusic

[@thelonious-dx9vi]

Sure, it's true that music isn't a foot race, and that art is inherently subjective, etc. In this context, however, I say "greatest living player" more as a term of intergenerational respect within the tradition. Jeff Beck is the best guitar in the world; so's Billy Gibbons, and Albert King and Joe Pass. None of it contradicts the fact that Wes was the most bestest of them all, which he was. It's just one of those things.

[@alexbostelle287]

Benson was a legend in legendary times....i remember one night in Philly years ago listening to him play his hand made Koontz guitar , a tone never duplicated. Might be easier to play how he plays rather than what he plays.

[@ChaseMaddox]

He’s in a class of his own for sure!

[@SH-pq5zq]

Great instructional video! This is such a great album with such great playing by George. Thank you for this!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed! 🙏

[@merldesoisa2287]

Great job thanks 👍

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks! 🤘

[@kenzuercher7497]

I watched your previous video on pentatonics and passed it along to the members of my adult guitar class. This has some of those patterns used by George Benson. Great stuff! Thank you!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Really appreciate you spreading the word on these videos! Honestly one of the best ways to support what I’m trying to do here. Glad you dug the lesson, and feel free to let me know if there are any topics you’d like my take on 🤘

[@peti802]

Tremendous lesson. Easy to understand and apply.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks John! That’s exactly what I’m going for 🙏

[@MrShanebizzle]

Damn bro you nailed it!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you! 🙏

[@u2canbfree82]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@ChaseMaddox]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching 🤘

[@TheJofrica]

Nailed it!

[@liontone]

That clear opening volley. Priceless. (Then a clear ending.)

[@ChaseMaddox]

Absolutely. I wish I heard more great opening phrases in live performances.

[@liontone]

@@ChaseMaddox It’s not a jazz thing, but I make everyone (even the jazz kids) listen to Page’s STH solo, and note how he uses an opening, and answer phrase + development, and an ending. It’s all right there. Perfect model.

[@Dang...]

Good work, thanks!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Dan! 🤘

[@anthonyshaw8698]

Awesome!! Beebop lines to this song, and how they're used, will be interesting👍👍 Great job

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Anthony! 🤘

[@davidpetebluepowell]

SWEET!!! Fits perfectly in my blues style. Thanks so much. ✌❤🎸

[@ChaseMaddox]

Awesome, thanks David! 🤘

[@davidpetebluepowell]

@@ChaseMaddox No, thank you sir. ✌❤🎸

[@ChaseMaddox]

🙏🙏

[@gadymarcus2362]

Magnifico.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you! 🤘

[@andreslepiane7026]

excelent saludos desde uruguay

[@ChaseMaddox]

Gracias para verlo 🤘

[@robertsebastian7903]

Cool video! Thanks! Example 1 reminds me of Grant Green "Upshot"

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Robert! Absolutely does 🤘

[@Becker333]

I need this

[@ChaseMaddox]

🤘🤘

[@8CountAudio]

I really like the quick presentation of each example! However I do kind of struggle with the opening notes of example 2. I’m not feeling the Am interpretation (at least not yet). I’m not even thinking Dm9 as the “cause” of that C and E. I’m just looking at it as a fun little phrase that’s a playful way to get to the held D note. And that interpretation seems to very naturally lead to that chromatic/bluesy descending pathway to the low D later in the phrase

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks! My interpretation is definitely not the only one, go with the way that makes the most sense to you 🤘

[@songpartsandsolos2624]

Great lesson and props for reading Ray Dalio, great stuff!!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you! 🤘

[@nmonye01]

Great video. Can you do one on his solo for The Cooker?

[@ChaseMaddox]

I think I can 👌

[@TheRealSandleford]

That is a pretty one always like to hear that version of the tune. Here is one for you I just thought of.... 1356 in diatonic but instead of 2467 after that do the 1356 of the tritone dominant scale then do the 2467, then the tritone 2467 ETC...that pattern pretty interesting sounding continuing like that

[@ChaseMaddox]

Hmmm I’ll try it out 👌

[@pedrobaeztorres4401]

Great lesson,What kind of guitar are you playing?

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks! Ibanez AG85 🤘

[@HVL1977]

Great !!!! Thank you !!! With material (your material) do you recomend for modern frasing ?

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you! I’d recommend this video and the one before it. Secundal Harmony pt. 2 - 8 Killin' Lines kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWasg6iQqceemcU

[@HVL1977]

@@ChaseMaddox you are great !! Love you ! Ahahah thanks from Brazil !!!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Greetings from Miami! ☀️

[@robertblake3909]

Thinking about how the A- pentatonic and how it works as the 5th of Dminor. Does it make sense to think of the A- pent like an abbreviated A_alt scale? Of course, the A alt is also a Bb melodic minor scale, so the Bb- tritone would be much the same. Does this make sense?

[@ChaseMaddox]

Absolutely makes sense! A lot of times I will think of a minor pentatonic shape a half step above the 7alt chord, so Bb- pentatonic for A7alt like you said. This gives you a lot of altered-type sounds with the obvious exception being the Ab of the Bb minor pentatonic. Still seems to work if you use lots of patterns or resolve well.

[@alej3795]

@@ChaseMaddox Bb minor pentatonic above A (because of Maj 7 instead b7) is more like F Alt... But Dm+Am pentatonic is nice way to avoid 6th on min7

[@ChaseMaddox]

I wouldn’t say it’s more like F7alt since that would still be missing the 3rd. Neither one is a perfect for the scale or else it would just be a pentatonic from melodic minor. Both are close.

[@Eberponton]

[@nliebert41]

nice stuff tune that lower string!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Nahhhh

[@amoh5]

I think jazz guitarists utilize pentatonic patterns differently from blues, rock or pop guitarists because they usually apply more variations or colours of the root notes, more complexity so to speak, opposed to straight raw blues, Benson is definitely a master of that style 💙

[@ChaseMaddox]

Absolutely! 🤘

[@vincebrizio953]

Exellent I really like what you do! I have a question :, do you prefer the Ibanez PM200 or the Ibanez AF2000 ? Who has more The so-called "mellow tone"? Thanks 🙏

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Vince! Honestly I couldn’t say because the only Ibanez I’ve ever played is this AG85 model.

[@vincebrizio953]

@@ChaseMaddox thanks 🙏

[@idontwanttousemynameyoutub7538]

They are both excellent guitars. I personally like the PM120 which like the AF2000 has two pickups and a nice cutaway on the thumb side. It looks pretty cool too.

[@thecodshow5]

What model is your Ibanez? I have an Af-105 and the inlays look the same

[@ChaseMaddox]

It’s an AG 85 from about 15 years ago

[@thecodshow5]

@@ChaseMaddox nice.

[@dry509]

Is everything you are doing in the beginning pentatonics?

[@ChaseMaddox]

It’s mostly pentatonics, but not completely. I’m going to go over the bebop-style lines in this solo in next week’s lesson 🤘

[@dry509]

@@ChaseMaddox Cool. Thanks.

[@laventsmith494]

I need these moves in my playing….

[@ChaseMaddox]

Don’t we all! 🤘

[@pickinstone]

Interesting that you haven't adopted the "Benson picking technique" for all of these Benson inspired lessons. Barry Greene also uses a more traditional plectrum technique, but he LOVES Benson's playing as well. I've been reexamining my own picking--from strictly floating the right hand, to lightly gracing the pick guard--to play uptempos and doubletime material. Just good to know that the Benson picking technique isn't the only way to access Benson's rhythmic and melodic genius.

[@ChaseMaddox]

My picking here is a lot closer to what Benson does than what Barry does. What do you mean technically by “Benson picking technique”?

[@pickinstone]

@@ChaseMaddox Not the upstrokes or downstrokes, but the way that you hold the pick. Approaching with the side of the pick and slicing the string instead of picking through the string. Just saying that it is cool to see someone talk about Benson's playing without getting dogmatic about his picking technique--how to hold the pick. A lot of folks wrongfully pigeon hold Cecil Alexander as just a Benson Picker. His lines sound more like Pat Martino and a mix of horn players than Benson--which is awesome as well. There's dogma about Benson picking just like there is dogma around Gypsy Jazz picking--and that can sometimes lead us astray.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Totally agree with you! 🤘There’s many elements to the picking technique and sound of the lines. I focus most on the up picking and down picking because it was the breakthrough change for me to be able to play faster and get the feel of the Benson lines.

[@idontwanttousemynameyoutub7538]

@@pickinstone I hold the pick like that as well, because I saw Metheny, Benson and even Steve Morse and Santana in the 70's all doing that. I alternate as well as the so called "Benson method" because each way give you more options, and you can even do the Gambale thing as well.

[@kane6529]

It always blows my mind that rockers talk down about pentatonics because they don’t comprehend it doesn’t have to be only Blues licks in the same position 😅

[@ChaseMaddox]

That’s a great point 😅

[@jm.101]

Why talk down the pentatonic scale as a rocker? It’s the foundation of rock lol

[@RobES335]

I think you mean shredders

[@jj5022]

I find that for getting that really new wave jazz sound (chic corea, thundercat etc..) you can kind of just splice whole tone riffs and motifs at your discretion into your solos. just like how you would do with chromatic or diminished scales

[@ChaseMaddox]

Whole tone is very good for that!

[@uncleremus5046]

Bad Benson Indeed! Before he went Pop my favorite next to Wes.

[@HABLA_GUIRRRI]

context pls

[@ChaseMaddox]

Commented with no context lol

[@HABLA_GUIRRRI]

@@ChaseMaddox laugh lolouder

[@davidtrotman1812]

George Benson was influenced by Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. GG used pentatonics the same way.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Yes indeed!

[@whimpypatrol5503]

2 things about Bensons playing I've never heard anyone talk about is his tone and volume. He has a great live jazz tone with no ice picks or ka-booms and can maintain such at a much louder volume than the 60's jazz virtuosos could. And he didn't have a garbage truck tone like later fusion players. I know of no other player that has accomplished that. And I suspect only 50% of his tone has to do with his guitar, amp, sound system and sound engineer. It's one thing to even play his material. It's another to sound like him.

[@ChaseMaddox]

What do you mean by “ice picks or kabooms”?

[@whimpypatrol5503]

@@ChaseMaddox ice picks are nasty piercing treble tones, and kabooms are those harsh midtone blasts that inset humbuckers thru es335s are famous for. Other sound annoyances are those mid and treble overtones that fast start to ring out when you hold notes. Another tone annoyance are those thin steel sounds on the higher strings. Steel frets can sound bad. Digital amps can give sound artifacts that are anything but warm. And worse, using reverb with tone imperfections just makes many of these stand out. The jazz tone I like is something like the Midnight Blue tone which was accomplished in a studio. Anyway, I have had something similar in my mind and i think of it as a deep throated 50's jazz guitar with an inset neck pickup. But to actually get a guitar possibly with that tone, scalpers want upwards toward 50Gs. But I think 1/2 of the tone is picking and hand muting (both right and left hand and fingers) and note duration inspite of inferior gear. Montgomery slid his bare thumb across strings which controled many tone imperfections, and i suspect he also did alot of clever right hand muting that Emily Remler was famous for to also get a controled jazz tone. Jazz guitarists from the 50's with tone that sounded like they where in a box (i.e. jazz box) maybe we're also compensating to prevent tone annoyances. In the 60's and early seventies, some jazz players turned their tone knobs all the way down maybe to muffle bad tone or maybe because they liked that Jim Hall sorta sound. Possibly the most famous way to control bad tone annoyances is compression. And if you have a good guitar tech ear, adjusting the EQ does help. But with the gear I own, it has been a challenge.

[@brycepagey888]

Did you know you tick before each lick at the front? Fuck yea

[@ChaseMaddox]

What tick?

[@ChainWasp]

Your E string is out of tune in the introoo

[@ChaseMaddox]

Yes it is 👍

[@5geezers]

@@ChaseMaddox Aha, a test....🤓

[@ChaseMaddox]

Lol more like I bumped my guitar before filming that intro and didn’t realize until I was playing 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ibanezprestige5964]

Your 6th string is out of tune bro. Good lesson anyway.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Yes it is, thanks 🤘

[@AAAAAAndreyAndreev]

your E is out of tune

[@ChaseMaddox]

Actually the E is in tune but all the other strings are perfectly out of tune 👌

[@Mynelka]

There`s too much obsession with scales and modes out there ... pro level players do not put together solos with all the redundant theoretical overkill ... they use ONE SCALE, the chromatic scale and pick and choose the notes that sound right/good/compelling/melodic over the chords, that`s all ... you`ll never become a great soloist unless you have the ears to do it.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Yes, and great authors use the alphabet. That isn’t help in any way in actually learning how to write a meaningful word or sentence or novel.

[@Mynelka]

@@ChaseMaddox In a nutshell, all of those videos completely ignore two critical factors, EARS/EAR TRAINING and INSPIRATION in other words TALENT. Improvisation is a creative process. Don`t give them the fish, teach them how to fish, unless the goal is to create totally unoriginal copycats. No true song writer will ever tell you that they wrote a meaningful song after they read in a book that they can go from a major chord to a relative minor and back. If the improvisor starts re-creating somebody else`s stuff it`s pointless

[@AaronBowley]

yes agreed . this is the level of enlightenment we strive for (well, some of us are dumb enough to go this route, lol)

[@TheRealSandleford]

@@Mynelka Kind of blacky whitey statement. I just like the theory as fun and it probably dont hurt no solo. I believe the greats practiced a lot and just had a love for it. All- whatever you got!

[@idontwanttousemynameyoutub7538]

I've been playing professionally for a long time, and I can say that what you said is utter bullshit. I've worked with, and sat and talked with many other professional players of all instruments, including legendary people such as Benson, and even Joe Pass (that's how old I am), and they all know, and use different scales and super-impositions to create interest and tension. Most of the guitarists learn from working with piano players which is the case with Benson, and even Scofield said that he learnt a lot from working with Richie Beirach in Liebman's band. You have to learn it once, and then you forget and it comes out naturally, but if you never learn it, you'll never know. If you think that any great jazz musician doesn't know this stuff, you're just fooling yourself.

[@punkntded]

your low e string is terribly out of tune

[@ChaseMaddox]

Yes it is 👍

[@ajayshankarmusic]

Please play or teach something, Instead of useless lectures

[@ChaseMaddox]

What would you have me do differently?