George Benson's SECRET of the 2 Pentatonics! - "Breezin'"

In this lesson I teach you the 2 pentatonic combination George Benson uses to solo over his classic tune, "Breezin'" and I demonstrate all of the concepts for you. Click below for more resources!
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[@slicksnewonenow]

This is actually a really old trick, but it's incredibly effective. It was used a lot in the Western Swing of the 40s and early 1950s... Usually done by "twin guitars".... Meaning one would play the root and the second would play exactly the same thing in the Octave. Really a Kool sound!

[@timothydaniels504]

You have an incredible feel for this music…and very fast hands! Brilliant lesson that I’m going to play slow out of necessity.

[@guyinpei]

Sounds great. Something to consider is rhat Bm pent is the same as DMaj pent. After a minute I realized that the pretty sound is DMaj while the the blusey sound is Dmin, George is switching between Major and minor. Terrific lesson here, thx.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Yes, exactly. I think I mentioned that? Lots of ways to think of it 👍 Thanks for checking it out!

[@kburson2008]

Great, quick lesson, chase!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Kyle! 🙏

[@larrybethune3909]

You're intro to this viddy was the part of that solo that stumped me as a kid (in my parent's basement). Thanks for this 'eh. Subscribed!

[@halfindy]

7:24 love that lick in the ‚bluesy‘ Penta. But the idea to present them back to back is an added bonus!

[@LonePigsyAndCub]

Super helpful lesson, man. Thanks!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Glad it was helpful! 🤘

[@ricklee7732]

I love it when my favorite songs are used in lessons!

[@ChaseMaddox]

🙌🙌

[@paulhicks3595]

Excellent, so much usable insight. Thanks.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Paul! 🙏

[@octavelove]

Excellent video!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you very much! 🤘

[@hakonosatowakugai7256]

I love the way this is broken down. Such a simple idea that has so many details.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you! 🙏

[@TheManchestercrew]

Nice! Exactly the sounds he uses

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks! 🤘

[@DavidleeBergeron]

Awesome lesson! Thanks

[@ChaseMaddox]

Glad you liked it David! 🤘

[@peteandrews7169]

Great lesson, thank you

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Pete! 🙏

[@pblodaplug6133]

Wow great lesson man!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you! 🙏

[@thelonious-dx9vi]

Very nice. Pentatonics a minor third apart is also very useful over minor ii-Vs ... kind of plugs into the thing where everything on the half diminished works a minor third up on the succeeding dominant. Just more good reasons for getting pentatonic shapes mapped on that interval.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Totally agree 💯

[@winstonsmith8240]

It's 7.30am here, and you've made me want to pick up my guitar already. Coffee is on the hob.😊

[@ChaseMaddox]

Big compliment! Thanks Winston 🤘

[@bartferguson8133]

Yes, the Dm pentatonic (or the Dm AND Bm blues scales) can add tension and a bluesy feel with the non-diatonic C and F natural notes, but players tend to neglect the other two pentatonics diatonic to the key of D. The Em/G pentatonics work great over ii7 and IV chords, and the F#m/A pentatonic works over all 4 chords of a I - vi7 - ii7 -V7 progreesion.

[@markscrivener3355]

Indeed! Remember a minor pentatonic is essentially a minor 11 arpeggio, so over any diatonic progression you can play the minor pentatonic that corresponds to the ii, iii, or vi of the major scale. Combining all 3 just gives you the major scale, but by parsing it into pentatonic scales you can get phrases you would not normally discover.

[@5geezers]

Love Breezin’ ! George killed on that one, he’s always had the knack of knowing how and most importantly when to funk it up. I don’t think it can be taught, but it can be learned 😎 Some great stank face on this video Chase! (just kidding)

[@ChaseMaddox]

One of the classics! 🤘

[@efrenhei4902]

Thank you, greetings from Argentina!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Glad you dig it! Greetings from Miami! 🤘

[@petewelsh9978]

Liked and subscribed- great lesson- thanks

[@ChaseMaddox]

Welcome aboard Pete! 🤘

[@petewelsh9978]

@@ChaseMaddox thanks, I’m a working rock/ metal player but love playing jazz too.

[@ChaseMaddox]

@@petewelsh9978 Awesome! Any jazz topic in particular you’d like me to cover?

[@petewelsh9978]

@@ChaseMaddox I’ve not seen your whole content yet so I need to check it out before making any requests. My personal big problem is shifting mindset from rock to jazz. It’s basically like learning a whole new instrument. I often worry that when I approach jazz playing that I might be missing a trick by trying very hard not play like a rock metal player…

[@mbmillermo]

I'm used to thinking about combining D major pentatonic with D minor pentatonic (e.g., Clapton's solo in Sunshine of Your Love) or generally using those over 7 chords in a blues/jazz context, but for some reason I never thought about Bm and Dm even though it's the same notes. This is related to Barry Harris's "playing with your brothers and sisters" concept which is related to diminished chords -- you can always move a dom7 arpeggio up three frets and get mostly the same notes with interesting variations. Same for the pentatonic scales. Does Fm/AbM or G#m/BM work over any part of those changes?

[@ChaseMaddox]

The short answer is you can definitely use those other pentatonics but they’ll just have more tension. I’ll probably do a video on this 👍

[@PatrickTengmusic]

How I do buy the TABS from you Sir 🙏

[@grenciamars4876]

Love how no one can just say "good video" without adding a mini lesson 😂

[@brianm7870]

Nice job on the video!! Correct me if I'm wrong but at 0.39 the Em chord has a "G" being played on the 2nd string on the 8th fret. Shouldn't that be an F# to make the chord an Em7 add 9? If not that "G"clashes with the F# D doubles played at the 13th & 14th frets? Drop the doubles down and octave and play them near the nut and play the doubles (E/C#, then D/B, and F#/D and it will really clash with a standard Em7. Unless I'm hearing the doubles wrong? And how about the first chord...is it a Dmaj9 rather than a D chord? I like the Asus chord...thanks....it sounds good even on the 2nd and 3rd frets from the A open, down...E, A, D, E open. Thanks! Feedback appreciated!

[@brianolderfellow7379]

Great info and playing but I play with my thumb for soloing and fingers for chords..no pick…so how can I play the fast lines in your course..thanks

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks! 🤘 The course is intended for use with a pick, the lines are all notated with the down and up picking I think are best, so you’d have to translate to whatever fingerpicking style you use

[@djonakachopper]

I’ll have to listen to Womack and Szabo again

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

Basic relitive minor pentatonic. Need locrian flat6, jump scale.

[@davehope5330]

Cool! I can do that without thinking too much - just slide the motif up 3 frets and back again (tastefully)..

[@ChaseMaddox]

Definitely a good first step!

[@allthingsbigandsmall]

Great stuff Chase! I've followed for around a year or so and your videos have helped a lot! We have to of course do right by Gabor Szabo and credit the song as his instead of Benson's. I'm sure you know but it would be a shame if people thought otherwise. Keep up the good work!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thank you! Glad you’ve found my videos helpful. I actually did not know it was a Gabor Szabo song, so thank you again for commenting to add that detail 👍

[@mqblues]

@@ChaseMaddox Bobby Blue Bland wrote the tune. Szabo covered it.

[@ChaseMaddox]

It's a 'Benson' tune in my heart 😄

[@mqblues]

Correction: Bobby Womack -- and Gabor Szabo -- the authors. Benson does my favorite version of the song. Oh well!.

[@templetonknee2146]

@@mqblues A correction: Womack alone wrote it and it first appeared on a Szabo album (which Womack played on).

[@stevenjaywalters]

I enjoy your videos. I'd appreciate being able to hear your backing tracks more prominently. I could barely hear the Benson tracks you were soloing over. Thanks.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Hopefully doing better in my newer videos!

[@vecernicek2]

Great lesson, but have to say, for me, converting all pentatonics to minor is pretty confusing. I need to align my visual system with my auditory system. The tonal gravity my ear hears is D, and if I am hearing and F#, it sounds like a major 3rd, but what I see in the minor pentatonic system is a minor 3rd (D) and a 5 (F#). I just don't get how people find it easier to reorient everything instead of simply learning the pentatonics from the major and minor root. But we're all different, so I guess if it works for most people, I'm being the odd one out 😂

[@ChaseMaddox]

You’ve got to go with whichever method is easiest/fastest for you to process. In my experience, most students find it easier to refer to a single set of minor pentatonic shapes instead of thinking in both major and minor pentatonic shapes. It sort of becomes a moot point once you’ve developed enough where you’re not even thinking of the shape but go for the sound you’re hearing in your mind.

[@richardirvin6155]

i'm with you. to me, major pentatonics are treated as a major and minor pentatonics are treated as minor, to the point that a lot of my licks are specific to one or the other (not all, but some). i do sometimes "blend" the scales while in one position of the other, but it is often my preference to separate them. i will often play blues out of the major pent on the 1 chord, then switch to the minor pent (of the same key) to play against the 4 chord

[@kane6529]

My grandmother taught George this 😅

[@sergek4354]

Yeah, that is really how Jeorge Benson sounds like, that is his trick.

[@JustinMoreira]

Oh brooo you actually teach 😩👏🫶

[@ChaseMaddox]

Haha teaching is the goal!

[@JustinMoreira]

@@ChaseMaddox subbed!

[@ChaseMaddox]

🙌🙌🙌

[@pabloelguera1161]

great lesson. I personaly find it a little unpleassing that the guitar seems to be not 100 percent in tune.

[@TheLochs]

I've found over the years that I can use pentatonics (minor over major) that dont make sense in theory but work for some reason. Its weird. This is like that. Who would think that Dm pentatonic would work over essentially a D Ionian progression. In theory it sounds wrong but it works.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Can’t let the theory get in the way of what sounds good 👌

[@TheLochs]

Amen to that

[@kennethslavin5469]

Bobby Womack's funk song.

[@justanothernguyen2334]

Thanks for the lesson! However the talking volume is so low that i had turn it up to hear your voice clearly

[@ChaseMaddox]

It’s a single mic that captures my voice and guitar so for it to sound decent in the room and pick up on the recording that’s the level I’ve found to be best 👍

[@thebigleone1066]

Do you venture ever into rock? I’m watching Matteo Mancuso play jazz and then rock it out.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Absolutely. I play a lot funk/pop/rock/jazz gigs 👍

[@Eberponton]

[@MasterStratocaster9]

Nice! Clean that fretboard homie!

[@ChaseMaddox]

Haha I do but here in south Florida a single gig outside in this humidity and it’s back to looking like that

[@ConstantineTaranenko]

You are moving in the right direction, but everything is much more complicated

[@ChaseMaddox]

Music is simple and difficult, but not complicated 👍

[@DaveLeoni]

Try F#m pentatonic as well

[@ChaseMaddox]

Another great option 👍

[@MojaveJazz]

I appreciate that you're such a dedicated teacher but you're doing a disservice here. Just because you prefer to think of a major pentitonic as it's relative minor doesn't mean that you should teach it that way. Ultimately it's better to learn modes for what they are so you don't have to constantly transpose on the fly

[@ChaseMaddox]

You're misrepresenting what I'm saying. I'm not saying to 'constantly transpose on the fly'.

[@scottbaekeland9750]

That was my thought also.

[@SUPERBURLBOYROY]

Transpose before you fly

[@petedambski3792]

Alternate between D maj and D minor thats all same thing

[@oliverchapman51177]

I think I was just punked

[@alexr1587]

Very bad! We can NOT hear the backing track at all!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ChaseMaddox]

What was very bad about it?

[@alexr1587]

@@ChaseMaddox We can NOT hear the backing track at all!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@yawopokugyamfi6609]

I was able to hear the backing track just fine. Maybe it's your audio/device YOG

[@brandonlewisguitar]

What’s going on ?? I thought peter was the benson guy?!?

[@ChaseMaddox]

You sure about that? 🤔

[@brandonlewisguitar]

@@ChaseMaddox I don’t know man? You allowed to teach benson stuff? Hasn’t peter got the rights to all his techniques?

[@ChaseMaddox]

Haha no, although he likes talking as if that's true!

[@zaqintosh]

You almost had me! Benson would never play such trash lines, lolol. Happy April 1 everyone :)

[@ChaseMaddox]

LOL that’s the best you got? 😂

[@Mike-rw2nh]

😂😂😂 Weapons-grade banter! 👏

[@taildragger53]

@@ChaseMaddox No, you are correct. He does use the licks you've introduced here. I've seen GB live several times from 1972 onwards and his phrasing is wild and chromatic and he mixes in minor pentatonics. One time I saw him in 1980 in Wembley, UK and he sounded completely out of tune for the whole concert & very distorted. LOL

[@Dex619]

The concept is good but the playing is sloppy and uninspiring.

[@ChaseMaddox]

Thanks Wes! 🙏

[@marcuslambert8722]

a young elon musk playing guitar....fine !

[@ChaseMaddox]

Lol I’ll take it 😄

[@ili626]

very benson-centric channel. i don’t relate. boring

[@ChaseMaddox]

lol 😂

[@MM-rr1kp]

sound quality on chord track is awful

[@ChaseMaddox]

Lol