Single Position Pentatonics

[djangoles]

...so I've been working out of Jerry Bergonzi Pentatonics for a couple of weeks and I discovered I didn't REALLY KNOW MY PENTATONICS as well as they need to be for this!!!! Talk about a humbling moment. So in my frustration I buckled down and went back to the drawing board.

Anyhow...one method I used to learn all the inversions solid was to stay in one position and play a minor pentatonic (lowest to highest note) from each degree of a parent key/pentatonic, without leaving position. Don't know why I never did this before because it's a great way to learn the various inversions.... in addition to getting 5 different keys without moving. Slide up a 1/2 step and you get 5 more. I've never done much positional playing for various reasons but in the past week the fretboard has really opened up for me. Basically it goes like this....

Gmin Pentatonic Parent scale
Gmin Pent 3rd Fret
Bbmin Pent 6th Fret
Cmin Pent 3rd Fret
Dmin Pent 5th Fret (have to employ shift for g string)
Fmin Pent 3rd Fret

....as a side note I've been playing for a pretty long time and feel I have a pretty good grasp on things, just goes to show what I know.

[bobby d]

I think I understand, but can you show some examples? So when playing the Bbmin you would start with your 4th finger on the 6th fret?

[djangoles]

yeah basically, the root of every new pentatonic is the same finger as the parent (gmin in this case), except the dmin which you either have to stretch or shift....also the forms go from the lowest to the highest of whatever scale you're playing. Here it is simply played, sorry amp is getting fixed right now.

YouTube Video

[Arpeggio]

Sounds good.

(Gmin vi of Bbmaj key)

Modal interchange to Bbmin key

(Bbmin i of Bbmin key)

Modal interchange to Bbmaj key

(Cmin ii of Bbmaj key
Dmin iii of Bbmaj key)

Modal interchange to Bbmin key

(Fmin v of Bbmin key)


Modal interchange, Nice!

[djangoles]

Originally Posted by Arpeggio

Sounds good.

(Gmin vi of Bbmaj key)

Modal interchange to Bbmin key

(Bbmin i of Bbmin key)

Modal interchange to Bbmaj key

(Cmin ii of Bbmaj key
Dmin iii of Bbmaj key)

Modal interchange to Bbmin key

(Fmin v of Bbmin key)


Modal interchange, Nice!

I didn't think of it as a modal interchange.....but that is pretty cool. Thanks

[bluesky]

I really love this. But can someone kindly explain to me the purpose of knowing it this way. We aren't going to be moving from Gmin to Bbmin to Cmin and to Dmin I think.

[bobby d]

Originally Posted by bluesky

I really love this. But can someone kindly explain to me the purpose of knowing it this way. We aren't going to be moving from Gmin to Bbmin to Cmin and to Dmin I think.

The idea is being able to play Bbmin because it's there without having to go to another position. I look at pentatonics a little differently. Play the G minor in 5 different positions on the neck. You'll mostly come up with the same patterns the OP is talking about, but instead of changing keys you'll be changing positions for the same key.

The best known and most used position is the easiest because there's no shifting across the strings. Learning all 5 positions on the neck is similar to the CAGED method - good for learning the fretboard.

[djangoles]

Originally Posted by bluesky

I really love this. But can someone kindly explain to me the purpose of knowing it this way. We aren't going to be moving from Gmin to Bbmin to Cmin and to Dmin I think.

I originally came up with this only because i didn't know all five minor pentatonic positions in all keys as well as I needed to play the exercises correctly. So instead of stepping through the various inversions in one key and then moving through cycle of fourths/fifths etc... I realized that they were all under my fingers in basically one position/area, and within one afternoon I had them all under fingers pretty solid in all keys.

I never intended it to be something you would use as changes or a progression....but like I said before, with a one fret shift up or down you have five more key centers.... that leaves only 2 more to work out... so with that said it does have its use even for changes/progression. I'm planning on posting a video with some real examples of how I've been practicing and using it....maybe tonight

[djangoles]

Originally Posted by bobby d

Play the G minor in 5 different positions on the neck. You'll mostly come up with the same patterns the OP is talking about, but instead of changing keys you'll be changing positions for the same key.

Exactly.....

[Arpeggio]

TBH I think staying in key is good at first. Then from within that the root note starting points for non-diatonic and key change stuff, rather than the entire non-diatonic and key changes as shapes compared to shapes. You should also sing what you play because your fingers aren't evolved as the sound making part of our anatomy whereas our voice is and therefore more closely linked to the part of the brain responsible for our concept of sound. So singing bridges the gap for your fingers to that part of the brain, I reckon anyway!

[bluesky]

Originally Posted by djangoles

I originally came up with this only because i didn't know all five minor pentatonic positions in all keys as well as I needed to play the exercises correctly. So instead of stepping through the various inversions in one key and then moving through cycle of fourths/fifths etc... I realized that they were all under my fingers in basically one position/area, and within one afternoon I had them all under fingers pretty solid in all keys.

I never intended it to be something you would use as changes or a progression....but like I said before, with a one fret shift up or down you have five more key centers.... that leaves only 2 more to work out... so with that said it does have its use even for changes/progression. I'm planning on posting a video with some real examples of how I've been practicing and using it....maybe tonight

Yeah! I got it.

[bluesky]

Hi there, the single position works good. Each of the minor pents also generates major pents.
Gmin= Bbmaj
Bbmin=Emaj
Cmin=Ebmaj
Dmin=Fmaj.

[djangoles]

Originally Posted by bluesky

Hi there, the single position works good. Each of the minor pents also generates major pents.
Gmin= Bbmaj
Bbmin=Emaj
Cmin=Ebmaj
Dmin=Fmaj.

Don't forget you also have the 7th (Fmin pent) in the single position....