Major Pentatonic over minor key

**kimjanee** · 01-08-2021, 04:49 AM

need a little help, i don't think i am grasping how to fit major pent into my blues playing while in a minor key. I hav learned all positions of minor & major pents. I can improve with both major and minor while in a major key....but cannot fit major pent into my licks while in a minor key. it is just about the root notes? help!

**djg** · 01-08-2021, 05:47 AM

Originally Posted by kimjanee

need a little help, i don't think i am grasping how to fit major pent into my blues playing while in a minor key. I hav learned all positions of minor & major pents. I can improve with both major and minor while in a major key....but cannot fit major pent into my licks while in a minor key. it is just about the root notes? help!

you can play a minor third over a major chord, because it is considered a blue note. you can not play a major third over a minor chord.

over a blues in Cmin you can not use the Cmaj/Amin pent. you can however use the Cmin/Ebmaj pent. i assume you're aware that they contain the same notes?

**Rob MacKillop** · 01-08-2021, 07:09 AM

Like djg suggests, Eb Major pentatonic works over Cm, or C pentatonic Major over Am, but what's the point in thinking like that when C pent minor works over Cm, A Pent minor works over Am?

You might consider C major scale or G major scale over Am...otherwise known as the aeolian and dorian modes respectively.

**AllanAllen** · 01-08-2021, 10:21 AM

This might confuse you even more, but I use a hybrid scale.

Root, flat9, 2nd, minor 3rd, 3rd, 4th, flat 5(blue note), 5th, 6th, Dom 7th, 7th.

Play along to blues records (hint hint, Jimmy Reed is in E major) to see what goes where. Once you have standard shuffle blues down, jazz it up a little check out this video.

**djg** · 01-08-2021, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

This might confuse you even more, but I use a hybrid scale.

Root, flat9, 2nd, minor 3rd, 3rd, 4th, flat 5(blue note), 5th, 6th, Dom 7th, 7th.

what has the b6 done to you to deserve this?

**ragman1** · 01-08-2021, 11:20 AM

This place often reminds me of the man who goes to Outer Mongolia with a phrase book. He learns how to say 'Where is the Post Office?' in perfect Outer Mongolian and approaches somebody.

Impressed with his wonderful pronunciation they smile broadly and start directing him to the Post Office... except the poor guy has no idea what they're talking about :-)

Who has told you to use major pentatonics for a minor blues?

**AllanAllen** · 01-08-2021, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by djg

what has the b6 done to you to deserve this?

I haven't found a situation where it sounds good to me. Keep in mind, I've only been at this for a year.

**djg** · 01-08-2021, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

I haven't found a situation where it sounds good to me. Keep in mind, I've only been at this for a year.

i was messing with you. you wrote down the chromatic scale but left out exactly one note

here's a good starter on jazz blues. everything in this vid should be bread and butter to you eventually.

**AllanAllen** · 01-08-2021, 12:24 PM

Haha! I didn't even notice! What an unhelpful suggestion to OP

I can't help but feel Ragman was talking about me

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 01-08-2021, 01:12 PM

Just to mix it up, a little different approach to jazz blues. Warning: there will be b6s!

**ragman1** · 01-08-2021, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Haha! I didn't even notice! What an unhelpful suggestion to OP

I can't help but feel Ragman was talking about me

Not specifically, although you're definitely guilty as sin

Actually, I've no doubt your intentions were good (it wasn't a bad video). But not checking the thread title is quite common, I've done it myself occasionally.